NHL Picks

Free Expert NHL picks throughout the 2025/26 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.

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7:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
Buffalo Sabres
Boston Bruins
Sabres
Bruins
Game Totals Pick
Over 6.5(+105)

The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins are tied for last place in the Atlantic Division and they will face-off Thursday night in Boston. The offense has been fine for both of these teams; the Bruins average 3.25 goals per game, while the Sabres average 3.00 goals per game. It has been the defensive play that has cost them. The Bruins are giving up 3.67 goals per game and the Sabres are letting in 3.10 goals per game. Because of that, they have both been playing in high-scoring games as of late. In the Sabres last 3 games, the over is 3-0. Likewise for the Bruins, the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games. These teams are both shaky on defense and it should benefit the talented players like David Pastrnak and Tage Thompson and allow them to get on the score sheet.

Given the trends for these 2 teams to begin the year, look for a high-scoring game Thursday night in Boston. They have been scoring goals at a high frequency, and I expect it to continue. I will take the over in this one.

Sabres vs. Bruins prediction: Over 6.5 (+105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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7:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
Calgary Flames
Ottawa Senators
Flames
Senators
Game Totals Pick
Over 6.0(-105)

The Calgary Flames make the 2nd stop on a 4-game road trip east of the Mississippi River against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. The Flames were tripped up 4-3 in Toronto on Tuesday night, unable to carry over the momentum from a 5-1 win against the New York Rangers in the previous outing Sunday. The over has cashed in each of the past 3 games, too, and Calgary has notched 11 total goals in that span the highest offensive production of any 3-game span this season. The Flames have allowed 2 or fewer goals in three of the past 5 outings, too, finally showing signs of life on defense and in goal.

The Ottawa Senators continue to adjust to life without Brady Tkachuk, as he is sidelined indefinitely due to a thumb injury. Ottawa haven’t really missed a beat, scoring 17 total goals in the past 3 games, including 7 goals in wins at Washington and home to Boston before a 7-3 loss at Chicago on Tuesday. The Senators are just 1-2-1 in 4 games against the Western Conference this season, so proceed with caution. The best play here is the over, which is 3-0 in the past 3 for Calgary, while going 6-3-2 in 11 games this season. The over is 8-3-0 in 11 games for the Senators, too, but just 3-3-0 in 6 home games, so don’t get carried away.

Flames vs Senators prediction: Over 6 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to -120.

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7:07 PM ET
Today
TNT
Dallas Stars
Tampa Bay Lightning
Stars
Lightning
Game Totals Pick
Over 6.0(-105)

Thursday night NHL action on TNT begins with a matchup between the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Stars enter this one riding a 3-game win streak, having allowed just 4 total goals in that stretch. However, Dallas has been a volatile team so far this season. The Stars opened the season with a 3-game win streak, suffered a 4-game losing streak, and are now on a 3-game win streak. They allowed 4 goals per game during their latest losing streak, and while they’ve been great at limiting goals in their last 3 contests, going up against the Lightning could present a tough challenge.

After a slow start, the Lightning are finally getting rolling. Tampa Bay is also riding a 3-game win streak, and the offense has come alive. The Lightning have scored 11 total goals over their last 3 games, as it was only a matter of time until things started clicking. Tampa Bay and Dallas both have great forward depth which can lead to scoring on bunches. Neither team has been elite offensively this season, which has been somewhat surprising. But the potential and talent is there. Look to the over in this Thursday night matchup.

Stars vs Lightning prediction: Over 6 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

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7:07 PM ET
Today
FDSNSO, NBCSP
Nashville Predators
Philadelphia Flyers
Predators
Flyers
Money Line Pick
NSH Predators Win(+125)

The Nashville Predators are in Philadelphia to take on the Flyers for a Thursday night tilt. The Preds enter this matchup with a 4-5-2 record on the season, while the Flyers are 5-3-1. Philadelphia has been great on home ice, owning a strong 5-1-0 record at Xfinity Mobile Arena. However, 3 of their 5 home wins have come past regulation time, with their last 2 wins coming in shootouts. Obviously they deserve credit for getting the wins, but it hasn’t been from dominating performances. The Flyers rank 27th in the NHL scoring 2.67 goals per game, and their power play ranks 24th with a conversion rate of 17.2%. They are a beatable team, and should be on high alert against the Predators.

Nashville is coming off back-to-back losses to Dallas and Tampa Bay. Like the Flyers, the Predators aren’t scoring many goals this season, as their 27 total goals are good for 29th in the NHL. The Predators are a flawed team no doubt, but this is a spot where the plus-money odds are enticing. The Flyers have been somewhat fortunate to have the record they do, and their underlying metrics aren’t very promising. Regression could be incoming, and although the Predators aren’t setting the world on fire, they should come out with a spirited effort wanting to avoid a 3-game skid. Make it a small play, but consider backing Nashville on the road.

Predators vs Flyers prediction: Predators ML (+125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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7:37 PM ET
Today
ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+
New York Islanders
Carolina Hurricanes
Islanders
Hurricanes
Puck Line Pick
NY Islanders +1.5(-135)

Both the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes enter Thursday’s matchup looking to right the ship after suffering back-to-back losses in their last 2 games respectively. The Islanders simply can’t keep the puck out of their own net, but they are scoring goals at a high clip. A big reason for New York’s defensive woes has been the struggles of the penalty-killing unit. The Islanders have killed off just 71% of their opponents power plays, which ranks 24th in the league. The good news is that could be negated by Carolina’s league-worst power play percentage of 10%. Carolina has been better 5-on-5, but New York can also score goals at a high clip.

New York ranks 9th with 3.56 goals per game so far this season. The emergence of No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer has provided a spark, while veterans Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzel, and Anders Lee have also found the score sheet on a consistent basis. The Islanders have had their struggles defensively, but even in their last 2 losses, they scored 5 total goals. That kind of production can keep them in any game, especially against a team in Carolina whose power play is almost non-existent. Playing on the road, back the Islanders on the puck line +1.5 in this one.

Islanders vs Hurricanes prediction: New York Islanders +1.5 (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

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8:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
Chicago Blackhawks
Winnipeg Jets
Blackhawks
Jets
Money Line Pick
CHI Blackhawks Win(+200)

The Chicago Blackhawks travel to Winnipeg to take on the Jets for the first time this season. The Jets come into tonight with a 7-3-0 record, but they are just 3-3-0 on home ice. That’s a disappointing record for a team that is this talented. Connor Hellebuyck has been as advertised, but the Jets as a team have been mediocre. Their underlying numbers are not good; they don’t generate a ton of scoring chances 5-on-5 and they are allowing too many shots against. It’s early in the season and there is still time to make corrections, but for tonight I have to give Chicago some love.

The Blackhawks have started the season strong, but can they maintain this all year? In short — no. They have been really good at even strength and their team shooting percentage is way above average. Spencer Knight has also played out of his mind, sporting the third-best xGSA (8.8). He gives his team a chance to win when he is in goal. The Blackhawks are also 2-1-1 on the road, so this game probably won’t be a blowout. Will they win the game? Who knows, but they can keep it close — and there’s enough value in betting the money line.

Blackhawks vs Jets prediction: Chicago ML (+200) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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8:07 PM ET
Today
FDSNNO, SN-PIT, FDSNWIX
Pittsburgh Penguins
Minnesota Wild
Penguins
Wild
Game Totals Pick
Under 6.5(-125)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in Minnesota on Thursday night to take on the Wild. Both teams are off to relatively surprising starts, but for very different reasons. The Penguins have exceeded expectations thus far, owning a strong 7-2-2 record. On the other side, the Wild have disappointed early on, owning a less-than-ideal 3-5-3 mark. Minnesota’s woes can be attributed to a lack of consistent offense. The Wild rank 25th in the league scoring 2.73 goals per game. They have been extremely reliant on the power play, as they own the best power play percentage in the league at 31.8%, but playing at even strength has been a struggle  which isn’t what you want to see if you’re a Wild fan.

The Penguins are scoring 3.64 goals per game, which is good for 5th in the league. Just how sustainable is that? Pittsburgh is overachieving relative to preseason expectations so far, but they’ve now dropped 2 of their last 3 games and their goals per game average drops to 3.33 on the road. That’s still a solid number, but the Penguins have been much better on home ice. The good news is that Pittsburgh has been stout defensively all season, allowing just 2.55 goals per game. Given the Wild’s 5-on-5 struggles this season, Pittsburgh should be able to hold Minnesota to a low goal total. All in all, this could be a low-scoring affair. Look to the under.

Penguins vs Wild prediction: Under 6.5 (-125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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8:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Canucks
Blues
Game Totals Pick
Over 6.0(+100)

The Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues meet for a Tuesday night meeting in the NHL. It has been quite a rough go for these teams, as the Canucks are 1-4-0 in their last 5 games, while the Blues are on a 5-game winless streak at 0-4-1. Neither team is expected to finish in the depths of the league this season, but they will need to turn things around quickly. Here are our Canucks vs. Blues predictions for the game.

The key part of this recent rough stretch by the Blues has been their inability keep the puck out of the net. In this 5-game span, they have given up a whopping 26 goals. Vancouver has not scored at a high rate this season, but with how poor St. Louis has been, this is a great opportunity for the likes of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes to help drive Vancouver’s offense to multiple goals. In what should be a full and desperate effort from the Blues on home ice, I think they will also score many goals against this inconsistent opponent in an effort to break this losing skid. It should be a spirited game between 2 teams that have just 1 win in their last 10 games combined. Take over 6 for our Canucks vs. Blues prediction.

Canucks vs. Blues prediction: Over 6.0 (+100) available at time of publishing. Playable at that total to (-125).

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9:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
New York Rangers
Edmonton Oilers
Rangers
Oilers
Game Totals Pick
Under 6.0(-115)

The New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers meet for the 2nd and final time this season in a matchup that should be a low-scoring affair. The Rangers are 4-1-1 on the road and have an elite goalie in Igor Shesterkin. They are coming off a 2-0 victory over the Canucks and hope to keep that momentum going. Their struggles on home ice have been well documented, along with their inability to score goals. NYR will figure it out at some point, but for now, they are relying on their goalie to keep them in games.

The Oilers are 3-0-1 at home this year, and are giving up just under 24 shots per game. It’s a good thing the shots against are low because the goaltending has been poor. As usual, the Oilers have no trouble scoring on the power play, but it’s more of a challenge 5-on-5. When you have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same team, it doesn’t take much for them to take over a hockey game. There is a ton of skill on both sides, but for whatever reason, the scoring chances aren’t there. We’ll take a stab at the under here and hope both teams can continue their strong defensive play tonight.

Rangers vs Oilers prediction: Under 6.0 available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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10:07 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
New Jersey Devils
San Jose Sharks
Devils
Sharks
Puck Line PickBest Bet
NJ Devils -1.5(+110)

The New Jersey Devils make their first and only trip to San Jose this season to take on the Sharks on Thursday. Both teams met in Newark less than a week ago, where the Devils came away with a 3-1 victory. It wasn’t a high-scoring event, but don’t let that fool you. The Sharks allow an average of over 4 goals per game, and their penalty kill is operating at just 67%. They are winless at home and don’t have a regulation win yet this season. They might be a fun team to watch, but they certainly can’t defend.

New Jersey was lit up in Colorado 8-4 and even faced 5-0 deficit at one point. Jacob Markstrom returned from injury and was thrown into to fire on the road against the Colorado Avalanche. We should expect Jake Allen to get the start for this one, and he has been nothing short of excellent. The veteran netminder has a 5-0-0 record, a 1.93 GAA and a .923 SV%. He gives his team a chance to win every time he gets the call. Tonight should be no different. If New Jersey comes out hard from the start and pounds the San Jose defense, the Sharks won’t be able to compete. Look for the Devils to win by multiple goals.

Devils vs Sharks prediction: New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+100) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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10:37 PM ET
Today
ESPN+
Detroit Red Wings
Los Angeles Kings
Red Wings
Kings
Money Line Pick
LA Kings Win(-140)

The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings meet up for a Thursday night, intra-conference battle in the NHL. These 2 have yet to meet this season, and will hit the ice for the first of 2 matchups this season. To get you set for the action to come, we have provided our expert Red Wings and predictions analysis.

These teams have accumulated a lot of recent wins, as the Red Wings have won 2-straight games, while the Kings are extremely hot at 4-0-2 in their last 6. This is exactly the performance the Kings expect, as opposed to their 1-3-1 start. This game will not be a cake walk for the Kings, though I see them taking it. I am concerned with the fact Detroit has very recently suffered multiple-goal losses to very beatable teams (Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders), and their 2 recent wins came against the coldest team in the NHL in the St. Louis Blues. They are also on the road for this game, where the Kings are extremely due for a win on home ice (0-2-1 this season). For our Red Wings vs. Kings prediction, take the Kings to win.

Red Wings vs. Kings prediction: Los Angeles Kings ML (-140) available at time of publishing. Playable to (-160)

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Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2025/26 Season

At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for all of the top NHL action throughout the 2025/26 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 2025/26 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.

Check out our site every single day for some of the best bets in every major athletic contest and make sure to follow us on social media as well.

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