This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
We're coming down the home stretch of the regular season where every team has no more than 6 games left to play. The playoff races are super tight, with the Wild Card spots in both Conferences still up for grabs and the top teams jockeying for home-ice advantage with higher seeds. With tons of juicy action on the board, here are the six best NHL bets for tonight. '
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Sign up at DraftKings with the DraftKings promo code for $150 in bonus bets.
NHL Expert Picks Tonight
Wild vs Penguins
It's pretty simple for Sidney Crosby's Penguins right now: just win, baby. They've got 86 points while the Islanders and Panthers have 87 apiece and sit ahead of them for the final Wild Card spots in the East. All three teams play tonight and will all be gunning for crucial points. The Wild come into tonight's tilt in a three-way tie for 1st place in the Central Divison and would love to see the Stars and Avalanche lose their respective games tonight. Former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is slated to get the start in net for Minnesota tonight, and I think he's due to steal a game from his old club especially when the black and gold need it most.
Wild ML +105
Senators vs Panthers
Claude Giroux asked the Senators brass to go for it at this year's trade deadline, and that worked out for the club since they made a huge move to get D-man Jakob Chychrun. That didn't move the needle the way the club hoped though and the Sens sit 6 points out of a playoff spot. The Panthers had their own version of going for it, and go for it they did because they now hold on of the Wild Card spots in the East. They need to win tonight to hold on to that spot too and will look to build on their 4-game winning streak. Their last loss came at the hands of the Senators though, suffering a 5-2 defeat in Ottawa on March 27. The Cats are a different animal on home ice though so I think they come out of this one on top, but the Senators are going to give them everything they can to play spoiler.
Senators PL -120
The BetMGM Massachusetts Bonus Code gets hockey fans in Massachusetts a risk-free first bet worth up to $1,000 at signup.
Maple Leafs vs Bruins
On paper, this looks like the best game of the night. But realistically, just how motivated will the Bruins be? Sure, they are chasing the regular season points and wins records yeah yeah yeah. But their eye is on the real prize, the Stanley Cup, and with the Presidents Trophy already locked up, they don't need this win. The Leafs also don't really need the win either. They are all but guaranteed to see the Lightning in the first round, and have a good hold on home-ice advantage with their seeding. Nevertheless, this matchup pits two of the best clubs in the game. The B's have won 3 straight and 9 of 10 overall. They've only lost four times in regulation at home all season. The Leafs have lost all three games in the season series with the Bruins so far. Can they sneak out of Boston with a win tonight? Hey, I don't see why not!
Maple Leafs ML +130
Lightning vs Islanders
The Islanders have lost 2 straight and need a win to keep their place in the final Wild Card spot in the East. One of those losses was a 5-0 shutout loss in Tampa on Saturday. The Lightning played last night at Madison Square Garden and lost 6-3 in a chippy affair with the Rangers. They're only 18-20-1 on the road this season, and the Isles have home wins over the Maple Leafs and Devils in recent memory. I like a determined Islanders squad against the battered legs of the Bolts.
Islanders ML -140
Coyotes vs Kraken
The Kraken crushed the Yotes 8-1 in Seattle just three days ago. That's part of a 4-game slide for the Coyotes, while the Kraken have the chance to seal their first trip to the playoffs in just their second season with a win on home ice tonight. I think they come out firing on all cylinders in pursuit of that victory for the franchise, while the Yotes have more reasons to lose games just to get a higher draft position in this summer's draft. Let's hammer the home team!
Kraken PL -135
Capitals vs Canadiens
How will the Caps come out knowing that they're eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons? That's a disappointing reality for a team that won a Stanley Cup in recent memory and has been a model of consistency during the Alex Ovechkin era. One of the strong suits that was supposed to bolster the Caps to more success was their veteran leadership. Ovi is obvious, and he definitely did his part potting 42 goals so far this season. With not much to play for, his bunch has nothing but pride on the line, and I think they will come out and play hard. The Canadiens haven't scored a goal on home ice in their previous 2 games either.
Capitals ML -155
