NHL Best Bets & Props Today, April 9th: Expert Picks, Predictions, & Odds
Welcome back to NHL Best Bets and Props to all my hockey heads out there! It's Tuesday so you know what that means: another huge slate in the hockey world.
As the season winds into the final stretch with just a couple weeks remaining, consider this: remember what teams are still playing for something and the teams that are not! With NHL odds also becoming less favorable, don't shy away from getting into DFS or NHL props as we head to the end of the campaign.
In today's NHL picks writeup, you will find 4 types of wagers that include a game total, puck line, player prop and a team total! The Dog of the Day is back again as well for a potential plus money winner!
Now, let's dive into my expert NHL best bets today!
- Season Record: 132-110-5
- Bankroll: +16.1 units
- Dog of the Day Record: 20-20 (+6.15 Units)
* The below NHL predictions will be accompanied by their respective NHL odds. Be sure to follow me on Twitter/X @jwaggs10!
NHL Picks, Predictions, & Best Bets Today, 4/9
Sabres vs. Stars Prediction
This matchup tonight has a glaring trend and if you’ve been following my betting this season, you already know where I am going, and it’s the game total. The Sabres have been a cash cow for unders lately going lower than the number in 8 of the past 10 road games.
Much of it is thanks to their goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who has been a stud with a 2.57 GAA, but the team defense as a whole has pulled its weight. They’ve allowed just 3 goals per game on the road the last 45 days.
On the Dallas side, it's scary to pick the under, but with the way they have recommitted to defense, it’s a bit easier to swallow. Over the past 45 days, the Stars have given up just 2.3 goals per game on home ice and the Buffalo offense isn’t all that impressive either.
Add to the mix a streaking Jake Oettinger, who has a 1.58 GAA and .943 SV% through the last 7 games, and you get a recipe for an under with the first of today’s NHL best bets. The total of 6.5 just seems like too much.
- Expert Sabres vs. Stars Picks:
- Buffalo vs. Dallas Under 6.5 Goals (-125 on ESPN BET)
Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Prediction
Here we go again riding the Lightning in our NHL predictions! It's been such a roller coaster season from this group, from playing without a real goaltender for several months to top liners getting benched to now playing some of their best hockey of the season down the stretch!
The Lightning are rolling right now on offense and especially at home. They’ve scored 3.9 goals per game over the past 45 days and have scored 4 or more goals in 9 of the last 13 games! That should continue tonight against a Blue Jackets team that has been bad all season long and lately have given up an even 4 goals per game on the road in the past month.
If you haven’t noticed by now, 4 is the magic number tonight, as that’s the team total for the Lightning and I think they cruise to that over this evening so lock in the wager. After glossing over NHL props, I’m going to add a player to this as well with Anthony Duclair.
He’s surged in shots production of late going over his prop line of 1.5 shots on goal in 10 of the last 15 games and with a number that low, all it takes is a couple shifts and it's over! The Blue Jackets are allowing 34 shots on goal per game on the road this season as well, 2nd most in the league.
- Expert Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Picks:
Wild vs. Avalanche Prediction
To finalize my NHL picks today, it should be a fun matchup in this one as the Wild battle for their playoff hopes and the Avalanche try to keep their place atop the Central Division! I love Colorado anytime they play at home this season as they are one of the best, if not the best, home squad in the entire league.
The record speaks for itself at 29-8-1 on the season but the underlying numbers are just as impressive recently. In the last 45 days, they are scoring 4.3 goals while allowing just 2.6 goals per game. They also cover the puck line very well at a record of 22-16 on the season overall.
That leads me to backing the Avs of course, and while the Wild should put up a fight, their road play just won’t keep up scoring a lowly 2.7 goals per game. Give me the Avs on the puck line tonight at plus money!
- Expert Wild vs. Avalanche Picks:
- Colorado Puck Line -1.5 (+120 on BetMGM)
NHL Predictions: Dog of the Day
- New York Islanders Money Line vs. New York Rangers (+115 on BetMGM) *HALF UNIT PLAY
Player News
Miguel Vargas went 2-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored on Tuesday evening, propelling the White Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Reds in 10 innings.
Vargas smacked a leadoff double off of Andrew Abbott in the fourth inning and scored the game’s first run on an RBI knock by Edgar Quero. He then broke it open with a 373-foot (101.7 mph EV) three-run blast off of Emilio Pagan in the 10th inning that increased the White Sox’ lead to 5-1. Vargas has picked up the pace considerably since his brutal start to the season and is now hitting .221/.314/.350 with three homers and 15 RBI on the season.
Chase Meidroth delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning on Tuesday night as the White Sox bested the Reds.
The 23-year-old rookie infielder had been hitless in four at-bats entering the 10th inning, but he saved the best for last, smacking a two-out, two-strike offering from Emilio Pagan for an RBI single that gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish. With his 1-for-5 night, Meidroth is now slashing .242/.333/.273 with zero homers, three RBI and three stolen bases over 75 plate appearances in his first 20 games with the White Sox.
Steven Wilson picked up his second blown save of the season on Tuesday night, serving up a game-tying solo homer to Elly De La Cruz in the ninth inning.
Wilson was called upon to face the heart of the Reds’ lineup with the White Sox clinging to 1-0 advantage on Tuesday. He wound up giving up that game-tying blast to De La Cruz after a six-pitch battle, then rebounded to retire each of the next three hitters in order. Wilson was then the beneficiary of the White Sox scoring four times in the home half of the 10th as he snagged his first victory of the season. Cam Booser, who had received the White Sox’ previous save chance, worked a scoreless 10th inning in this one and may be the arm to speculate on in the White Sox’ bullpen for those desperate in saves.
Jonathan Cannon was brilliant in a no-decision against the Reds on Tuesday, allowing just four hits over six innings of shutout baseball.
The 24-year-old right-hander racked up six strikeouts on the night and didn’t walk a batter. He exited with a 1-0 lead and in line for a hard-earned victory, but the White Sox’ bullpen was unable to hang on for him. Cannon got seven swings and misses on 96 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 25 percent. He’ll see if he can build off of this success as he carries a 3.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 39/17 K/BB ratio (50 innings) into Sunday’s battle against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Elly De La Cruz swatted a game-tying home run in the ninth inning on Tuesday, but the Reds would wind up falling to the White Sox in extra innings.
The Reds entered the ninth inning facing a 1-0 deficit until De La Cruz clobbered a leadoff 435-foot (114.9 mph EV) solo shot off of Steven Wilson that tied the game. The superstar shortstop also singled in the contest, finishing the night 2-for-4. On the season, he’s slashing .250/.324/.405 with seven homers, 30 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
Andrew Abbott was terrific in a no-decision against the White Sox on Tuesday night, piling up seven strikeouts over six innings of one-run baseball.
The 25-year-old southpaw scattered just four hits on the evening and did not walk a batter. The only run that the White Sox were able to muster against him came on an RBI single by Edgar Quero in the fourth inning. Abbott generated 13 swings and misses on 96 pitches on the night — eight of those on his fastball — while posting a CSW of 29 percent. He’ll bring a pristine 2.10 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and a 38/12 K/BB ratio (30 innings) into Sunday’s tilt against the Guardians.