Welcome to our expert NHL Best Bets today!

We have less than two weeks left in the NHL regular season and I can feel the tension rising each and every game. Desperation has kicked in for teams, giving us the best quality games all season. 

 

NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/5

At this point in the season, I basically have zero interest in non-playoff teams. If they have nothing to play for, I'm essentially avoiding them at all costs. 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres Prediction: Saturday, April 5th

The Tampa Bay Lightning have a ton to play for and are in a bounce-back spot against the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Just four points separate the top of the Atlantic Division with seven games left to play, and the seeding is nowhere close to being decided. There's a chance the Lightning finish as the one seed and there's a chance they could finish as the three seed, giving them full motivation to win. 

Having home ice advantage is huge in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making this an important game for Tampa to get back on track. Luckily for them, they have a soft matchup against the Sabres, who have allowed 3.06 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last two weeks, which is 15th in the league. The bottom half of the league has gotten worse on defense as the season has gone on, allowing plenty of scoring from their opponents.

If we're talking about scoring from Tampa, that starts and ends with Nikita Kucherov. He comes in with a whopping 19 points over his last 10 games, along with a healthy 42 shots on goal. Considering Tampa has scored 3.98 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last two weeks, which is good for the third-best in the league, he's a threat to have a multi-point game in a hurry. 

I'll take one of the point leaders in the league for two points at just over even money tonight against a horrible defense. Easy as that. 

 

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction: Saturday, April 5th

The Toronto Maple Leafs have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their seeding is far from secure. As noted above, the top of the Atlantic is in flux right now and every point matters. 

This is a fun matchup between a hungry Blue Jackets lineup making a final push for the playoffs and the Maple Leafs looking to pick up every point they can. Let's turn to John Tavares, who is on a bit of a heater right now and we all know the rule: you never walk away from a heater. Over just his last seven games, Tavares has 9 goals and 20 shots on goal. Seeing that many goals jump off the page a bit, and while he's hot right now, the shots are far more consistent compared to goals. 

Over the last two weeks, the Blue Jackets have allowed 61.96 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-worst in the league. This is clearly a plus matchup for the Leafs and Johnny T, who should continue to fire the puck at a high volume. 

 

Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 4/5