We update this expert NHL picks page with predictions from pro handicappers throughout the hockey season. You will gain an edge on your fellow bettors by bookmarking this page and returning regularly for free NHL predictions.
This page also breaks down the key NHL betting options and explains how we come up with our NHL picks. Read on to learn how to successfully bet on the NHL.
The Latest Free NHL Picks Today
We will continually update this section with the best NHL picks throughout the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. If you are looking for the best NHL picks today, you have come to the right place. These are the latest predictions and insights from our top NHL cappers:
2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Favorites
The sportsbooks make Colorado the unanimous favorite to repeat as the Stanley Cup winner next season. A young, talented team led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar should continue to improve, making the Avs the team to beat. However, you can find a lot of value further down the list if you are looking for a long shot:
Team BetOnline Xbet MyBookie BetUS Bovada Sportsbetting.ag Colorado Avalanche +500 +460 +460 +500 +450 +500 Tampa Bay Lightning +1600 +1350 +1350 +1400 +1500 +1600 Florida Panthers +1800 +1575 +1575 +1400 +1600 +1800 Toronto Maple Leafs +1400 +1250 +1250 +1400 +1200 +1400 Carolina Hurricanes +1400 +1300 +1300 +1200 +1200 +1400 New York Rangers +2000 +1850 +1850 +2000 +1600 +2000 Vegas Golden Knights +900 +710 +710 +1000 +750 +900 Boston Bruins +550 +670 +670 +700 +550 +550 Calgary Flames +1600 +1500 +1500 +1600 +1500 +1600 Edmonton Oilers +2200 +1750 +1750 +2000 +1800 +2200 The Sports Daily’s NHL Expert Picks & Hockey Predictions
Most NHL picks focus on specific NHL games. However, it is also helpful to focus on futures markets. If you get your NHL futures bets in early, you can often find great hedging opportunities as the season wears on. These are our top NHL futures picks ahead of the 2022-23 season:
Western Conference Winner
The Colorado Avalanche look well placed to win a second consecutive Western Conference title next season. They finished top of the Central Division with the highest points tally in the west, despite missing key players through injury for significant chunks of the season.
Colorado then swept the Predators, Blues and Oilers aside in the playoffs. Their 4-0 series win against Edmonton in the Conference Finals was emphatic, as the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could not stop the Colorado juggernaut.
Their best players are all under the age of 30, so they could become the league’s next dynasty. They have a taste for success now, and the players know how to get the job done in the postseason. core featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Erik Johnson excelled during the playoffs. They should be formidable once again next year.
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Eastern Conference Winner
The Tampa Bay Lightning will bid for a fourth straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance next season. They have been the dominant force in the east for several years now, so many NHL picks have tipped them for glory once more.
However, the Toronto Maple Leafs can emerge triumphant next season. They took the Bolts to seven games in a very tight First Round series in 2022. They won a couple of those games emphatically, and they were unfortunate to lose Game 6 in overtime and then suffer a narrow 2-1 defeat in Game 7.
The core of the team is still young and improving, and the Leafs resemble the Avs a year ago. Colorado proved that you can win the Cup with an average goalie, and Toronto can take a leaf out of their book next season. Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews will lead the charge and the supporting cast is strong, so the odds on Toronto conquering the east look tempting.
Stanley Cup Winner
The Colorado Avalanche delivered on their promise by securing an impressive 16-4 record in the playoffs last season. The dethroned two-time defending champion Tampa Bay, and it is now time for them to build their own dynasty.
We have seen two repeat Cup winners in recent years – the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 – and Colorado can follow in their footsteps. It is hard to see anyone in the west standing in their way of reaching a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. They were far too strong for their playoff rivals last season, and they should retain their dominance.
A showdown with Toronto in the Stanley Cup final would be fascinating. The Leafs will be popular in NHL betting picks and NHL predictions next season, with Matthews, Mitch Marner and several other key players returning. They look capable of taking Colorado to six games, but the Avs should overwhelm whoever emerges from the east.
Hart Trophy
Connor McDavid can win a third Hart Memorial Trophy next season. He finished as a runner-up to the irrepressible Auston Matthews in 2022, but the Edmonton captain remains the best player in the league.
Voter fatigue may have cost him last season. He received 122 second-placed or third-placed votes, but 119 voters put Matthews ahead of him. Matthews put up 50 in 50 games during a phenomenal stretch, but McDavid has been the more consistent player, and he should return to the ascendancy next year.
Latest NHL News and Rumors
What are Free NHL Picks?
NHL hockey picks are predictions on how a game will unfold on your favorite sportsbook or NHL betting app. Most picks simply predict which team will win the game straight-up, which is called a moneyline bet. However, some handicappers focus on the puck line or the total goals line, and you may find some NHL score predictions too.
The best NHL picks come from experienced, professional handicappers. They use detailed statistical analysis, combined with their expert knowledge of the sport, to make astute suggestions.
You will also find future betting predictions, such as NHL playoff picks or NHL playoff predictions, and insight on who will win the Stanley Cup, the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference and various player awards.
NHL Picks Against the Spread
Most hockey fans bet on the standard moneyline, the 3-way moneyline or total goals (over/under). However, there is another interesting option called the puck line. You may hear it referred to as the spread, with handicappers offering picks “against the spread.”
The sportsbooks give the stronger team a 1.5 goal handicap, which skews the odds. This is an example of a puck line:
- Washington Capitals -1.5 vs. Boston Bruins (+185)
- Boston Bruins +1.5 vs. Washington Capitals (-225)
If you bet on the Caps, they need to win by 2 or more goals. You will receive a far larger profit if you bet on them with a -1.5 handicap as opposed to simply betting on them to win the game (moneyline).
A bet on the Bruins would pay off if they either won the game or lost by a single goal. You would receive a significantly smaller payout by backing them on the puck line as opposed to the moneyline. You will sometimes find puck line picks alongside moneyline picks and NHL over/under picks, but they are mainly used if there is a large gulf in quality between the two teams.
NHL Picks and Parlays
A parlay is a bet that combines two or more predictions. For example, let’s say you like three plays on a particular weekend:
- Carolina Hurricanes to beat New York Islanders (-125)
- Calgary Flames to beat Florida Panthers (+110)
- Oilers vs. Wild – over 5.5 goals (-110)
If you have $30 to spend, you could place a $10 wager on each of your predictions. If all three were correct, you would receive $28.09 in profit. Alternatively, you could roll them together for a $30 parlay. If all three then proved correct, you would receive a profit of $186.49.
That is because the profit snowballs within the parlay. However, if one leg lets you down, the parlay fails. They are risky, so you will not find many NHL parlay picks. However, you can search for various NHL picks and parlays will emerge in your head. Just combine multiple predictions to form an intriguing parlay.
![Free NHL Picks & Expert Hockey Predictions Today [cur_month], [cur_year]](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
NHL Computer Picks
A common trend in sports betting in 2024 is to follow computer picks. These are bets suggested by a “supercomputer” which runs thousands of different data modules at once to come up with selections across a range of markets.
These data give players the potential to one-up the bookmaker, which may have mispriced a selection by ignoring certain statistics. Though the house almost certainly puts the odds up fairly compared to the probabilities, the computer can spot possible inaccuracies or anomalies which can give bettors the edge.
NHL Consensus Picks
Unlike a computer pick, a consensus pick sees you betting firmly alongside your fellow bettors and trusting the faith of real punters. This is not the same as backing the favorite on a betting market though.
A consensus pick is one based on the percentage of bettors who have sides with one outcome in a market. For example, let’s say on an over/under market of 6.5 goals to be scored in an NHL game, 65% have gone for over, and 35% have picked under. The consensus bet, regardless of the odds, is therefore to back over 6.5.
Best NHL Betting Sites
We have reviewed hundreds of sportsbooks in a bid to uncover the country’s best NHL betting sites. Our team of experts eventually decided that these are the best sportsbooks for pro hockey right now:
- All
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We provide NHL expert picks throughout the season, so bookmark this page. If you want a second opinion, you can dig out handicappers by searching on Google or Twitter. You will also find insight on YouTube.
Some sportsbooks provide picks too. For example, BetUS has a “TV” section, which hosts videos of hockey cappers delivering regular picks. Just try to establish the record and the credentials of handicappers before taking their advice, and conduct your own research to augment it.
How we Make NHL Picks and Hockey Predictions
Our handicappers are experts in their field. These are the key tenets they follow when devising their NHL picks:
Watch Hockey Every Day
You need to live and breathe hockey to become an expert. Our cappers watch hockey for several hours each day, including live games and replays.
They absorb as much news, analysis and insight as possible, allowing them to learn of injuries quickly and react accordingly. They speak to contacts at each team to gain inside information about how they are shaping up, and they put all this information together when devising their NHL picks.
Use Advanced Analytics
Our handicappers used advanced analytics to supplement their expertise. They avoid the useless stats and home in on genuinely predictive data, which allows them to map out potential developments within a game.
Corsi, PDO and Fenwick are just a few of the manifold stats that go into the algorithm when putting picks together. Our experienced handicappers can then assess the data and make astute NHL picks from a position of strength.
Find the best Lines
It is important to hunt out the best lines when betting on hockey. They often arise immediately after the opening lines are published or just before the game is about to begin, when there is an opportunity to fade the public.
Seasoned bettors will spot weak lines quickly and pounce before they change. They also find arbitrage opportunities, guaranteeing a profit regardless of how the game ends.
At a very basic level, you should always make sure you claim the best odds available on your NHL picks. Compare the odds at leading sportsbooks such as BetOnline, Bovada, BetUS and MyBookie, and claim the best lines. That will boost your long-term prospects of achieving profitability.
NHL Picks & Predictions FAQs
What is a parlay bet on NHL?
Where can I find the best NHL picks?
Who is favored to win the Stanley Cup?
What is an NHL puck line?
Jackson Holland
Jackson Holland
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