NHL Picks Today: Canucks vs Golden Knights Best Bets

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 6, 2025

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Sunday, April 6

The National Hockey League has a single late-game puck drop on ESPN Sunday night, as the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks do battle at Rogers Arena in a matchup with playoff implications in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. We'll take a look at both the side and total in this matchup, as well as some player props, as we piece together a parlay or two to build bankroll for the stretch run of the regular season and the playoffs. Let's get started.

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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.

Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks

The Golden Knights (46-22-8) and Canucks (35-28-13) meet at Rogers Arena in Vancouver for the NHL's lone puck drop from the west coast. The puck drops at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN after Sunday Night Baseball.

Vegas heads into this game with 100 points, three ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have managed 46 victories, including 42 regulation wins, while the Kings have 44 victories, and 43 wins in regulation. Tiebreakers could be very important, and every point helps.

The Golden Knights have a plus-51 goal differential, and they've netted 255 goals, the most in the Pacific Division. While VGK is a very good 27-9-3 at home, it is 19-13-5 on the road, which is good, but not great.

The Canucks enter play with a lot of work to do, sitting six points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with six games to play. Vancouver does have a game in hand on Minnesota, but time is of the essence.

The Canucks likely have to win out, or come somewhat close to doing so, while having the Wild and the Calgary Flames go ice cold. Vancouver is two points back of the Flames for ninth place in the West, while it is just one point ahead of the Utah Hockey Club for 10th. It's a logjam for that final card, and the Wild remains in the driver's seat.

A win over the Golden Knights would go a long way for the Canucks, but it would still have plenty of work to do. However, Vegas is still angling for that division title, so it will be all hands on deck for both sides, and Vegas is obviously the much more talented team.

VGK won each of the previous matchups at T-Mobile Arena this season by a 3-1 score. On Dec. 19, as a moderate favorite (-155), Vegas fell behind 1-0 as Teddy Blueger quieted the crowd at 8:15 of the first period to make it 1-0 Vancouver. But, Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson and Brett Howden (ENG) scored the final three goals of the game to back Adin Hill with enough offensive support. The latter made 19 saves on 20 shots for the win.

On Feb. 22, also in Vegas, the game played out in similar fashion. After a scoreless first period, Jake DeBrusk gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead early in the second period. However, Ivan Barbashev, Brandon Saad and Tomas Hertl (ENG) scored the final three goals, and it was de ja vu for the Canucks. Hill turned aside 33 of 34 shots, and VGK skated away with another 3-1 win.

Vegas won 3-2 in overtime Saturday night behind Akira Schmid, so Hill is all but likely the starter yet again in YVR. The Golden Knights are on a 7-2-0 roll in the past nine games, cashing the Under in each of the past four outings.

Vancouver had an impressive 6-2 win against Anaheim Saturday, backing Thatcher Demko with all of the offensive support he needed. Kevin Lankinen is likely to go for the home side in the back-to-back. The last time he appeared, he coughed up six goals on 38 shots in a wild 7-6 shootout loss at Columbus on March 28.

The Canucks offense has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde lately, going for four or more goals in four of the past six games, but one or no goals in two of the past three. Against Hill, who has allowed just two goals on 54 shots against Vancouver, VGK is likely a very good bet on the road.

In addition, we'll side with the Under, based on Vegas team trends, and the trends in this series.

As far as player props are concerned, Shea Theodore picked up three assists in Calgary Saturday, and he has six apples in the past six games since returning from injury on March 25. That's one point per game in the six-game span, and he is plus-money to notch just one single point. That's good value.

Also, DeBrusk for the Canucks is a good bet to get at least two shots on goal (SOG). In the most recent matchup with Vegas, he had the goal and two SOG, and the left winger has two or more SOG in six of his past seven games.