This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
BIG night in the NHL tonight! Just four total days left in the regular season, but so much is at stake for a number of teams playing tonight. There are multiple playoff-clinching scenarios, and a number of juicy matchups on the board. We've gotta get our picks in while we can! It's crazy that the regular season is close to its end. While the NHL playoffs are arguably the most electrifying postseason in all of sports, betting the pucks in the playoffs is just different. Let's take advantage of the regular season while we still can, so here are the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
Best NHL Bets Tonight
Predators ML (-102 on FanDuel)
Massive game for both squads in Pittsburgh tonight. The Preds can clinch the first Wild Card in the West with an overtime loss, and the Pens are playing a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive. This is a tough matchup for Pittsburgh. Even though they've been one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch, the Preds have been consistent all season and can win however they need. Juuse Saros is a world-class netminder, so I give Nashville the edge in net. It's a battle of big name D men too, with Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh headlining the Predators' back end and Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang running the point in Pittsburgh. Nashville's got more depth outside of those guys though. Sidney Crosby is playing some of the best hockey of his career, but I like how the rest of the Predators' lineup matches up with the rest of the Penguins' This will be a fun one, and we'll likely get very, very sweaty.
Canadiens, Red Wings over 6.5 (-105 on DraftKings)
The Habs are two games removed from dropping nine goals on the Flyers. They potted four in their last outing against the Senators, and they're averaging 3.4 goals per game over their last 10 overall. Even though they're far from playoff contention, Marty St. Louis will want his young guns going all out to build for the future. The Wings need this win if they're going to stay in the playoff hunt. They've allowed 10 goals in their last two games though, and they gave up four the last time they played the Habs way back on December 2. Montreal snuck out of Detroit with a 3-2 win on November 9 too, so even though I'm not confident in the moneyline play here, I still like both teams to have their fair share of scoring opportunities.
Islanders ML (-118 on FanDuel)
The Isles' playoff hopes looked bleak after they lost six games in a row from March 11 to March 21. They've gone 8-2 since that skid, and are looking to clinch their playoff spot with a win in New Jersey tonight. The Devils have given them all sorts of trouble this season, winning all three meetings so far and scoring 14 goals in the process. The Devils don't have much to play for tonight and Jack Hughes is shut down for the season. Other than a 4-0 loss on March 24, the Isles lost two 5-4 games earlier this season. I think Patrick Roy's club carries the momentum they've gained of late and roll into a playoff spot with a win tonight.
Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Juuse Saros over 27.5 saves (-120 on DraftKings)
I just talked about this guy and I think he'll need to show up in a huge way for the Preds in this one. The Penguins are going for broke, so I expect a flurry of shots to be thrown at Saros tonight. He turned away 28+ in four of his last seven, and needed 31 saves to help the Preds beat the lowly Blue Jackets in their last time out. If you think the Penguins will be at full throttle tonight, this is a good bet.
Charlie Lindgren over 25.5 saves (-120 on DraftKings)
Speaking of going for broke, the Caps have a simple set of circumstances for their final two games: win and you're in. They win tonight, they continue to control their own destiny in tomorrow's season finale against the Flyers. Win both games, and they're guaranteed a playoff spot. The only thing that sucks about this is the Bruins are standing in their way tonight and they're hunting an Atlantic Division crown, which they'll win if they beat the Caps in any fashion tonight. Charlie had 27 saves on 29 shots against the Bruins just 16 days ago. I think he'll need at least 26 tonight if the Caps have any hope of pulling off the upset.
Jake DeBrusk over 2.5 shots on goal (+124 on DraftKings)
DeBrusk seems to love playing the Caps. He's hit this SOG prop in four straight and five of his last six meetings with Washington dating back to early 2022. He's on the second line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle and that's a tough matchup for the Caps with their combo of speed and skill. It's the end of the season. If we're not taking at least one plus-money prop, what are we even doing here?
