NHL Friday Betting Picks: Hurricanes vs Panthers, Canucks vs Islanders

It's a busier slate than a typical Friday as the NHL needs to pile a few games in ahead of the three day holiday break next week. Still it's only five games. 

Fortunately we have a couple barnburners, including a rematch of last years’ Eastern Conference finals. Lets dig in.

NHL Season Stats
Record: 9–19
Units: –9.28

Hurricanes at Panthers

Panthers ML (+110 Caesars)

Let me first stipulate that based on this seasons’ results, the Hurricanes are the clearly better team. Even if you go back and include the entirety of last year, Carolina is better. Florida just has had an ability to peak at just the right time to take home Stanley Cups. And those long spring runs combined with the knowledge that their seed does not matter combined with a couple key injuries has led to a sluggish 2025-26 season thus far for the champs. They currently sit just out of the playoff picture.

It was worse just two weeks ago as the Panthers were at the bottom of a very tightly packed Eastern Conference. But they’ve won 6 of their 7, including victories over Tampa Bay and Dallas. And their only loss at Colorado, where the Avalanche are virtually unbeatable this season. 

So the urgency has returned. What or who hasn’t returned? 

Matthew Tkachuk and Alexander Barkov. But the cupboard remains loaded as Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell all have at least 27 points. The big weakness is really (and oddly) in net as Sergei Bobrovsky has just an 88.8% Save% and -5.86 GSAA on the season. Not exactly “Playoff Bob”. He’s been a little better in their recent run, with an 89.4% Save%.

Carolina has been nearly as hot over the last 2 weeks, with an identical 6-1 record and +6 goal differential over that stretch, vs. +9 for Florida. The diff is that they’ve played this well all season as they sit at the top of the East at 22-9-2 and 46 points. Their xGF% is 55.97%, best in the league among teams not playing their home games in Denver.

I like the Panthers primarily on narrative. Its a big game vs. the team they will very likely have to get through when they make their annual spring surge. I expect their A game and we get a little plus money to boot.

Canucks at Islanders

Islanders ML (-140 FanDuel)

Vancouver traded away their best player, Quinn Hughes, and have since won the first two legs of their NY Metropolitan Area Tour. 

They beat the Devils 2-1, then shut out the Rangers 2-0. They head back to the burbs (well, the outer boroughs) as they go for the sweep. I just don’t see it happening. The Rangers outplayed them on Tuesday but let in a very soft goal and then couldn’t finish any of their own chances (which happens constantly to the 2025-26 Rangers at home, but I digress). 

The Islanders have been the best of the area teams, and I think they make easy work of undermanned Vancouver here.