NHL Best Bets Today, 4/12: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Saturday
Welcome to our expert NHL Best Bets today!
Tom and Josh are away for the weekend, so I’ve been called up from the minors to provide some winning NHL Best Bets. We have a full slate of games with a bunch of teams still fighting for something. Be aware, some teams are going to start resting players, so there is an edge to attack.
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/12
We have seen no shortage of goals over the last couple of days and that makes me very happy. I know the goalies don’t like it, but as a fan, you can’t hate on high scoring games. We have two games to target and a single-game parley. Let’s make that lunch money.
Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Prediction: Saturday, April 12th
The Montreal Canadiens are one point away from locking up a playoff spot. They had a chance yesterday to secure their spot, but they decided to lose to Ottawa. Now they are in Toronto on a back-to-back trying to come away with a win.
Over the last few games, Montreal has come out flat in the first period. They had no life against Nashville, Detroit or the Senators right out of the gate. This team isn’t good enough to go down 3-0 and come back. Will that change tonight? Probably not. Toronto still needs to lock up the top spot in the Atlantic Division, so they won’t be resting any regulars. The Canadiens also give up a ton of shots against and don’t generate very many.
We’ll go with the recent trend and take the Maple Leafs to cover the 1st period Puck Line. Montreal just isn’t a good first period team and we need to take advantage of that.
- Expert Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Pick:
- Toronto Maple Leafs 1st period -0.5 (+105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Avalanche vs. Kings Prediction: Saturday, April 12th
Saturdays are always better when there is some afternoon hockey. The Avalanche are pretty much locked into the third spot in the Central Division, so they let Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and others skip this California road trip.
The Kings still have an outside chance of winning but it’s more about making sure they lock up home ice advantage in the first round. With the Oilers win yesterday, they are just two points ahead of them.
We won’t know until warmups, but Darcy Kuemper should get the start. He has been fantastic all season, but his home numbers are just off the charts. He has a GAA below 2.00 and a SV% above .925. The Kings as a team have also been very good at home, posting a 30-5-4 record. The Avalanche aren’t that great on the road and now without their two best players, it’s hard to see a path for them to victory.
The Money Line has moved quite a bit, so we can’t attack that. We can though still get good value on the Puck Line, so that’s the route we will take.
- Expert Avalanche vs. Kings Pick:
- Kings -1.5 (+152 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Best NHL Same-Game Parlay Today, 4/12
If we don’t place a SGP did we even make any bets? These are hard to hit, but that doesn’t mean we don’t build them. The game we are going to target is Utah vs. Dallas.
The Stars have lost four in a row and are going to finish second in the Central Division. They haven’t been able to keep the puck out of their own net, which is shocking considering how defensively they are. This is their final home game of the season, so it’s unlikely we’ll see any regulars sit. The team probably wants to end this losing streak and iron things out before the playoffs start.
Utah has been eliminated from the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they are going to roll over. They played better of late, but there is no reason for them to be slight underdogs. The line opened at -200 for Dallas and has gone all the way down to -130. Not sure why, but there is a ton of value on the Money Line.
We also want to target the Team Total for the Stars. I know it’s been hard for them of late, but they are still a good team with a ton of depth and can get contributions for all four of their lines. Utah has allowed just one goal against in three of their last five games, but they were all on home ice.
We need to find a player who going to hit the scoresheet and that man is Mikko Rantanen. He hasn’t been as dynamic since he left Colorado, but don’t let that fool you, he’s still an elite hockey player who can rack up points. He has 11 points in the last ten games, so I like his chances of adding another one to hit total.
- Expert Utah vs Stars SGP:
- Dallas Stars Money Line
- Dallas Team Total O/2.5
- Mikko Rantanen 1+ Points (+126 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Player News
Athletics’ manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after Sunday’s game that Miguel Andujar (oblique) would “most likely” wind up on the injured list.
Andujar was pulled from Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays with right oblique discomfort. He’s undergoing additional exams on Monday, the results of which will inform the A’s final decision on the matter, but it sounds like he’s going to be shelved for at least a couple of weeks. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues who may be counting on Andujar for next week should be sure to have an alternative option ready to go.
Mookie Betts (toe) is set to be re-evaluated prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Mets.
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s game that Betts felt good after his baseball activity on Sunday and was even able to do some light hitting in the batting cage. He won’t return on Monday, as Hyeseong Kim will draw another start in his place at shortstop, but it sounds like there’s growing optimism that he could potentially be ready on Tuesday. He’s still considered day-to-day for the time being.
Padres’ manager Mike Shildt noted after Sunday’s game that Gavin Sheets is still being evaluated after colliding with the outfield wall during their battle against the Pirates.
Sheets crashed into the outfield wall while attempting to make a play on Adam Frazier’s home run ball in the fourth inning. Shildt noted that Sheets is currently dealing with a head contusion, sore hip and a jammed thumb/wrist and is still being evaluated. It seems likely that he’ll need to pass through the concussion protocol before returning to action, so that should be the injury that is monitored the closest. Fantasy managers who are relying on Sheets for the start of next week should be sure to have a contingency plan in place.
Luke Weaver “felt something” in his hamstring while warming up prior to the ninth inning on Sunday night.
Weaver had been up as the Yankees had a 6-3 lead heading to the ninth, but ultimately Tim Hill came on once they scored a run in the top half of the inning to run their lead to four. Still, it was noticeable that Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. were warming in a save situation and now we get confirmation on the minor injury for Weaver. It’s something fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on as lineups are set for the upcoming week.
Kyle Tucker (finger) had X-rays that came back negative following Sunday’s win against the Reds.
Tucker left the game in the fifth inning after jamming his finger while stealing a base. Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters he was “optimistic this is going to be, at most, a day or two.” It looks as if Tucker has avoided a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Nationals.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Royals plan to promote top prospect Jac Caglianone from Triple-A Omaha.
The 22-year-old slugger will join the Royals prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Tuesday. He has been an absolute monster across two minor league levels this season, slashing .322/.389/.593 with 15 homers, 56 RBI, two stolen bases and a 46/24 K/BB ratio over 229 plate appearances. He’s worthy of an immediate add in any fantasy leagues where he may be available and should provide a major impact in the power department for the duration of the season.