NHL Best Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for 04/22/2025

The Devils might be down 1-0 in the series after a 4-1 loss in Game 1, but there's solid value on the puck line at -130 odds according to multiple sources.

While Carolina dominated possession and outshot New Jersey 45-24 in Game 1, the Devils have proven to be resilient and match up well defensively, ranking second in the league in penalty kills.

New Jersey's injury concerns with Jack Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, and potentially Luke Hughes remain a factor, but the puck line provides a 1.5-goal cushion that offers significant protection.

Analytics from Dimers show this bet has a 58.8% probability of hitting with a 2.3% edge, making it one of the higher-confidence plays available for Tuesday's slate.

Given the playoff atmosphere and New Jersey's need to respond, expect a tighter contest than Game 1, even if Carolina ultimately prevails at home.

Toronto dominated Game 1 of the series, showing their offensive firepower with six different goal scorers including a pair from defensemen.

The Senators took 15 penalties totaling 38 minutes in Game 1, and Toronto capitalized by converting three of six power play opportunities while Ottawa went 0-for-2.

Toronto has been stellar defensively at home, limiting opponents to just 1.6 goals per game over their last 10 contests while posting a 3.5 goals per game average offensively.

The Maple Leafs have the clear experience advantage in this playoff matchup and have already set the tone with their Game 1 performance.

With Stolarz looking solid between the pipes and Ottawa's Ullmark struggling with a .750 save percentage in Game 1, the value on Toronto covering the puck line at +145 is substantial.

This matchup features two of the league's elite goaltenders in Sergei Bobrovsky (2.44 GAA) for Florida and Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.18 GAA, .921 save percentage) for Tampa Bay.

The historical trends strongly favor the under, with the total finishing under in 13 of the last 20 games between Florida and Tampa Bay.

Florida is limping into the postseason having lost seven of their last 10 games, and the total has finished under in seven of Florida's last nine games overall.

Both squads play solid defensive hockey, especially in playoff settings where tight-checking, low-scoring games are more common.

Tampa Bay recently shut down Florida's offense in a 5-1 victory last Tuesday, and with Vasilevskiy's six regular season shutouts, there's good reason to expect another defensive battle.

Vegas controlled Game 1 against Minnesota and looks poised to continue that dominance on home ice in Game 2 of the series.

The Golden Knights' offensive depth with Brett Howden, Tomas Hertl, and their forward unit should create plenty of quality scoring chances against a Wild team that's struggled to generate offense.

Defensively, Vegas has the edge with Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and a stout defensive corps limiting Minnesota's opportunities while goaltender Adin Hill makes timely saves.

Minnesota averages just 2.74 goals per game, which should play right into the hands of Vegas' defensive system, especially at home where their crowd provides an additional edge.

The value at +115 for Vegas to win by 2+ goals represents solid value considering they've already shown their ability to handle the Wild in Game 1.