Free NHL Betting Picks For Tonight (February 21)

There’s 9 games in the NHL today, and we’ve highlighted 3 of them to use for our free NHL betting picks for tonight.

First, let’s take a look at tonight’s NHL lines. Then we’ll get into our 3 free NHL picks for tonight, February 21.

Tonight’s NHL Lines

NHL lines for tonight February 21

(For up to the minute odds, visit our Live NHL Odds page)

NHL Betting Picks For Tonight

1. Penguins First Period Moneyline -125 (Pinnacle)

We expect the Penguins to be fired up early as they come off back-to-back losses, including an ugly 5-2 loss at home to the Red Wings Sunday in Pittsburgh.

The good news is that the Pens have improved their first-period play of late, outscoring their opponents 8-3 in their last 10 games, and have also been a much better first period team on the road than they have at home.

Carolina, on the other hand, is struggling badly. The Canes have scored just 3 goals in their last 3 home games, and 3 goals in their last 4 overall.

With Matt Murray expected in net tonight for Pittsburgh, we’re not sure Carolina solves their scoring issues in the first period (if at all tonight) and love this -125 price, knowing that a tie score after the first period would get us our money back.

Bet this game at Pinnacle

2. Canadiens Team Total Under 2.5 -115 (5Dimes)

To say the Habs are struggling is a huge understatement. They’ve lost 7 of their last 8 games, with the 1 victory in that span being an OT win in Arizona.

Nothing’s coming easily for Montreal right now, and that includes at the offensive end, where they’ve scored 2 goals or less in 8 of their last 10 games.

But new head coach Claude Julien’s attention tonight is likely on Montreal’s defensive play, considering they’ve allowed 3+ goals in 7 of their last 8 games and are now facing a dangerous Rangers attack. Look for the Canadiens to play a conservative game tonight as they look to break out of this funk.

We like New York on the moneyline but the Rangers are -125 favourites. Playing Montreal’s Team Total Under 2.5 not only pays better odds, but also enables us to win if the Canadiens pull out a 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 victory tonight.

Bet this game at 5Dimes

3. Jets/Leafs Over 6 -105 (Bodog)

There’s just so much potential for both teams to get 3 goals tonight that this high total doesn’t deter us. There really isn’t that big of a difference between Over 5.5 and Over 6, since we don’t lose either bet if 6 goals are scored, and also because if a game has 6 goals scored, it often has 7 or more.

Winnipeg had allowed 3 goals or more in an incredible 15 straight games before pulling out a 5-2 win over the Stars last week in Winnipeg (Dallas hit 3 posts in the third period or that streak would have continued). That has spurred a bit of a hot run by the Jets, who are 2-0-1 since then.

But their defence isn’t necessarily playing that much better. They allowed 4 goals to the Penguins, then played a cold Canadiens team coming off their bye on Saturday (allowing 1 goal) and then were outshot 34-20 Sunday in Ottawa but got away with allowing just 2 goals.

Things should be different against a Leafs team that is coming off a 4-goal performance in Carolina and loves to beat up on teams with losing records (11-5 last 16 in that situation). Toronto’s issue lately is its defensive play as well, especially with netminder Frederik Andersen going through the toughest stretch he has had since the first month of the season.

Winnipeg has scored 3+ goals in 4 straight games and is once again playing with a belief that it can win (it was tough to believe that during that stretch that they were consistently giving up 3-4-5 goals a game). We fully expect both teams to get to 3 goals tonight, which would guarantee that one team gets to 4 – and that there’s at least 7 goals tonight.