NHL Picks

Free Expert NHL picks throughout the 2025/26 NHL season. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide free NHL picks every day of the regular season and throughout the NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals.

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7:07 PM ET

Today

FDSNW, MSG-B

Kings

Sabres

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Game Totals Pick

Under 6.0(-115)

Reasoning

The Los Angeles Kings continue their 6-game East coast road tip with a visit to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Thursday night. It will be the first matchup of the season between these teams, and the first meeting since November 20, 2024. That game ended in a 1-0 Sabres win, and this matchup could produce another low-scoring affair. When teams haven’t seen each other in a while, the 1st period can be spent getting a feel for what the other’s game plan looks like. The Kings and Sabres don’t know each other well, which means the early portion of this contest could result in both sides sizing each other up and settling in.

The Kings have struggled to score goals on the road all season long. Los Angeles ranks 26th in the NHL averaging 2.77 goals per game on the road, and their road power play ranks 22nd with a conversion rate of 17.3%. The Sabres have been scoring goals at a high clip lately, and are coming off a 7-4 win over the Maple Leafs in which star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin recorded his first career hat trick. However, some regression could be coming, and the Kings are a stout defensive team that makes life difficult on their opponents. LA is allowing just 2.71 goals per game this season, which is the 3rd-best mark in the league. With a total of 6, the under is the move here.

Kings vs Sabres prediction: Under 6 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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7:07 PM ET

Yesterday

TNT

Rangers

Islanders

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Game Totals PickBest Bet

Over 6.0(-115)

Reasoning

The New York Rangers and New York Islanders are set for an in-state battle on Wednesday night at UBS Arena. These teams have met twice this season, with the Islanders claiming victories of 5-0 and 2-0. That’s right; the Rangers have yet to score a single goal through 120 minutes of action against the Islanders this season. However, there is hope for more offensive success in this one. The Rangers have scored 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games and are averaging 3.5 goals per game in that span. They have also been better offensively on the road than at home, as their goals per game average jumps from a league-low 2.09 at home to a solid 3.10 on the road.

The Islanders are coming off a 4-0 win over the Flyers and will be playing just their second home game over their last 10 contests. They will be fired up to be back on home ice, as they were shut out 5-0 by the Sabres the last time they played in front of their home fans. With that in mind, look for the Islanders to come out firing. Igor Shesterkin is still on IR, and both Jonathan Quick and Spencer Martin have struggled between the pipes for the Rangers. Quick owns a less-than-ideal .884 save percentage, while Martin’s is even lower at .864. Look to the over in this matchup.

Rangers vs Islanders prediction: Over 6 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -120.

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Same Game Parlay

Money Line

NY Islanders Win

Game Totals

Over 6.5

Player Points

T. DeAngelo (NYI) - Over 0.5 pts

Reasoning

Rangers vs Islanders SGP pick: Islanders ML over Rangers (-142)

For all intents and purposes, the Islanders are the better team in this matchup. That is evident by their two wins in as many games against the Rangers this season, their 11 more points in 1 fewer game played than the Rangers, and most recently, acquiring a strong Rangers asset. The Rangers have yet to score a goal against the Islanders this year, getting shut out by scores of 5-0 and 2-0. It could be tough once again to generate offense against the Islanders who allow the 3rd least goals per game in the NHL and are coming off yet another shutout win.

The Rangers did get a much needed win over the Bruins on Monday. But they have not had consecutive wins in their last 16 games, and are just 4-10-2 during that span. The Rangers have the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference and in general, are just a tough click. The Islanders are 9-6-1 in their last 16 games. Obviously much better than that of the Rangers, but still not quite good enough for a team looking to finish in the top 3 of their division. The Islanders are the better team, and will come out with added urgency to take these 2 points to keep pace in the Metro.

Rangers vs Islanders SGP pick: Over 6.5 (+110)

Recent trends look to buck the head to head trends this season. Both games played between these teams has gone under the total. The unders have been due to both the Rangers’ weakness and Islanders’ strength showing out in the same game. But recently, the Rangers have been producing above season averages, and the Islanders have been allowing goals above season averages.

Entering this game, the Rangers have scored 21 goals in their last 6 games for an average of 3.5 goals scored per game. Unsurprisingly, they have continued to allow goals in bunches as they have allowed 4.8 goals per game over their last 10. With that, the over has been trending as it has hit in 5 out of their last 6 games and in 6 out of their last 7 on the road. Meanwhile, the Islanders have either scored or allowed 4+ goals in 10 out of their last 12. If both teams hold to their recent averages, the over has a good look.

Rangers vs Islanders parlay pick: Tony DeAngelo over 0.5 points (+160)

The Rangers make for a favorable matchup against most teams in the league at the moment. They have now allowed fewer than 3 goals in 10 games. In 6 of those games, the Rangers allowed 5, 10(!), 4, 8, 5, and 4 goals. This is a vulnerable team that struggles keeping the puck out of the net. Unless they figure something out seemingly out of nowhere against a better team, the Islanders have a good chance to generate plenty of offense tonight.

There are a few Islanders players that have decent value on their props. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo is one such player. DeAngelo has been solid for the Isles this year, and has played a key role in the Islanders last 2 wins. In the Islanders’ 2 wins in their last 4 games, DeAngelo has tallied 2 goals and an assist. He has logged well over 20 minutes of ice-time in 4 out of his last 5 games which is higher than his season average of 18:31 of ice-time per game. DeAngelo is firmly in the team’s top 4 defenseman, is on the second-power play, and in general is clearly relied on. Every shift, he shares the ice with talented teammates that have a good chance to generate offense. This +160 is solid value.

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7:37 PM ET

Yesterday

ESPN+

Avalanche

Senators

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Money Line 3-Way Pick

COL Avalanche Win(+100)

Reasoning

The Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators face off as part of a quiet night in the NHL. These intra-conference opponents met earlier in the month, when Colorado absolutely dominated in an 8-2 win. Ottawa will aim for revenge, but that will be difficult because Colorado is truly elite. Here is an Avalanche vs Senators prediction.

Following an unlikely run in which the Avs went 1-2-2 in 5 games, they have stormed back and are coming off a dominant 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They then had short travel to Ottawa, along with 2 full days of rest. I expect them to have their legs and be hungry to start another incredible streak. Meanwhile, Ottawa halted its own skid (1-2-1) in a 7-1 thumping of the Vegas Golden Knights, but this is a challenge I do not expect the Sens to handle. They have won just 12 of 26 home games this season and 10 of 23 against Western Conference. Colorado scores at the league’s highest rate of 3.94 per game, and their third-best penalty kill of 84.1% is nearly 12% better than Ottawa’s third-to-last rate of 72.2%. The Avalanche have a star-studded roster, even with the absence of captain Gabriel Landeskog and Devon Toews. For this Avalanche vs Senators pick, let’s take the NHL’s best in Colorado to win in regulation.

Avalanche vs Senators prediction: Colorado 3-way ML (+100) available at time of publishing. Playable to -115.

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7:37 PM ET

Yesterday

NBCSP, FDSNOH

Flyers

Blue Jackets

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Game Totals Pick

Over 6.5(+100)

Reasoning

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to bounce back after suffering a 4-0 loss on home ice against the New York Islanders, as the Under (5.5) cashed. Despite that, they are still 2-1-1 in the past 4 games, and the Flyers have averaged 3.2 goals per game in the past 6 outings. It is expected that the Blue Jackets will use the shaky Elvis Merzlikins in between the pipes, so it could be a highly productive game for the Fly Guys as they look to bounce back from the blanking.

The Blue Jackets are coming off a wild 8-5 victory over the previously red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning. The offense has been Jekyll and Hyde for the Jackets lately, as they won 1-0 in the previous game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday while losing 4-1 on home ice against the Ottawa Senators prior to that. The Blue Jackets have been so confusing. Last season they split the 4-game series with the Flyers. Still, the offense has averaged 3.8 goals in the past 7 games despite those low-scoring totals against the Stars and Senators. I’ll go high on the total for this Flyers vs Blue Jackets best bet.

Flyers vs Blue Jackets prediction: Over 6.5 (+100) available at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

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Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2025/26 Season

At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for all of the top NHL action throughout the 2025/26 season. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks every day. The NHL is an exciting sport to wager on and there are plenty of opportunities for wins during the bumper 2025/26 NHL season.

Lots of hockey is to be played before we find out who the next Stanley Cup champions will be. Check out all things hockey, every day of the season with our free NHL picks and analysis.

How Do I Get NHL Picks For Today’s Games?

NHL Picks are most similar to MLB Picks, in that the most popular NHL wagering is done via the Money line (ML) where a bettor simply picks a winner or loser of the game finding value in the price. Just like an MLB pitcher, NHL game lines are determined largely by the goaltender matchup. You’re going to pay a premium price (-180 or more) for putting in an NHL free pick on a solid goaltender – but it’s one position that can win or lose the bet for you. Fatigue is also a factor in finding the best NHL picks as Team A may be playing their first game in a week while Team B is in their 3rd contest in 5 nights.

We try to post our NHL picks for today at least 24 hours in advance. However, due to the huge volume of games, this can sometimes be impossible if teams are playing back-to-back games. We want to get our picks up as close as possible to the opening lines so we can get on the early line value, but team news and research is always key to making the best possible NHL Picks.

NHL Picks Against the Spread

NHL betting has a 1.5-goal spread known as the puck line (PL). Again just like baseball betting has the run line (-1.5). NHL wagers are exciting until the very last second of the game as teams often pull their goaltender near the end to get an extra skater on the ice. All of a sudden an empty-net goal pushes your NHL free pick to victory – or defeat. Betting on the puck line provides better payout odds and NHL picks against the spread can also be pushed to higher numbers such as -2.5 or 3.5 goals for an even better return on investment.

Free NHL Over / Under Picks

Most games are listed right around 5.5 goals in the NHL. The total number of goals is the total of combined goals by both teams and you can either select over or under the total. If the line is 5.5 and you wish to wager on the over then the total combined goals for the game must be 6 or more for you to cash your ticket.

NHL over/under betting is an interesting wager. A huge factor to take into consideration is the goaltenders as they have a huge part to play in influencing the number of goals in the game. A goaltender’s Goals Against Average (GAA) is a key stat to measure the effectiveness of a goaltender.

NHL Consensus Picks

NHL Consensus Picks is a way of saying the popular pick or often referred to as a public pick. What this actually means is where the majority of the bets are being placed. If we’re looking at Money Line markets, for example, if 70% of the tickets are on the Pittsburgh Penguins to beat the New York Islanders, then the Penguins are the consensus pick for that game. Bettors can use this in their research or check possible line moves in the lead-up to a game.

Ice Hockey Betting Picks

Our ice hockey betting picks will typically follow and feature on the NHL season with picks and Predictions available all season long. Our experts will be primed and ready in times of Olympic years and select other competitions throughout the year too. Our ice hockey picks, as expected will include picks on the money line, puck line, totals, and several player and team Hockey Prop Bets

Hockey Computer Picks

With so many hockey games played each season, analytics, lineups, and small changes can make a huge difference in a matchup. These are just some of the reasons why bettors may opt to use or consider hockey computer picks, as a metric that can be rid of human bias, and offer a solely data-driven analytical look at a matchup, betting markets, and projections.

Free Hockey Picks Today

Here at Pickswise, our hockey handicappers bring you all of the top action, picks, and previews of today’s best NHL matches today. We offer free hockey picks all season, right through until the Stanley Cup Finals themselves. Each match will have an expert hockey pick on the Puck Line, Money Line, and Goals totals, accompanied with detailed analysis and stats. Check out all of our free hockey picks today.

More Than Just NHL Picks

We also specialize in every major North American sport including the following throughout their respective seasons so check out the links below for our top plays right now.