This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Best Bets & Picks: Lightning vs Wild & Canadiens vs Sharks – Expert Game Previews
The National Hockey League (NHL) has 11 total games on the schedule for Tuesday night, including a nationally-televised doubleheader between TNT/HBO Max. The first TV game features the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m. ET, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild meet at 9:30 p.m. ET, and that game is also available on truTV, too.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Tuesday's NBA and/or NCAA basketball action. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.
Top up your bankroll thanks to sportsbook promos like this BetMGM bonus code offering $1,500 in bonus bets.
For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.
Tampa Bay Lightning 
at Minnesota Wild 
The Lightning (38-16-4) and Wild (35-16-10) meet at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, at 9:30 p.m. ET in the second end of the nationally-televised doubleheader.
And, I try to pass this along a couple of times per season, but this game is in the capital of Minnesota, which is St. Paul, NOT Minneapolis, like so many people think. I am a geography geek, and it's a pet peeve of mine. Carry on.
The Lightning have dropped the past two games against playoff contenders, falling 5-4 in Carolina on Thursday, while dropping a 6-2 game against the Buffalo Sabres on home ice as a huge favorite (-245). The Over cashed in both games.
Backup Jonas Johansson started Saturday in the second end of a back-to-back, so that can be understood. But the blowout loss to the Sabres with Andrei Vasilevskiy in between the pipes was a bit concerning. Tampa Bay is still four points up on Buffalo for first place in the Atlantic Division, and it has two games in hand, but things have closed out a bit, and the Lightning need to get back into the win column.
The two-game skid follows a five-game win streak, and Tampa Bay is still 19-3-1 in the past 23 games. The Over is 5-0-1 across the past six outings.
The Wild are nine points back of the first-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division, while the Avs have two games in hand there, too. Minnesota was sunk 3-1 by the visiting St. Louis Blues on Sunday, as Filip Gustavsson didn't get much offensive support.
Like the Lightning, the Wild have dropped two in a row after a lengthy points streak. Minnesota is still 7-2-1 across the past 10 outings, and the Over is 5-1 in the past six games, 14-2 in the past 16 outings, and 20-3 across the previous 23 contests.
Let's back the Lightning to get the job done, as they have a few more offensive weapons and the edge in goaltending, although the Over is the play based on the trends for both sides lately.
- Lightning ML (-140 at Bet365, Caesars, Fanatics and FanDuel Sportsbooks)
- Over 6 (-120 at Bet365, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Montreal Canadiens 
at San Jose Sharks 
The Canadiens (33-17-9) and Sharks (29-25-4) meet at SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Montreal swept last season's meetings, with a pair of 4-3 wins, including in regulation on Feb. 4, 2025. The Habs have won four of the past five in the series, including four straight trips to San Jose dating back to Oct. 28, 2021. The Sharks' last win at home in this series came March 7, 2019, against the Canadiens. The Over hit in each meeting last season, but the Under is 7-2 in the past nine in the series.
Montreal routed the Washington Capitals 6-2 as moderate favorites (-160) on Saturday as the Over (6.5) cashed, while going 5-0-2 in the past seven games. The Over is 3-1 in the past four outings, too. The Canadiens are working on an eight-game streak with at least three goals scored.
For Montreal, Lane Hutson is on a long-term streak with five goals and 32 assists with a plus-26 rating across the past 30 games. Over the shorter team, Noah Dobson has three goals and nine points in the past seven outings.
San Jose edged the visiting Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime at even-money (+100) as the Under (6) cashed on Sunday, and the Sharks have won consecutive games. The Sharks have cashed the Under at a 3-1 clip in the past four games, and 9-3-1 in the previous 13 contests, too.
If you're fishing around for player props, consider San Jose's Michael Misa, who has two goals and four points in the past three games.
Let's back the Canadiens in this road game, and we'll go low on the total. This should be a surprisingly good game between two teams on the rise after years of being down.
- Canadiens ML (-135 at Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars and DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Under 6.5 (+105 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Parlay Strategy and Super Parlay Picks for NHL Betting Slates
4-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+803 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Lightning ML (-140) at Wild
- Over 6 (-125) - Lightning at Wild
- Under 6.5 (+105) - Canadiens at Sharks
- Canadiens ML (-135) at Sharks
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+198 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Lightning ML (-140) at Wild
- Canadiens ML (-135) at Sharks
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+269 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Over 6 (-125) - Lightning at Wild
- Under 6.5 (+105) - Canadiens at Sharks
