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
Yesterday
ESPN+, SN
Toronto Maple Leafs
New Jersey Devils
Maple Leafs
Devils
Money Line Pick
TOR Maple Leafs Win(+105)

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Wednesday night in the NHL brings us an Eastern Conference matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. These 2 came into the season with high expectations, but their respective miseries have resulted in what looks likely to be a playoff absence. This is a key matchup before the NHL trade, and we are here to provide our expert Maple Leafs vs Devils prediction.

Toronto has shown minimal signs of life since returning from the Olympic break, with a 0-3-1 record and being outscored 17-7. They have yet to rip the band-aid off for the season, and until they sell, they still have a solid roster and veteran group that could show up on any night. While New Jersey is on home ice, playing in their 2nd half of a back-to-back could be a factor here. They have won 2 straight games, but overall are 2-4-0 in their last 6. Both teams are quite healthy, but I expect to see fresher legs and higher urgency from a Maple Leafs team that is desperately looking for its first taste of victory since February 3 (4 games). A hard-fought 3-2 shootout loss to a respectable Philadelphia Flyers team could suggest they are digging deep, so for our Maple Leafs vs Devils pick, I am leaning towards Toronto.

Maple Leafs vs Devils prediction: Maple Leafs ML (+100) available at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

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7:07 PM ET
Yesterday
FDSNDT, SCRIPPS
Vegas Golden Knights
Detroit Red Wings
Golden Knights
Red Wings
Money Line Pick
DET Red Wings Win(-135)

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The Vegas Golden Knights continue their extended road trip on Wednesday night in Detroit with a matchup against the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. The Golden Knights are enduring a tough scheduling dynamic entering this contest, as they’ll be playing their 5th consecutive road game to start the post-Olympic schedule. In addition, Vegas is playing on the 2nd half of a road back-to-back after falling to the Sabres 3-2 in Buffalo on Tuesday night. The Vegas offense has stumbled coming out of the Olympic break. They managed to score 6 goals on February 25 against the Kings, but have scored just 4 total goals over their last 3 games. The Vegas goaltending situation also continues to be an issue. Adin Hill is slated to get the start between the pipes in this one, but his .858 save percentage and 3.47 goals-against average on the season don’t warrant much confidence that he will be able to slow down Dylan Larkin and company.

This game marks Detroit’s first home game since the Olympic break. Larkin is sure to get a large ovation before the game, and I expect Detroit’s captain to lead a spirited effort in this one. The Red Wings have been great at home all season long, owning a record of 18-10-2 in front of their home fans. The Red Wings also have the rest advantage in this matchup, as they haven’t played since Monday night. Even with goaltender John Gibson questionable to start in net, the Red Wings are the team to back in this matchup.

Golden Knights vs Red Wings prediction: Red Wings ML (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable to -140.

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Vote on who will win!

10:07 PM ET
Yesterday
FDSNSO, SNP
Carolina Hurricanes
Vancouver Canucks
Hurricanes
Canucks
Puck Line Pick
CAR Hurricanes -1.5(-110)

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The Carolina Hurricanes continue their road trip with a stop in Vancouver to face off against the Canucks. Carolina is coming off a 2-1 loss to Seattle a few nights ago, but prior to that, they had won 5 consecutive games. They generate the most shots on goal on the road, contributing to their status as a top-10 offensive team. Defensively, they are equally impressive, allowing just over 24 shots against per game. This strong defensive play has helped Brandon Bussi achieve a goals-against average of 2.23 and a save percentage of .906. On paper, the Hurricanes are the superior team by a significant margin, and this should be evident in tonight’s matchup.

The Canucks are currently vying for a lottery pick, and with the trade deadline just a couple of days away, we might see some additional players rested ahead of potential trades. They have allowed 5 or more goals in 4 of their last 5 games while struggling to score more than 2 goals themselves. As a below-average team, they will face a daunting challenge to keep pace with one of the league’s better teams. Once they fall behind, it becomes nearly impossible for them to mount a comeback. Expect the Hurricanes to secure a victory by multiple goals.

Hurricanes vs Canucks prediction: Hurricanes -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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Vote on who will win!

10:07 PM ET
Yesterday
Victory+, MSGSN
New York Islanders
Anaheim Ducks
Islanders
Ducks
Money Line Pick
NY Islanders Win(-110)

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The New York Islanders will take on the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. The Islanders come into this one winning all 3 games following the Olympic break. New York has been playing great hockey away from home as well. In their last 10 road games, they have won 7 times. The Islanders currently rank 4th in the Eastern Conference in away form with a record of 18-11-3. This winning form is thanks to incredible defense on the season. The Islanders are only giving up 2.74 goals per game and their goaltenders have a combined save percentage of .902, which ranks them 5th in the NHL. The Islanders also lead the league with 8 total shutouts.

As for the Ducks, they are coming off a brutal defeat by the Colorado Avalanche last night. It seemed that they were not able to get their offense together. That is not a good sign when going up against a tough defensive squad like the Islanders. On the season, the Ducks are averaging 3.25 goals per game but giving up 3.49 goals per game. These numbers make it surprising that they currently sit at 5th place in the Western Conference. Most of the issues for the Ducks come on the defensive end of the ice. They have allowed 42 power play goals and rank 24th in penalty kill percentage. Overall, the Islanders’ defense should be a tough match for the Ducks and I believe the better defensive play will lead to some scores. I am taking the Islanders to win.

Islanders vs Ducks prediction: Islanders ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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10:07 PM ET
Yesterday
ESPN+/hulu
St. Louis Blues
Seattle Kraken
Blues
Kraken
Money Line Pick
SEA Kraken Win(-150)

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The St. Louis Blues picked up a surprising 3-1 road victory against the Minnesota Wild as a heavy underdog (+185) on Sunday behind Joel Hofer, and the Blues have picked up 2 wins in the past 3 outings. St. Louis resumed play after the Olympic break with a 5-1 win over the visiting Kraken at Enterprise Center on Feb. 26. The Blues cashed as a moderate favorite (-140) in that one, as the Over (5.5) also hit. Philipp Grubauer was the starter for the Kraken, but you can expect Joey Daccord, who has been the better goaltender for the Kraken this season, to get the nod in this one.

Daccord stopped 35 of 36 shots in a 2-1 victory over the first-place Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. He has posted an 18-13-5 record, 2.74 GAA and .906 save percentage in his 36 starts this season. He has been on fire since the Olympic break, managing a 2.00 GAA and .938 save percentage in 3 outings, so this result should be much different than the most recent meeting in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. Back the home side.

Blues vs Kraken prediction: Kraken ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to -160.

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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.

Check out our site every single day for some of the best bets in every major athletic contest and make sure to follow us on social media as well.