Thursday night’s NHL slate offers a mix of playoff contenders and bubble teams fighting for position as the regular season pushes toward the stretch run. Among tonight’s highlights: the high-scoring Buffalo Sabres visit Pittsburgh, Toronto heads into Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers, and a strong Columbus Blue Jackets squad defends home ice against Florida. Continue reading our Thursday NHL Best Bets March 5 column for our three of the best betting selections for tonight’s slate.

NHL Best Bets: Sabres -109 (at Penguins), 7:00 p.m. ET

Matchup: Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins

Buffalo has quietly been one of the most impressive teams in the league this season, sitting 36-19-6 entering the matchup and ranking near the top of the Atlantic Division standings.

The Sabres’ offense is driven by Tage Thompson, who has erupted for 33 goals and 31 assists (64 points) and remains one of the most dangerous finishers in the league. He’s supported by a deep scoring group that includes Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch, giving Buffalo the ability to generate offense across multiple lines.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, still leans heavily on Evgeni Malkin, who leads the club with 34 assists and 47 points, but the Penguins have battled inconsistency and injury concerns throughout the season.

Another key factor is efficiency: Buffalo has been one of the NHL’s most efficient scoring teams during its surge, posting one of the league’s best shooting percentages since December.

With the Sabres playing confident hockey and the line sitting just above pick’em, this matchup presents one of the strongest value plays on the board.

Best Bet: Buffalo Sabres ML –109

NHL Best Bets: Blue Jackets -112 (vs. Panthers), 7:00 p.m. ET

Matchup: Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus has been one of the league’s more surprising teams this season, entering tonight 31-21-8 overall and 16-8-5 at home, making Nationwide Arena a difficult venue for visiting teams.

The Blue Jackets’ offense runs through Zach Werenski, who has been spectacular from the blue line with 20 goals and 45 assists (65 points) — elite production for a defenseman. His ability to drive play from the back end creates offensive pressure and opens lanes for Columbus’s forwards.

Florida has struggled to maintain consistency this season and enters the game 30-28-3, with a perfectly average road record.

While the Panthers still feature dangerous scorers like Sam Reinhart (28 goals), their defensive structure has been shaky, particularly against teams that generate offense through defensemen jumping into the play — something Columbus excels at.

Given Columbus’s home dominance and strong two-way play, the Blue Jackets offer solid value at this price.

Best Bet: Columbus Blue Jackets ML –112

NHL Best Bet: Predators -112 (vs. Bruins), 8:00 p.m. ET

Matchup: Boston Bruins at Nashville Predators

This matchup is another close line, with Nashville sitting around –115 on home ice against a Boston team that has been much stronger at TD Garden than on the road.

The Bruins enter with a 34-21-5 record but just 11-13-4 away from home, highlighting a clear road vulnerability.

Boston still boasts elite scoring talent in David Pastrnak, but the Predators’ physical style and home-ice advantage often create problems for skilled teams. Nashville also gets consistent production from Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi, while their defensive system tends to suppress high-danger chances.

Another factor is roster availability — Nashville faces Boston without injured center Ryan O’Reilly, but Boston has also been dealing with depth injuries that limit lineup flexibility.

In what should be a tightly contested matchup, Nashville’s home edge makes the Predators the better value play.

Best Bet: Nashville Predators ML –112

Thursday NHL Best Bets March 5

1. Buffalo Sabres -109
2. Columbus Blue Jackets -112
3. Nashville Predators -112

Follow: Twitter/X · Bluesky · Facebook

Responsible Gaming

For help and resources, visit our Responsible Gaming page or the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Affiliate Disclosure

We may receive affiliate commissions if you sign up through links on our site. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure.