Best NHL Bets: Stanley Cup Playoffs Picks for Friday, April 25

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 25, 2025

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The National Hockey League has three playoff games on the slate for Friday. We have two Eastern Conference tilts on the docket, as well as one battle from the Western Conference. All three series see a shift in venue, as the home teams look for their first victories of those respective series. We'll try and put together a few winning parlay opportunities to build that bankroll for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Friday, April 25

For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.

Capitals vs. Canadiens: Betting Odds and Predictions

The Capitals have certainly had their hands full with the Canadiens in the first two games of the season. The No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference has found the No. 2 wild-card to be quite a handful.

In Game 1, the Capitals won 3-2 in overtime, thanks to the first-ever OT playoff goal from Alex Ovechkin. In Game 2, the Caps had a little more breathing room in a 3-1 victory, but not much.

After a scoreless first period, Christian Dvorak quieted the crowd in D.C. with an even-strength goal from Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher at 1:16 of the second. Connor McMichael quickly answered, though, with a helper to Taylor Raddysh, leveling things at 1-1. Dylan Strome then struck just 60 seconds later, sending Capital One Arena into euphoria.

That's how things stayed throughout the third period, as Montreal had several close calls to tie the game, including ringing one off the pipe. I watched this game at the Carolina Hurricanes' practice facility prior to my men's league game Wednesday, and several youth teams and beer-league players were camped around the TV watching and cheering for Montreal. The Caps don't get a lot of love in Raleigh.

McMichael returned with just two seconds left in regulation with the empty-net goal, so if you had Montreal +1.5, you not only had to deal with several near-misses in the third, but then you took a late bad beat, too. Ouch.

Sam Montembeault stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced, doing his part against the high-octane Washington offense. Logan Thompson kicked aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced, as he was just a little bit better.

Based on the tight series in D.C., we could see a change in the result in Montreal. Bell Centre will be rocking, supporting their beloved young Habs. This is a team with a lot of dangerous players. Look for Cole Caufield to get back on the board, too.

Canadiens ML (+102 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
Over 5.5 Goals (-120 at Fanatics Sportsbook)

Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.

Hurricanes vs. Devils: Keys to Victory and Betting Insights

The Hurricanes and Devils meet in Game 3 at Prudential Center at 8 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on TBS/Max.

New Jersey heads home with a 0-2 series hole, and it's a lack of offense which done it in. It suffered a 4-1 loss in Game 1 and a 3-1 setback in Game 2. Jacob Markstrom has actually been decent, posting a 2.52 GAA and .930 SV% in two starts, but he has received no offensive support.

Carolina had an even-strength goal from Shayne Gostisbehere and a shorthanded goal from Jordan Martinook to take a 2-1 lead after Jesper Bratt stunned the crowd in Raleigh with an early first-period goal. But that was it. It was a tight game, with the Devils right in it until Seth Jarvis notched an empty-net goal at 19:23 of the third period with a helper to Martinook.

So, while the Devils are down 0-2, it could easily be different if they could solve Frederik Andersen. He has been the difference maker, and it wasn't long ago that he was the biggest question mark.

Andersen was beaten for four or more goals in each of his final four regular-season games, including 16 total goals in his final three road starts. That is still a concern, as obviously both playoff wins have been in Raleigh, where the Canes are very good. On the road, Carolina was just 16-21-4 this season, so the jury is still out.

The home team won all four regular-season meetings by at least two goals, and that trend held up in the first two games of this series. In fact, we haven't seen a game decided by one goal between these teams since Carolina won 1-0 in overtime on home ice Feb. 10, 2024.

Let's back the Devils to get the job done on home ice as a moderate underdog, while sticking with the Under.

Devils ML (+145 at Bet365 Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (-115 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)

Kings vs. Oilers: Must-Win Game Analysis and Betting Tips

The Kings and the Oilers meet in the late game at Rogers Place at 10 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV/Max.

The defending Western Conference champion Oilers are in a 0-2 series hole as we get a shift of venue to the Great White North for Game 3.

The series opener was wild, with six combined goals in the third period. Los Angeles hung on for the 6-5 win, thanks to a late goal from Phillip Danault. Both Darcy Kuemper and Stuart Skinner never had a chance, as the offenses were blazing.

In Game 2, the Kings' offense kept up the intensity, but the Oilers fell off hard. L.A. routed Edmonton 6-2 as moderate favorites (-125) as the Over (6) cashed again, pushing the Oilers into a deep hole. All is not lost, though, but Edmonton has a must-win game on its hands Friday.

The Oilers need to play more disciplined hockey. The Kings erupted for three power-play goals in Game 2, as Brandt Clarke, Andrei Kuzmenko and Anze Kopitar struck for scores on the man advantage. The Kings were 3-for-5 on the power play in Game 2, while the Oilers were 0-for-3. In Game 1, the Kings were 2-for-5 on the man advantage, while the Oilers were 0-for-2. That's been one of the glaring differences.

The Kings were 31-6-4 at home in the regular season, and 2-0 in the postseason, but just 17-19-5 on the road. Meanwhile, the Oilers were 25-13-3 at home. The time is now for Edmonton to save its season, as if it goes down 0-3 here, it's curtains. Let's back the Oilers to get the job done, while sticking with the Over.