NHL Best Bets: Red Wings vs. Panthers Game Picks

Two Atlantic division foes are set to face off tonight, with the visiting Detroit Red Wings taking on the Florida Panthers from FLA Live Arena.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Detroit Red Wings (+168) vs. Florida Panthers (-205) Total: 6.5 (O-122, U+100)

Entering this matchup, the Red Wings are playing some good hockey and have won two straight games while posting a 6-2-2 record over their past ten. The same can’t be said for the Panthers, who sit at 3-4-3 over that same sample size. It certainly hasn’t been the start to the regular season that the Panthers were looking for after winning the President’s Trophy last season. Still, it’s not like they’re out of the race, even if they don’t currently sit in a playoff position. 

On the other hand, the Red Wings expected to be better this season with some of their high-end young talent getting better, in addition to them spending some big money during free agency and adding some veterans. In the same breath, the Panthers tried to change their identity and made some moves of their own, but there have been definite question marks about their defense and goaltending throughout the first two months of the season. 

Looking toward the expected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Red Wings should start Alex Nedeljkovic, while the Panthers will likely counter with Sergei Bobrovsky. The Red Wings netminder has posted a 2-3-2 record, paired with a .880 save percentage, while Bobrovsky is 4-6-1 with a .880 save percentage. Both goalies need to be better, especially the Panthers’ netminder, who’s taking up a large portion of the team’s salary cap. 

With the inconsistencies present from the Panthers of late and returning home from a Western Conference road trip, it’s hard to see them putting together a great effort tonight. As a result, there’s definite value in looking toward the plus-money value of the Red Wings at +168.  

Best Bet: Red Wings moneyline (+168) 

Over the past five Red Wings games, four of those matchups have seen less than seven goals scored. For the Panthers, three of their previous five games have gone over that number. Tonight’s total is currently set at 6.5, with the over slightly juiced at -122, while the under is at +100. This will be the first meeting of the season between these clubs, and with the projected starting goalies that we should see tonight, it’s not exactly difficult to see a high-scoring affair. Defense likely won’t be the top priority in this matchup, which should be evident when all is said and done on the scoreboard. With that, targeting the over 6.5 has some value at -122. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-122) 

The Detroit Red Wings have brought a balanced offensive approach to the table this season, but there are still some pieces up front that have done a good job of separating themselves. One of those players is Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who’s already recorded nine goals and 17 assists through 25 games. Florida has struggled to keep pucks out of their net this year and currently sits 21st in the league in goals allowed per game. Larkin has been one of the top goal-scorers for the Red Wings this season, and there’s far too much value in his price to score tonight at +200 to ignore it. 

Best Prop: Dylan Larkin to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+200)