NHL Best Bets Today, 4/15: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Tuesday
Hello and welcome everyone to the Tuesday edition of the NHL Best Bets on April 15th, 2025! We are in the final week of the NHL regular season and what a ride it has been! Our NHL predictions are up over 40 units on the season and still looking for more with 10 games on the NHL docket tonight.
The name of the game is motivation this week, folks – what teams are playing for something and what teams aren’t? That narrative is alive and well in my NHL picks for tonight, go check them out!
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/15
In this NHL Best Bets Today article you will find an array of choices from some Money Lines and Team totals to plenty of player props for the action today in NHL predictions!
10 games on this weekday slate so let's dive into my expert NHL Best Bets today!
- Regular Season Record: 197-140-1
- Bankroll: +41.4 Units
*Follow me on X/Twitter @jwaggs10
Utah Hockey Club vs. Blues Predictions: Tuesday, April 15th
Two points; that’s all it's going to take to clinch a playoff spot for the Blues! It's been a wild ride for St. Louis this season especially after the 4-Nations Face-Off where they went on the longest win streak of any team this NHL season. Now they have lost their last 3 games and are in danger of missing out!
I will be backing them though as most of the slate are games that don’t really matter so I want someone with motivation. The Blues are 23-14-3 on home ice this season and Jordan Binnington will be starting in net for them which should give them a leg up. Binnington is 10-4 straight up since the start of March and has a GAA under 2.5!
Utah on the away side of things has a lot to be happy about although they missed the postseason in their inaugural year. That said they have an identity and its defense first. It allows them to keep games close so with that my NHL best bets today will just take the Blues on the Money Line and nothing further as covering the spread may be too much to ask here.
- Expert Utah Hockey Club vs. Blues Picks:
- St. Louis Money Line (-145 on Caesars)
Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 4/15
- Calgary Flames Money Line (+105 on DraftKings)
- Minnesota Wild 60-Minute Money Line (-160 on DraftKings)
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.