NHL Best Bets & DFS Cheat Sheet, 4/25: Picks, Predictions & Player Props
Published: Apr 25, 2025
Welcome to the NHL Playoffs! Like we did throughout the regular season, the Fantasy Alarm will have you covered in the playoffs. You’ll find our daily NHL Best Bets along with which players you should be targeting in DFS.
We’ve conveniently put it all in one article, just to make life simple. If you have more questions, make sure to hit up the Fantasy Alarm NHL Discord. Let’s dive into the action and build a winning lineup!
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/25
I’ll give you one Money Line, one Total and one Player Prop to target for this slate.
The postseason is a completely different animal, so let’s start off slow and work our way up. No need to go nuts right out of the gate.
Oilers vs. Kings Prediction: Friday, April 25th
It’s hard to understand why Edmonton fans are mad at this team. The whole world knew going into the season that their goaltending was poor and their defence wasn’t good, so why all this anger? Stuart Skinner has given up 12 goals in two games and will give way to Calvin Pickard tonight. Is that an upgrade? You tell me.
On the flip side, the Kings have been rolling and that won’t change tonight. They aren’t as dominant on the road, so the Oilers will score goals. This game might end up being a track meet, so we’ll take the Over and enjoy the show
- Over 5.5 (-140 on FanDuel)
Capitals vs. Canadiens Prediction: Friday, April 25th
The series between the Capitals and Canadiens shifts to Montreal, the greatest city for playoff hockey. The Habs are down 2-0, but as the old saying goes-- you’re never in trouble until you lose a game at home. It’s time for them to step up and get the job done.
The Capitals have been really good, until they get to the third period. If it wasn’t for Logan Thompson, the Capitals probably wouldn’t have won Game 2. There is speculation that Patrik Laine won’t play tonight due to injury, but considering his performance so far this round, maybe a night off to heal will do him some good. I’ll take the Canadiens to come away with the win and prevent the dreaded 0-3.
- Canadiens Money Line (+100 on Bet365)
Oilers vs. Kings Prediction: Friday, April 25th
We are going right back to the Kings and Oilers game because there is still value to exploit. While I do believe that this game will be a high-scoring affair, we will most likely see a lot of shots on goal. Can’t score goals unless you shoot the puck, right?
As mentioned earlier, Calvin Pickard is going to get the start, and his Saves total is sitting at 23.5. That number is too low considering how terrible the Oilers are defensively. Is he going to give up goals? Yes, but I can’t imagine him not finishing the game unless he gets off to a dreadful start. Edmonton is giving up too many scoring chances, and they aren’t magically going to correct that in Game 3. We’ll take the Over and maybe hope for some overtime.
- Calvin Pickard O/23.5 Sv (-105 on Bet365)
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Goalie Of The Day: Frederik Andersen - CAR
The series may be shifting to New Jersey, but that doesn’t mean the Devils will be scoring more goals. The Carolina Hurricanes are great defensively, and that doesn’t matter where they play. Frederik Andersen has allowed just two goals so far, and I expect another strong performance out of him.
Player Of The Day: Connor McDavid - EDM
If the Oilers want to keep their Stanley Cup dream alive, they need to win tonight. Connor McDavid is elite, and no one will argue with that. It looks like Leon Draisaitl will join him on the top line, and that duo can’t be stopped. I expect McDavid to get a lot of quality looks and hopefully, hit value.
Value Play Of The Day: Ivan Demidov - MTL
Ivan Demidov has been very quiet so far in the first round, but maybe the tide is about to turn. He’s played just over 12 minutes in the first two games and has ZERO shots on goal. If Laine can’t play tonight, there is a spot on the top power play that opens up with Demidov’s name on it. We know the kid has skill, but he can’t do it all on his own. We can’t keep playing him with Jake Evans and Alex Newhook and expect good things to happen. Give him some proven scorers, and he will produce.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor McDavid  $9,000 |  Alex Ovechkin $8,000 | Evan Bouchard $7,000 | Logan Thompson $8,200 |
| Leon Draisaitl $8,500 |  Frederik Andersen $8,000 | |||
| Medium |  Nick Suzuki $6,900 | Cole Caufield $6,700 | Jakob Chychrun $5,600 | |
| Dylan Strome $6,000 |  Adrian Kempe $6,500 | Lane Hutson $4,800 | ||
| Kevin Fiala $6,200 | ||||
| Low | Quinton Byfield $5,400 | Andrei Kuzmenko $5,300 | John Klingberg $2,800 | |
| Christian Dvorak $3,500 | Jackson Blake $4,900 | David Savard $2,800 | ||
| Logan Stankoven $4,200 | ||||
| Connor McMichael $4,000 | ||||
| Ivan Demidov $3,300 |
Stacks
| Canadiens | Lane Hutson | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 6700 | 6900 |
 Fanduel | 5400 | 7200 | 7600 |
| Oilers | Connor McDavid | Evan Bouchard | Leon Draisaitl |
| DraftKings | 9000 | 7000 | 8500 |
| Fanduel | 8800 | 5800 | 8700 |
| Capitals | Alex Ovechkin | Dylan Strome | Tom Wilson |
| DraftKings | 8000 | 6000 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 8200 | 7400 | 7000 |
| Devils | Nico Hischier | Jesper Bratt | Timo Meier |
| DraftKings | 5700 | 5900 | 6800 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 6800 | 6700 |
| Canadiens | Lane Hutson | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 6700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 5400 | 7200 | 7600 |
| Oilers | Connor McDavid | Evan Bouchard | Leon Draisaitl |
| DraftKings | 9000 | 7000 | 8500 |
| Fanduel | 8800 | 5800 | 8700 |
| Capitals | Alex Ovechkin | Dylan Strome | Tom Wilson |
| DraftKings | 8000 | 6000 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 8200 | 7400 | 7000 |
| Devils | Nico Hischier | Jesper Bratt | Timo Meier |
| DraftKings | 5700 | 5900 | 6800 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 6800 | 6700 |
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.