NHL Picks

Free Expert NHL picks throughout the 2024/25 NHL season. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide free NHL picks every day of the regular season and throughout the NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals.

Filter Picks

Today15 minsESPN+

TOR

View Prediction

Game Totals PickBest Bet

Over 6.0(-115)

Reasoning

It’s an Atlantic Division battle between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. These rivals have met twice so far this season, with the Maple Leafs winning 5-2 and 5-3. How will this one play out? We are here with our Lightning vs Maple Leafs predictions for this important Eastern Conference matchup.

In the previous 2 matchups against each other, we saw 7 and 8 goals, meaning 2 Overs were successful. That is exactly how I see this one going. Offensive weapons and NHL superstars are all around this game, with guys like Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner facing off against Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel. Not only is the star power evident, but they each have a great supporting cast of players who can finish. The Lightning currently lead the NHL with a 3.7 goals-per-game average, while the Maple Leafs are nearly a top-10 team in that department with 3.1 goals per game. Even if 1 of the 2 goalies is on their game, it seems unlikely these 2 teams will combine for under 6 goals. For our Lightning vs Maple Leafs predictions, we recommend taking the Over.

Lightning vs Maple Leafs prediction: Over 6.0 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable up to 6.5 and -140.

You can bet on our Lightning vs Maple Leafs pick at DraftKings Sportsbook, which has thousands of betting options available and a great new customer offer where you can get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY when you make a first bet of just $5! Click here 👈🏼 to sign up for a DraftKings account now.

BET o6.0 NOW WITH

Tyler Mortimer

Vote on who will win!

Puck Line Pick

CAR Hurricanes -1.5(-115)

Reasoning

The Carolina Hurricanes hit the road to begin a quick 2-game road trip against Western Conference teams. The Canes picked up a 3-2 win at home against another team from the West, the Vegas Golden Knights, last time out on Friday night as the Under cashed. The total has ended up going low at a 3-0-1 clip for the Hurricanes. The team activated Frederik Andersen from injured reserve, and he is expected to get the starting nod. Facing the toothless Chicago offense should be a soft landing spot for the veteran to knock off some rust. He hasn’t started since October 26 due to ankle surgery back in November.

The Blackhawks also played Vegas last time out, and Chicago also won. It picked up a 5-3 win at United Center on Saturday as huge underdogs (+213) as the Over (6) cashed. It was a stunner, as Petr Mrazek, who has mostly struggled, picked up the win, and he received 5 goals of support. That was Chicago’s biggest offensive outburst since notching 5 goals in a win over the New York Islanders on December 15. Carolina has won 6 straight in this series, and it has won 5 of those games by at least 2 goals and 4 of them by three or more goals. I feel comfortable about backing a smooth success for the Hurricanes.

Hurricanes vs Blackhawks prediction: Hurricanes -1.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -120.

You can bet on our Hurricanes vs Blackhawks pick with BetMGM, where right now new users can activate your new BetMGM account ⚡ and get up to $1,500 in first-bet protection!

BET -1.5 NOW WITH

Joe Williams

Vote on who will win!

Puck Line Pick

COL Avalanche -1.5(+110)

Reasoning

The Minnesota Wild limp into the Mile High City to face the Colorado Avalanche in matinee action on Monday. The Wild have dropped 3 straight games, including a 6-2 loss against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. In that span, the Wild have been outscored 15-6, with the Over cashing in each of the past 2 outings. Goaltending issues have plagued the Wild lately, as they’ve allowed 4 or more goals in 3 straight and in 5 of the past 6 games. That includes a 6-1 loss in the most recent meeting against the Avalanche in the Twin Cities on January 9.

For the Avalanche, the offense has been a little bit erratic lately. It is coming off a 6-3 win against the Dallas Stars behind Scott Wedgewood. That means Mackenzie Blackwood will likely get the starting nod on Monday, as he looks for a 2nd straight win against the Wild. The Avs have scored 3 or more goals in 4 of the past 5 games, while notching at least 6 goals 3 times in the past 6 outings. Colorado has beaten Minnesota 4 straight times, with the past 3 wins by at least 2 goals. If you like the Avs to win, you should like them to cover the puck line, too.

Wild vs Avalanche prediction: Avalanche -1.5 (+110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -105.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook for the NFL season, we recommend checking out Fanatics Sportsbook, where new users can sign up now and secure up to $1,000 in no-sweat bets. And if you’re in New York, you can bet $5 and INSTANTLY receive $50 in no-sweat bets! Join Fanatics Sportsbook, where you can bet on our Wild vs Avalanche predictions.

BET -1.5 NOW WITH

Joe Williams

Vote on who will win!

NHL Video

Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2024/25 Season

At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for all of the top NHL action throughout the 2024/25 season. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks every day. The NHL is an exciting sport to wager on and there are plenty of opportunities for wins during the bumper 2024/25 NHL season.

Lots of hockey is to be played before we find out who the next Stanley Cup champions will be. Check out all things hockey, every day of the season with our free NHL picks and analysis.

How Do I Get NHL Picks For Today’s Games?

NHL Picks are most similar to MLB Picks, in that the most popular NHL wagering is done via the Money line (ML) where a bettor simply picks a winner or loser of the game finding value in the price. Just like an MLB pitcher, NHL game lines are determined largely by the goaltender matchup. You’re going to pay a premium price (-180 or more) for putting in an NHL free pick on a solid goaltender – but it’s one position that can win or lose the bet for you. Fatigue is also a factor in finding the best NHL picks as Team A may be playing their first game in a week while Team B is in their 3rd contest in 5 nights.

We try to post our NHL picks for today at least 24 hours in advance. However, due to the huge volume of games, this can sometimes be impossible if teams are playing back-to-back games. We want to get our picks up as close as possible to the opening lines so we can get on the early line value, but team news and research is always key to making the best possible NHL Picks.

NHL Picks Against the Spread

NHL betting has a 1.5-goal spread known as the puck line (PL). Again just like baseball betting has the run line (-1.5). NHL wagers are exciting until the very last second of the game as teams often pull their goaltender near the end to get an extra skater on the ice. All of a sudden an empty-net goal pushes your NHL free pick to victory – or defeat. Betting on the puck line provides better payout odds and NHL picks against the spread can also be pushed to higher numbers such as -2.5 or 3.5 goals for an even better return on investment.

Free NHL Over / Under Picks

Most games are listed right around 5.5 goals in the NHL. The total number of goals is the total of combined goals by both teams and you can either select over or under the total. If the line is 5.5 and you wish to wager on the over then the total combined goals for the game must be 6 or more for you to cash your ticket.

NHL over/under betting is an interesting wager. A huge factor to take into consideration is the goaltenders as they have a huge part to play in influencing the number of goals in the game. A goaltender’s Goals Against Average (GAA) is a key stat to measure the effectiveness of a goaltender.

NHL Consensus Picks

NHL Consensus Picks is a way of saying the popular pick or often referred to as a public pick. What this actually means is where the majority of the bets are being placed. If we’re looking at Money Line markets, for example, if 70% of the tickets are on the Pittsburgh Penguins to beat the New York Islanders, then the Penguins are the consensus pick for that game. Bettors can use this in their research or check possible line moves in the lead-up to a game.

Ice Hockey Betting Picks

Our ice hockey betting picks will typically follow and feature on the NHL season with picks and Predictions available all season long. Our experts will be primed and ready in times of Olympic years and select other competitions throughout the year too. Our ice hockey picks, as expected will include picks on the money line, puck line, totals, and several player and team Hockey Prop Bets

Hockey Computer Picks

With so many hockey games played each season, analytics, lineups, and small changes can make a huge difference in a matchup. These are just some of the reasons why bettors may opt to use or consider hockey computer picks, as a metric that can be rid of human bias, and offer a solely data-driven analytical look at a matchup, betting markets, and projections.

Free Hockey Picks Today

Here at Pickswise, our hockey handicappers bring you all of the top action, picks, and previews of today’s best NHL matches today. We offer free hockey picks all season, right through until the Stanley Cup Finals themselves. Each match will have an expert hockey pick on the Puck Line, Money Line, and Goals totals, accompanied with detailed analysis and stats. Check out all of our free hockey picks today.

More Than Just NHL Picks

We also specialize in every major North American sport including the following throughout their respective seasons so check out the links below for our top plays right now.