Best NHL Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, April 4

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 4, 2025

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The National Hockey League has just three games on the slate for Friday night, and they all start in the early window. The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals square off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and NHL Network, and all eyes will be on Alex Ovechkin, as he approaches Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal-scoring record. We'll put together a few parlay possibilities, trying to build some bankroll for the stretch run of the regular season and the playoffs. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Friday, April 4

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.

Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings

The Hurricanes (46-24-4) and the Red Wings (34-33-7) meet at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Carolina is sitting pretty in second place in the Metropolitan Division, and it clinched a playoff spot with a 5-1 win over Ovechkin and the first-place Washington Capitals last time out. Carolina is nine points clear of the New Jersey Devils for second place, needing four points to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round.

The Red Wings are still breathing for a postseason spot, six points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot with a game in hand. However, they would also need to leapfrog the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, while holding off the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and several others in the mix in the Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes are just 16-16-3 this season on the road, which is problematic heading into the postseason. They need to figure out how to win on the road. They did just that in Detroit, winning 2-1 on March 4 in the only previous meeting in The D. The Canes also doubled up the Red Wings 4-2 in Raleigh on March 14, as these teams have met frequently of late. The Canes have won six in a row in the series, outscoring the Red Wings 20-7 in the span, with the Under going 8-0-1 in the past nine meetings.

We'll go low on the total based on the series trends. However, Carolina would be the play on the moneyline, but it's just too expensive. Expect a tight game, so let's back the Red Wings on the puck line as home 'dogs, given Carolina's struggles on the road.

Red Wings +1.5 (-115 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
Under 6 Goals (-110 at BetMGM)

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

Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals

The Blackhawks (21-44-10) and Capitals (48-18-9) meet at Capital One Arena in D.C. at 7 p.m. ET, and the game is available to view or stream on ESPN+ and NHL Network.

In the first meeting, Chicago surprised Washington 3-2 at United Center on Dec. 17 as a moderate underdog (+170) as the Under (6) cashed. It started well for the Caps, as Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane notched goals in the first period. There was no more scoring until the third when the Blackhawks came alive. Ilya Mikheyev scored a shorthanded goal just 51 seconds into the third, while T.J. Brodie evened it up, and Ryan Donato won it at 17:42 of the final stanza, shocking the Caps and Logan Thompson. Arvid Soderblom made 20 saves in the victory.

The Caps are just 1-3-1 in the past five games, and defense and goaltending have struggled, allowing 26 goals in the past six outings, or 4.3 goals per game (GPG). Maybe it's the distraction of the Ovie chase, or maybe it is simply that the Caps have overperformed a bit. It could be the fact that it has already clinched a playoff spot, and the division title is all but wrapped up, too, so the team just isn't quite as hungry.

The Blackhawks are 0-3-1 in the past four outings, so they're not likely to offer much resistance, and the Over is 4-1 in the past five outings, allowing three or more goals in 14 straight games since March 5.

Let's do something a little crazy here. We'll take the alternate puck line of Blackhawks +2.5 (-154), and go Over on the total. In addition, let's have some fun and lean into Ovie as an Anytime Goal Scorer.

Blackhawks +2.5 - Alternate Puck Line (-154 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Over 6.5 Goals (-110 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
Alex Ovechkin - Anytime Goal Scorer (-145 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Minnesota Wild at New York Islanders

The Wild (41-28-7) and Islanders (32-32-10) meet at UBS Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET in the "late" game of the slate.

The Wild are 22-11-5 on the road this season, while the Islanders are just 17-15-5 in their home barn. In addition, Minnesota doubled up New York 6-3 in the first meeting on Feb. 8 as the Over (5.5) as moderate favorites (-145).

The Wild have won seven in a row in this series, while the Under is on a 3-1-1 run in the past five meetings.

Minnesota has incurred some difficulties lately, going just 1-3-2 in the past six games, all against playoff hopefuls, while the Over is 4-0-1 in the past five outings.

New York is skidding hard, too, though, dropping four in a row in regulation, while going 0-4-2 in the past six games since March 22, leaving a ton of valuable points on the table as they vie for a playoff spot. The Over is 8-1 in the past nine games, too.

Let's back the Wild to cash on the road, and go rather aggressively on that as a standalone wager. In addition, go with the Over, based on the trends for both sides lately.