Best NHL Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, April 11

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 11, 2025

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The National Hockey League has a total of five games scheduled for Friday evening, including the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils squaring off at 7 p.m. ET on NHL Network. We'll pick two games to build a parlay around, looking to build bankroll for the remainder of the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Friday, April 11

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.

Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators

The Canadiens (39-30-9) and Senators (42-30-6) battle in an ultra-important game in the race for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Puck drop from Canadian Tire Centre is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Senators have clinched a playoff spot with 90 points, leading the Canadiens by three points with four games remaining in the regular season. Montreal has 87 points, six clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers. The Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders are still alive, too, eight points back, but they'd each need to win out, and have the Habs lose out.

The Canadiens are red-hot, winning six consecutive games, and they're an impressive 22-12-5 at home, while the Senators are just 18-19-4 on the road.

Montreal has won all three meetings this season, outscoring Ottawa 15-6, including a 5-2 victory at CTC on Feb. 22 as a moderate underdog (+150) as the Over (5.5) cashed.

In the most recent meeting in Montreal on March 18, the Canadiens doubled up the Senators 6-3 as short 'dogs (+130) as the Over (5.5) connected. Christian Dvorak and Drake Batherson exchanged goals in the first period, while Michael Amadio had a goal in the second to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

However, after Lane Hutson and Travis Hamonic exchanged goals in the first 6:13 of the third, the Canadiens caught fire offensively. Josh Anderson had an even-strength goal at 10:22 to knot it 3-3, and Nick Suzuki scored a power-play goal to give Montreal a lead it would not relinquish. Anderson was back with an empty-net goal, and Brendan Gallagher added another ENG for good measure, giving the Habs a huge comeback win. Dvorak ended the night with four points, while Gallagher had three.

Sam Montembeault stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced in the victory, while Linus Ullmark was snowed under for four goals on 31 shots. That is the expected goaltender matchup Friday, with Montembeault (30-23-6, 2.81 GAA, .902 SV%, 4 SO) confirmed for the Habs. The Becancour, QC native is 21-11-4 with a 2.60 GAA, .910 save percentage, and all four of his shutouts at Bell Centre this season. He is 3-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 save percentage against the Senators, too.

Based on Montreal's dominance in this series and the fact that Ottawa has already clinched a playoff spot, it might not be quite as hungry, so let's back the Habs.

The Over has hit in the past two meetings, with 8.0 combined goals per game, and the total has gone high in six of the past eight in the series. So, based on the trends, we'll also play the Over.

Canadiens ML (-162 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Over 5.5 Goals (-115 at Bet365 Sportsbook)

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

Minnesota Wild at Calgary Flames

The Wild (43-29-7) and Flames (37-27-14) do battle at Scotiabank Saddledome at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in another game with playoff implications.

The Wild are in the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 93 points, one game clear of the St. Louis Blues. The Flames have 88 points, five behind the Blues, with two games in hand.

The Flames have won each of the first two meetings, but each has been by one goal, including a 4-3 shootout victory Nov. 23 at the Saddledome.

In the most recent meeting, Jan. 25 in the Twin Cities, the Flames (+130) won 5-4 in a wild affair. The Over (5.5) has cashed in each of those meetings, too.

Speaking of wild, Minnesota's most recent game Wednesday was an 8-7 win in overtime against the San Jose Sharks, and four of the past five outings have needed either OT or a shootout, with the Wild going 2-1-2 in that five-game stretch. The Over is 5-2-1 in the past eight games since March 25, too.

The Flames suffered a 4-3 loss in OT Wednesday in Anaheim, and four of their past seven games have gone to OT or a shootout, with six of the past 10 needing more than regulation.

Based on the first two meetings, let's go with the Flames as short 'dogs at home, and we'll play the Over.