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NHL odds, betting preview (March 2): Flames vs. Hurricanes predictions
Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) talks to left wing Blake Coleman (20), center Yegor Sharangovich (17) and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) during the second period against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nicholas Martin
Mar 2, 2025, 14:34 EST
The Calgary Flames will look for a response when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday in another daunting road matchup, after suffering back-to-back shutout losses versus the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
While the Panthers and Lightning are two of the hottest teams in the NHL, a game in Carolina provides arguably the toughest matchup of all three. Oddsmakers currently have the Flames priced at +249, making them the largest underdogs they have been this season.
The Hurricanes hold the best home ice winning percentage in the Eastern Conference, but have been overvalued of late with a record of 4-6-0 in their last 10 games.
I’ll detail the relevant game notes, as well as outline my favourite betting angle below.

Flames vs. Hurricanes odds

  • Flames Moneyline Odds: +249
  • Hurricanes Moneyline Odds: -287
  • Puck Line Odds: Flames +1.5 (-101), Hurricanes -1.5 (-111)
  • Game Total: Over 6 -103, Under 6 -109
    *Odds courtesy of Pinnacle and are subject to change.

Calgary Flames

The Flames will need to be much better than they were yesterday in Florida to find a winning result in this game, as Saturday’s performance was a highly demoralizing one not just for the team, but also for myself, as someone who believed they could generate a reasonable amount of offence.
The Panthers outshot the Flames 42-23, and held a 3.63 to 1.68 edge in expected goals. The long bright spot from the matchup would have to be the play of Dan Vladar, who has now strung together three straight high quality outings.
As we get into the final quarter of the NHL season, it seems as though many of the league’s top teams are elevating their games, while the Flames seem to be incapable of doing so. As more talented rosters seem to have increased their sharpness and level of urgency, Calgary’s honest, hard-working game doesn’t seem to be generating the same kind of results.
The Flames are 1-7-0 in their last eight matchups versus teams currently holding a playoff spot. They have averaged just 1.5 goals per game in those matchups, and hold a -11 goal differential.
The Flames lack of high-end offensive talent has been abundantly clear over the last two matchups. I’ve personally believed the team has a little room to grow offensively, but that viewpoint is becoming hard to defend. Over the last 10 games, they hold a 2.85 xGF/60 rating, which ranks 27th in the NHL. They rank 32nd in shooting percentage in that span which does suggest positive regression could be coming. However, an inability to finish has been one of the team’s greatest issues all season.
Here’s how the Flames lined up in the third period against Florida (per Ryan Pike):
Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Martin Pospisil
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato
Yegor Sharangovich – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Rooney – Joel Farabee
Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley – MacKenzie Weegar
Ilya Solovyov – Brayden Pachal
It wouldn’t be surprising to see head coach Ryan Huska stick with the same units in this matchup, though we may see some of yesterday’s extras rotate in. As a number of skaters had below average performances Saturday, it would seem fair to shuffle in at least one or two of Adam Klapka, Jake Bean, and Daniil Miromanov in this back-to-back spot.
Dustin Wolf will get the start after serving as the backup Saturday in Florida. Wolf holds a +10.0 GSAx rating and .913 save percentage in 35 appearances this season.

Carolina Hurricanes

When the Hurricanes acquired superstar winger Mikko Rantanen on January 25th, oddsmakers made the Hurricanes the Eastern Conference favourites, with a consensus price of +550 to win the Stanley Cup. As the move has not yet worked as desired, the Hurricanes are now back at +950 to win it all.
Since the trade, the Hurricanes are just 4-6-1, and have scored just 2.55 goals per game. Rantanen was dealing with an injury and has only played in 10 of those matchups, but he has been a disappointment so far, contributing just six points.
Throughout head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s tenure the Canes have consistently been one of the league’s hardest working teams and a nightmare to play against, but have struggled to finish chances at a decent clip come the postseason. Rantanen’s addition was designed to significantly improve their finishing ability, but it’s taking some time for him to adjust to the Hurricanes’ differing style of play.
There’s still plenty of time for the team to work out the kinks ahead of a critical postseason, and it’s certainly not yet fair to rule the trade as a failure. The Hurricanes are in the same boat as teams like the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs, in that nobody is going to be overly moved by their regular season play one way or another.
Saturday’s lines via Daily Faceoff:
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Mikko Rantanen
Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Tyson Jost – Jackson Blake
Eric Robinson – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Jack Roslovic
Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov – Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere – Sean Walker
The Hurricanes continue to get a ton of credit in the betting markets, as they were priced at -175 in last night’s loss against the Edmonton Oilers, while as noted Calgary is the largest underdog it has been this season in this matchup.
Carolina continues to produce strong underlying results, as it holds a 53.31% expected goal share over the last 10 games. While Martin Necas leaves behind a huge hole on the second line, the Hurricanes still feature a deep and well-balanced roster, headlined by some of the game’s best players in Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, and Jaccob Slavin.
Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start in goal after resting last night versus Edmonton. Kochetkov holds a .902 save percentage and +10.7 GSAx rating in 36 appearances this season.p>

Best Bet for Flames vs Hurricanes

The Flames have been giving up a ton of shots against in recent matchups, as they have allowed 30.25 shots against per 60. It’s unlikely they will be able to alleviate that concern versus a Hurricanes side that tends to carry the majority of play versus the majority of opponents, and continues to pour borderline shots on goal as much as possible.
It will likely take an excellent start from Wolf, coupled with much more competent finishing, in order for the Flames to find success in this matchup, but it does still seem tough to be interested in backing Carolina at -287 when it has also looked out of form.
There does look to be value backing Rantanen to record over 2.5 shots on goal at -130 in a spot where the Hurricanes’ top line should get plenty of opportunities. Rantanen has still recorded over 2.5 shots in seven of 10 matchups with Carolina, and it seems sustainable that he will hold similar volume moving forward.
Best bet: Mikko Rantanen over 2.5 shots on goal -130 (Pinnacle, Play to -135)

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