NHL betting schedule breakdown, rest edges: Feb. 24 – March 2
With the 4 Nations Face-Off behind us, it’s time to get back into the thick of betting on the NHL regular season. This past week featured teams coming off a long break, with many thrust into back-to-back situations, but this week will give them a chance to acclimate to the schedule again. Speaking of the schedule, let’s break down the biggest rest mismatches for the week of Feb. 24 to March 2.
The table below shows how home-ice advantage was influenced by rest last season:
| Rest Diff | Games | Home Win % | Implied Odds |
| Home > | 373 | 59.0% | 55.9% |
| Home = | 690 | 53.8% | 55.4% |
| Home < | 249 | 47.8% | 50.8% |
Here’s how rest has impacted home-ice advantage this season:
| Rest Diff | Games | Home Win % | Implied Odds |
| Home > | 270 | 58.1% | 56.0% |
| Home = | 468 | 54.9% | 54.6% |
| Home < | 176 | 47.2% | 52.0% |
Monday, February 24th
Following a busy weekend with 24 games, only two are scheduled for Monday. The San Jose Sharks travel to Winnipeg to complete the second half of a back-to-back against the Jets, while the Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights, who are looking to extend their lead in the Pacific Division with their fourth straight win.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 2/2 | 0 | SJS | WPG | 1 | |
| 1 | VGK | LAK | 1 |
Tuesday, February 25th
Tuesday’s schedule features 12 games, and while many teams will be playing their third game in four days, every team will have had at least one day off. The biggest rest mismatches involve teams coming off two days’ rest, including the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and Minnesota Wild. The Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens will also be well-rested heading into their matchup.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 3/4 | 1 | TOR | BOS | 2 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | ANA | BUF | 2 | |
| 2 | CAR | MTL | 2 | ||
| 3/4 | 1 | EDM | TBL | 1 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | PIT | PHI | 2 | |
| 1 | CGY | WSH | 1 | 3/4 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | DAL | CBJ | 2 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | NYR | NYI | 1 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | SEA | STL | 1 | 3/4 |
| 2 | FLA | NSH | 1 | 3/4 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | DET | MIN | 2 | |
| 3/4 | 1 | CHI | UTA | 1 | 3/4 |
Wednesday, February 26th
Winnipeg will hit the road on Wednesday to face the slumping Ottawa Senators in the front half of a back-to-back. The Senators are looking to avoid their fifth straight loss following a three-day break. Meanwhile, Vancouver returns from a two-day break to continue its five-game road trip. The Canucks have lost two in a row but are still holding onto the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche will also return from two-day breaks to face each other.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 1 | WPG | OTT | 3 | ||
| 2 | NJD | COL | 2 | ||
| 2 | VAN | LAK | 1 |
Thursday, February 27th
The San Jose Sharks continue their seven-game road trip in Montreal to face the Canadiens following a two-day break. The Golden Knights also return from a couple of days off, but they’ll be kicking off a five-game homestand in Vegas against the Chicago Blackhawks. Elsewhere, Winnipeg will finish off the second half of its back-to-back in Nashville, while the Vancouver Canucks will do the same in Anaheim. However, the Ducks and Predators are two of the nine teams that will be playing their fourth game in six days.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 1 | NYI | BOS | 1 | ||
| 2 | SJS | MTL | 1 | ||
| 1 | CBJ | DET | 1 | 4/6 | |
| 1 | CGY | TBL | 1 | ||
| 4/6 | 1 | EDM | FLA | 1 | |
| 1 | PHI | PIT | 1 | 4/6 | |
| 4/6 | 1 | STL | WSH | 1 | 4/6 |
| 1 | BUF | CAR | 1 | ||
| 2/2 | 0 | WPG | NSH | 1 | 4/6 |
| 1 | MIN | UTA | 1 | 4/6 | |
| 4/6 | 1 | CHI | VGK | 2 | |
| 2/2 | 0 | VAN | ANA | 1 | 4/6 |
Friday, February 28th
New York continues its push for a playoff spot when the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. Both teams will be coming off two days’ rest. The Dallas Stars will also be coming off a two-day break, giving them a one-day rest advantage against the Los Angeles Kings. The Minnesota Wild will complete a back-to-back in Colorado against the Avalanche.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 2 | TOR | NYR | 2 | ||
| 1 | LAK | DAL | 2 | ||
| 2/2 | 0 | MIN | COL | 1 |
Saturday, March 1st
Saturday is the busiest day of the week, with 13 games on the schedule, and all but one team will have had at least one day off. The Los Angeles Kings are the only team playing tired, closing out a back-to-back in St. Louis against the Blues. Two teams, the Jets and Canucks, will be playing their third game in four days—the Jets return to Winnipeg for a brief stop to host the Flyers before heading back on the road, while the Canucks wrap up a five-game road trip against the Seattle Kraken, who are coming off a three-day break. The Senators and Devils will also have rest advantages, with Ottawa hosting the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey visiting the Utah Hockey Club.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 1 | DET | CBJ | 1 | ||
| 1 | NSH | NYI | 1 | ||
| 1 | TBL | WSH | 1 | ||
| 1 | CGY | FLA | 1 | ||
| 1 | BOS | PIT | 1 | ||
| 1 | MTL | BUF | 1 | ||
| 1 | SJS | OTT | 2 | ||
| 1 | EDM | CAR | 1 | ||
| 1 | PHI | WPG | 1 | 3/4 | |
| 2/2 | 0 | LAK | STL | 1 | |
| 2 | NJD | UTA | 1 | ||
| 1 | CHI | ANA | 1 | ||
| 3/4 | 1 | VAN | SEA | 3 |
Sunday, March 2nd
The week ends with a six-game slate on Sunday, and it features some interesting rest mismatches. The Toronto Maple Leafs will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins, who will be playing their sixth game in nine days since the regular season resumed. The Blues and Predators will also be playing their sixth game in nine days as St. Louis visits Dallas and Nashville takes on the Rangers.
The Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils will all be playing their second game in as many days, but the Devils face the biggest rest mismatch of the bunch as they will take on the Vegas Golden Knights, who will be coming off a two-day break.
| Other | Rest Days | Visitor | Home | Rest Days | Other |
| 1 | TOR | PIT | 0 | 6/9 | |
| 2/2 | 0 | BOS | MIN | 1 | 3/4 |
| 2/2 | 0 | CGY | CAR | 0 | 2/2 |
| 6/9 | 0 | STL | DAL | 1 | |
| 6/9 | 0 | NSH | NYR | 1 | |
| 2/2 | 0 | NJD | VGK | 2 |