NHL Best Bets: Panthers vs. Red Wings Game Picks

The Florida Panthers are trying to continue their climb up the Eastern Conference standings into a playoff spot when they visit the Detroit Red Wings tonight.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It’s been a strange year for the Florida Panthers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 and are now fighting for their playoff lives in 2023. They enter tonight’s matchup against the Red Wings sitting one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The visiting Panthers are listed as road favorites on the moneyline at -196, while the Red Wings are priced at +162. This will be the third meeting between these clubs, which already saw the Panthers pick up victories by scores of 5-1 and 3-2. 

Entering this contest, the Panthers are playing some solid hockey and have won two straight games amidst a 7-2-1 stretch of play. On the other hand, the Red Wings are really struggling and have posted a 2-7-1 record over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Panthers are expected to continue riding Sergei Bobrovsky, while the Red Wings should do the same with Ville Husso. The Panthers veteran netminder has posted a 23-17-3 record, paired with a .904 save percentage, while Husso is sitting at 25-18-6, along with a .901 save percentage. With how the Panthers are playing of late and his overall numbers, Bobrovsky should boast a slight edge in net tonight. 

The Panthers need these type of victories down the stretch and they’ve already continued to demonstrate to us that they can handle this Red Wings team. As a result, targeting the red-hot Florida Panthers on the puck line tonight to win by multiple goals is the direction bettors should gravitate toward at +116. 

Best Bet: Panthers Puck Line -1.5 (+116) 

The first two matchups in this season series have seen six and five goals scored. The total for this matchup is set at 6.5, with the over priced at -130, while the under is sitting at +106. Florida is the sixth-highest-scoring team in the NHL, while the Red Wings are all the way down in 23rd. Over the Panthers’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored three times, while the Red Wings have seen that transpire twice. With the recent trends and results in the season series, there’s value in backing the under 6.5, which is sitting in plus-money territory at +106. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (+106) 

There’s a lot of high-end offensive talent on this Florida Panthers team, and they’ve certainly been doing an excellent job at finding the back of the net in March. One player that continues to lead the team offensively is Matthew Tkachuk, who brings a physical presence and scoring touch. In his first year in Florida, he’s recorded 92 points in 66 games, in addition to leading the club with 11 points over their past five games. Tkachuk is currently listed at a very attractive price of -102 to score, which is a number bettors should feel comfortable backing. 

Best Prop: Matthew Tkachuk to Record Over 0.5 Goals (-102)