Islanders-Blue Jackets headline a great night of NHL action.

It’s all about playoff positioning for NYI, who is a point behind Washington and tied with Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan standings. The Caps look to beat Carolina on Tuesday and maintain that lead over the Islanders. Check out analysis on NYI-Columbus, Carolina-Washington, Florida-Montreal, and Chicago-Arizona.

[Tuesday, March 26]

Carolina Hurricanes +110 at Washington Capitals -130 (7:00pm ET)

Washington and Carolina throw down in the first of two matches this week. The Capitals travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes on March 28. Surprisingly, Washington’s only 22-10-5-1 at home. That’s only 6 games above .500 straight up on their own ice.

One strong trend that favors Washington could be difficult for Carolina to get over, though. The Caps are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games as a favorite. But, plenty of hot trends point to a Hurricanes upset win: 9-1 SU in their last 10 when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game, 6-1 SU in their last 7 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game, and 8-1 SU in their last 9 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation. Backing the Hurricanes here.

NHL Free Pick: Hurricanes +110

New York Islanders +140 at Columbus Blue Jackets -160 (7:00pm ET)

Columbus backers might be reading too much into the Blue Jackets playing at home on Tuesday night. Columbus is 20-16-1-1 at home. The record doesn’t imply a massive edge.

Not only that, but the Blue Jackets are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games following a win and 2-10 SU in their last 12 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days. The Islanders beat Columbus 2-0 in the last match and are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games as a road underdog. NYI takes this.

NHL Free Pick: Islanders +140

Florida Panthers +160 at Montreal Canadiens -180 (7:30pm ET)

Most seem to be bullish on the Canadiens, even though Florida beat them 6-3 in the last match. The Panthers aren’t in good form, though, going 1-3 SU in their last 4. Florida’s also 1-7 SU in their last 8 versus the Eastern Conference and 1-8 SU in their last 9 versus a team with a winning record.

Although Montreal’s odds are low, everything points to them easily handling the Panthers. If you don’t like the moneyline odds, there’s always the puck line.

NHL Free Pick: Canadiens -180

Chicago Blackhawks +110 at Arizona Coyotes -130 (10:00pm ET)

Arizona’s been horrendous on the moneyline. The Coyotes head into this match having lost 5 in a row. They lost 2 of 5 as a favorite. They also have a losing record at home at 18-15-3-1, and the last time they faced the Blackhawks, Chicago drubbed them 7-1.

Chicago is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games following a win, 10-2 SU in the last 12 meetings in Arizona, and 10-2 SU in their last 12 meetings overall. The Blackhawks should take this. Don’t be surprised if they end up the favorites before first puck drops.

NHL Free Pick: Blackhawks +110

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