NHL Best Bets For 4/4/23: Expert Betting Picks For Tonight’s Games

Get NHL best bets and our expert predictions for tonight’s major NHL slate of games on (4/4/23) Find two best bets for the NHL games tonight.

NHL Best Bets (4/4/23)

There are plenty of great games tonight on the NHL slate and you can find two of our NHL best bets below.

Buffalo Sabers Vs. Florida Panthers Best Bet

The leadup to the NHL Playoffs is always electric, but this Eastern Conference Wild Card race is something special. The Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres are separated by four points and are on the outside looking in on a Wild Card spot, and both teams desperately need a win tonight. And there should be plenty of goals in this showdown. The Buffalo Sabres have won four of their last five games, including a key win over the Wild Card-competing New York Islanders. Buffalo forward Alex Tuch (35 goals this year) is coming off a hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers are riding a three-game win streak of their own, in which they’ve outscored opponents 15-4. Tonight’s starting goaltender Alex Lyon is riding a three-game win streak as a starter, but I’m trying not to overreact to his recent success, as he had allowed 4.3 goals per game this season before that. Panthers leading scorer Carter Verhaege (40 goals this year) is coming off a four-goal showcase against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Buffalo’s 26th-ranked defense will have headaches containing him all night. There have been at least seven goals in seven of Florida’s last eight games, and they’ll be facing a red-hot offense looking for a playoff spot. I’m open to taking the alternate over at 6.5, but I’m still comfortable going over the high number of seven.

Best Bet: Over 7
Author: Anthony Elio

Colorado Avalanche Vs. San Jose Sharks Best Bet

Even though they’re still dealing with injuries, the Colorado Avalanche are finally looking like the team that hoisted the Stanley Cup last season. Colorado is on a 10-2 tear right now, including key wins over the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs. Mikko Rantaten leads the team with 49 goals, and he should get even better come playoff time with the return of Artturi Kekonen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avs have also been traveling well, going 24-11-1 on the road straight up and 21-15 to the puck line. They’re heating up just in time for the postseason, and I don’t believe they’ll take their foot off the gas against a San Jose Sharks team that’s on a 2-9 home streak. 

The Sharks have confirmed that Kaapo Kahkonen will be in goal, which is less than inspiring (trying to be delicate here) considering his 0.88 SV% and 3.83 GAA. That’s going to be an issue against the third-best power play offense in the league (25.32%), as well as a team that’s been averaging 3.8 goals per game in their last five matchups. While the safer play might be the 60-minute line with the Avs, I’m going with the value on the puck line.

Best Bet: Avalanche -1.5
Author: Anthony Elio