We're getting down to the nitty-gritty of the NHL season, and we have another loaded slate of meaningful hockey on Tuesday. There are 11 games on the schedule, and below I'll dive into three of them from a sports betting angle. Here are my top NHL picks & predictions for Tuesday, April 7th.
Tuesday’s Top NHL Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)
Philadelphia Flyers (+105) vs. New Jersey Devils (-125) | O/U 6.0 (-110/-110)
The Flyers (39-26-12) have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since the Olympic break, and they've catapulted themselves into a playoff position with their success. They'll try to collect an important two points on the road tonight against the Devils (40-34-3), who are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Both of these teams are playing well at the moment, but the Flyers have simply been playing lights out over the last month and a half. Dating back to February 26th, Philadelphia has gone 14-5-1 in its last 20 games. Over the last 10 games specifically, the Flyers rank eighth in goal differential per 60 minutes (+0.88) and first in high-danger shots on goal (57).
Philadelphia has also owned this head-to-head series in recent history, going 5-2 straight up (SU) in the last seven meetings. They're 9-1 SU on the road in their last 10 road outings, proving that they can win in any environment. Factor in the motivation to remain in the playoff hunt, and I think we'll see a solid performance from the Flyers in this one. Let's take them as slight Moneyline underdogs.
Bet: Flyers Moneyline (+105)
Seattle Kraken (+200) vs. Minnesota Wild (-250) | O/U 6.0 (-115/-105)
The Kraken (32-33-11) got trounced 6-2 by the Jets last night, and they've now lost five consecutive games (0-4-1). The oddsmakers have them as 2-to-1 underdogs in this tough road spot against the Wild (44-21-12), who are currently in third place in a loaded Central Division. This Western Conference battle gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET from Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN.
The Kraken have completely fallen off a cliff. Going back even further than the current five-game slide, Seattle is just 3-11-1 in their last 15 games. The defense has unraveled, with the Kraken allowing 4.47 goals per game during the 15-game stretch. They've conceded five or more goals in seven of those 15 games.
Over the last 10 games, the Wild have been excellent offensively, ranking 13th in goals per 60 minutes (3.17), fourth in expected goals per 60 minutes (3.66) and third in high-danger shots on goal (45).
On the flip side, Minnesota has sneakily improved its defense, and now ranks first overall in team save percentage (.905) and fourth in GAA (2.78). Unfortunately for the Kraken faithful, I think they'll have to sit through another massacre tonight. Let's play the Wild on the puck line, as they have been dominant on both ends of the ice.
Bet: Wild -1.5 (-102)
Edmonton Oilers (+100) vs. Utah Mammoth (-120) | O/U 6.5 (-105/-115)
While there's still a lot to be sorted out in the Western Conference, this contest between the Oilers (39-29-9) and the Mammoth (40-30-6) could be a first-round playoff preview. Puck drop is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT.
The Oilers have been finding some defense lately, but this doesn't feel like a great matchup for their shaky goaltending. Edmonton has seen seven of its last 10 road games go over the total, and they're a perfect 5-0 to the over in their last five road games against Utah. The Mammoth are on a 6-0 run to the over in their last six outings, while seeing 83% of the last six head-to-head meetings with the Oilers clear the number.
These are two of the more potent offenses in the league. Specifically, over the last 10 games, there's not one team that has a better mark than the Mammoth's 4.29 goals per 60 minutes. In terms of high-danger shots on goal, Utah is 12th (37) over the last 10 contests, while Edmonton is 14th (35).
This game will also feature a couple of penalty-killing groups that are 18th or worse this season. Reaching the 3-3 threshold seems inevitable with these high-powered offenses. Let's take the over.
Bet: Over 6.5 Goals (-105)
