NHL Best Bets & Predictions | Expert Picks Tonight (Tuesday, April 9)

Check out our expert NHL picks along with our predictions and best bets for Tuesday, April 9.

The Action Network's hockey crew has studied the hockey odds board for tonight's stacked 13-game slate, which we've also covered with our individual NHL game breakdowns. And they've put together their favorite NHL picks tonight.

For our NHL best bets tonight, we're targeting six games in particular with bets on the moneyline, puck line, a game prop, and multiple player props.

Below, check out and tail along with our experts' NHL picks for the big Tuesday-night slate, which is available on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

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NHL Best Bets & Predictions

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

By Ryan Dadoun

It’s true the Maple Leafs are in the second half of a back-to-back and on the road, but I still expect Toronto to come out ahead tonight.

All but officially eliminated from playoff contention, New Jersey is meandering toward the finish line, dropping four of its last five games with the lone exception being a narrow 4-3 win against the lowly Senators. Additionally, the circumstances for this contest don’t favor the Devils as much as it might initially seem. They’re 17-19-3 in New Jersey compared to 20-17-2 on the road, so the home-ice advantage likely won’t aid the Devils much, particularly against a team that travels as well as Toronto (23-9-6 on the road). New Jersey also played through a back-to-back set Saturday and Sunday, so the squad isn’t much fresher than the Maple Leafs.

Speaking of fatigue, Jake Allen was in net for the bulk of both of those two contests for the Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen got the start Sunday, but he lasted just 8:39 of ice time before exiting the contest because of a lower-body injury. If Kahkonen is unavailable tonight, then Allen might play for the third time in four days.

Allen has an 11-16-4 record, 3.35 GAA and .899 save percentage in 31 games this season, including a 3.39 GAA and an .890 save percentage across his past six outings, so he wouldn’t be an ideal option even if he was rested, especially against the Maple Leafs, who rank third offensively with 3.61 goals per game.

Toronto’s attack will be led by Auston Matthews as he searches for his 66th goal, which would make him to first player to tally that many markers since Mario Lemieux finished the 1995-96 campaign with 69. Stopping the Maple Leafs superstar has been near impossible recently: He has 10 goals and 20 points across his last 11 contests.

Toronto has also done well recently, winning five of its last six. Matthews has been a big part of that success, but the Maple Leafs have also gotten solid secondary scoring over that run from the likes of Matthew Knies (three goals, six points) and Tyler Bertuzzi (three goals, four points). Toronto received a further boost from Mitch Marner, who returned from his ankle injury Saturday and has since supplied two assists in two games.

The one thing that initially gave me pause was the Devils’ 6-3 victory over Toronto on March 26. However, Toronto outshot New Jersey 45-24 in that contest and had the edge in xGoals, 4.69 to 3.02, per Moneypuck. In other words, while the Devils won by a comfortable margin, Toronto arguably played the better game, so I’m expecting a significantly different result this time around.

After taking that into account, the gap in potential payout between the puck line (+185 on BetMGM), where the spread is 1.5 goals in favor of New Jersey, and moneyline (-130 on BetMGM) is vast enough to make me feel that the puck line is worth the risk. I'd play it down to +170.

Pick: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+185 at BetMGM)

By Grant White

It's hard to believe it, but we've made it through six months of the NHL regular season. That leaves teams just a little over a week to try to cement their position in the standings, and bettors a handful of opportunities to get in on the action.

One fundamental mind shift we see this time of year is teams competing for points rather than wins, a principle we expect to play out in the Battle of New York. The New York Islanders are fighting for their playoff lives right now. They are one point up on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot, and they risk being relegated from the postseason altogether if they don't maintain their position.

Likewise, the New York Rangers have their own postseason battle to focus on. The Broadway Blueshirts have a five-point cushion atop the division and need to fend off the Carolina Hurricanes over the last four games of the regular season.

On top of the emphasis on points, the Islanders vs. Rangers games always dial up the intensity. And we're expecting that to be the case once again on Tuesday.

Both teams are battling for crucial points, and we expect that approach will result in a more defensive-minded game. As a result, it will spill over into overtime or a shootout before a victor is crowned. Take the best number you can get, but +330 or higher is a playable wager.

Pick: 60-Minute Tie (+350 at FanDuel)

By Greg Liodice

For years, Roman Josi has wreaked havoc in this league. Even at the ripe age of 33 (34 in June), he’s still the same defenseman we’ve seen throughout his 13-year career. He’s averaging exactly a point per game, and he's two goals away from tying his career high.

It’s not from pure luck, though. Josi peppers shots from the blue line like it’s no one’s business, averaging 3.3 shots on goal per game. That is a remarkable number for anyone, especially a defenseman, who needs superb accuracy.

Elite players will always find a way, and Josi is no exception. He’s managed to register three or more shots on goal in seven out of his last eight games. He’s also had only one game under 20 minutes of ice time this season, so you know he’ll be seeing plenty of time to get his opportunities.

According to MoneyPuck, he’s second among defensemen in expected goals at 15.8, and since March 1, he’s second in Corsi. Either way, expect Josi to fire the puck quite a bit.

Nashville’s opponents, the Winnipeg Jets, are picking themselves up from a rough stretch. They’ve won three in a row and have held their own defensively with a goaltender who should be contending for the Vezina Trophy in Connor Hellebuyck.

However, Josi is one of the few that can create opportunities for himself. No matter who’s placed in front of him, he’ll get pucks on net. I’m confident that he can register more than three shots tonight.

Pick: Roman Josi Over 3.5 Shots (-105 at DraftKings)

By Tony Sartori

A Central Division tilt gets underway on ESPN with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Minnesota Wild. Tuesday presents an opportunity to buy low on Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin, who has failed to score in four straight outings.

However, Minnesota could be a great team for him to turn the tide against as the Wild rank in the bottom four of the league in both penalty minutes taken per game and penalty kill percentage. I mention these rankings because Nichushkin leads the Avs in power-play goals with nearly 58% of his goals coming on the man advantage this season.

Subsequently, it should not be shocking that he has scored in three of his past five games against the Wild.

Meanwhile, goaltender Filip Gustavsson is slated to guard the cage for Minnesota and should be a good fade candidate. Through 43 appearances in the crease this year, Gustavsson is 19-17-4 with a .900 SV% and 3.07 GAA. He was in net for each of Nichushkin's past two games against Minnesota, and Nichushkin scored in each of those two outings.

Finally, we are catching a great line on Nichushkin to score at +165 via BetMGM, a price that is 10-35 cents longer than the rest of the market at the time of writing.

Pick: Valeri Nichushkin Anytime Goalscorer (+165 at BetMGM)

By Nicholas Martin

It's no secret that it's been a disastrous season for Trevor Zegras. He's fought through numerous injuries and displayed an unprofessional attitude toward the game at times.

Prior to this year, Zegras put up 139 points in only 180 NHL contests, though. The 23-year-old still has one of the best offensive skill sets in the league, and not because he can pull off "Michigan" goals in game.

He's scored four points in his last four games and has a strong underlying profile in those matchups. Anaheim desperately needs Zegras's ability to hold the puck and find threatening plays, and in time, his strong finishing abilities will shine through as well.

Zegras has played close to 20 minutes in three of the last four games, so coach Greg Cronin is taking notice and elevating his ice time once again. That might be because the Ducks want to shop Zegras around this summer. Who knows.

Regardless, I want to keep buying on an offensive upswing the rest of the way because all indicators suggest Zegras is going to start playing to his potential. The Kings are a tough matchup for offensive production for sure, but that is well accounted for when you look at Zegras +128 price tag (BetRivers) to record a single point. Anything better than +115 is worth a bet on Over 0.5 points.

Pick: Trevor Zegras Over 0.5 Points (+128 at BetRivers)

By Carol Schram

Whatever ends up happening with their arena situation, the Arizona Coyotes are finishing out the season on a high note on the ice. Since March 1, they’re 10-8-0, and they’re ranking alongside the league leaders offensively, averaging 3.83 goals per game. Arizona's power play has also been clicking at 25%. Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller are leading the way, but youngsters like Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and Josh Doan are also having an impact.

The Kraken have shown signs of life in recent games, winning four of their last six. But three of those games came against Anaheim and the fourth was against San Jose — not exactly stiff competition.

Since March 1, the Kraken rank 31st in scoring, averaging just 2.18 goals per game. But Shane Wright has been effective since his latest recall with three goals in the last three games. But Seattle is one of just a handful of teams with a losing record on home ice this season, at 16-17-4 so far.

The Coyotes head into town riding a two-game winning streak, including an impressive 7-4 home win over Vegas last Friday. They won the two earlier games in their season series against Seattle, both in extra time at Mullett Arena. Look for the Desert Dogs to complete the sweep on Tuesday. Play it down to +110.

Pick: Coyotes (+125 at ESPN BET)