Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, April 12

Tonight is the last Friday night of the regular season. This means that the easy bets for specific game lines or over/under's will be no longer of play for some of the weaker teams in the league. While there will still be bets to be made during the playoffs, that will not be the same opportunities for the majority of the league. For the remainder of the Season look for the Best Bets to be placed through DraftKings.

For more betting opportunities, check out our best NHL betting bonuses and promo codes.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. St. Louis Blues

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Friday

• Moneyline: Hurricanes (-198) | Blues (+164)

• Puck Line: Hurricanes -1.5 (+130) | Blues +1.5 (-155) 

• Total: Over 6 (+102) | Under 6 (-122)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (CAR) DraftKings

Bet on Carolina Hurricanes Here

This Friday night in the NHL kicks off with an Eastern Conference versus Western Conference matchup as the Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-7) go on the road to take on the St. Louis Blues (42-32-5). The Blues won the only matchup this season with a 2-1 win on the road in a shootout. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington accounted for 29 saves on Carolina’s 30-shot attempts.

The Blues are three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights in the chase for the final wild card for the Western Conference Playoffs. They could use as many wins and significant amounts of points as possible to get an advantage over the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the Golden Knights.

Carolina is a much more improved team than they were when St. Louis faced them. They are more improved on both sides of the ice.

The Hurricanes are ranked eighth in the league in goals per game (3.35) while they are third in goals allowed per game (2.54). The biggest difference is the talent they have acquired through the NHL Trade Deadline, including forward Jake Guentzel. St. Louis, on the other hand, ranks 24th in the league in goals per game (2.87) while they are also allowing an average of 3.05 goals per game (16th in the league).

Carolina has established great momentum this late in the season by winning five of the last six games played, including a 4-1 road win over the Boston Bruins this past Tuesday. St. Louis has been up and down for the past few weeks as they have won four of the last eight games played.

Calgary Flames vs. Anaheim Ducks

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Friday

• Moneyline: Flames (-148) | Ducks (+124)

• Puck Line: Flames -1.5 (+164) | Ducks +1.5 (-198) 

• Total: Over 6 (-115) | Under 6 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Calgary Flames (CGY) at DraftKings

Bet on Calgary Flames Here

The final game of the night is set for a Pacific Divisional rival matchup as the Calgary Flames (35-37-5) go on the road to take on the Anaheim Ducks (26-48-5). The Flames were eliminated from postseason play not too long ago. The most that the Flames will be playing for to solidify their regular season and get above .500% and prepare for a more successful playoff attempt next season. The Ducks, on the other hand, are one of the worst teams in the NHL as they have been unable to add stability to their offense or defense.

The Flames and the Ducks will meet on the ice for the third and final time this season. The Flames shut out the Ducks 3-0 on December 21 earlier in the season. They didn’t face each other until April 2 when the Ducks defeated the Flames on the road with a 5-3 score.

Calgary is much more stable on both sides of the ice against Anaheim. Offensively, the Flames are averaging 3.04 goals per game (19th in the league) as opposed to the Ducks, who are averaging only 2.47 goals per game (30th in the league). Anaheim is also 30th in the league in goals allowed per game (3.58). While Calgary is not much better defensively than Anaheim, they are allowing only an average of 3.25 goals per game (23rd in the league).

The Flames should be capable of rebounding from their tough finish of the season against their divisional rival. There is less faith in the Ducks to make a competitive game more than the Flames for them to rebound.