Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Wild Will Dominate Ducks in Anaheim)

The weekend is here and there's no better way to kick it off than by cashing in on a few NHL winners, so that's exactly what I'm going to try to do.

We went 3-0 on Wednesday and while I didn't write an article on Thursday, those of you who follow me on Twitter (X) saw my three plays in which we ended up going 2-1 including cashing in on the Canadiens as underdogs. That brings my season record in the NHL to 66-52-4 for +7.49 units. Let's try to keep the good times rolling tonight.

Season-to-date record: 66-52-4 (+7.49 units)

Best NHL Picks Today

Capitals +126 vs. Maple Leafs via FanDuel
Penguins vs. Rangers OVER 6.5 (-115) via BetMGM
Wild -1.5 (+122) vs. Ducks via FanDuel

Capitals vs. Maple Leafs Prediction

Despite being on an 8-2 run, the Maple Leafs have played some bad hockey lately and have been bailed out by great shooting and fantastic goaltending. In that stretch, they're dead last in the NHL in CORSI% and 27th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage during 5-on-5 play. No matter how strong of goaltending you're getting, a good stretch can only last so long when playing that poorly.

I'm going to take a shot on the Capitals as underdogs against a Maple Leafs squad that's due for some regression.

Pick: Capitals +126

Penguins vs. Rangers Prediction

The Penguins and Rangers are two of the best offensive teams in the NHL. They rank second and fifth in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals for per 60 minutes as well as second and seventh in high-danger scoring chances.

On top of that, the Penguins have allowed oodles of goals defensively, allowing the second most goals per 60 minutes at 3.72. I expect those factors to lead to a high-scoring affair tonight.

Pick: OVER 6.5 (-115)

Wild vs. Ducks Prediction

I typically stay away from puck line bets, but I think this is a good spot to bet it. The Wild and the Ducks play in a game between one of the best defensive teams in the league and one of the worst. The Wild have the second lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes at 2.5 while the Ducks rank dead last at 3.77.

The Ducks would have to overcome not only a great defense in the Wild, but they would have to figure out how to keep Minnesota from filling the net. This should be a lopsided affair in Anaheim.

Pick: Wild -1.5 (+122)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!