Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, April 15

This Monday begins the final week of the 2023-2024 NHL Regular Season. This week will be the last time we see some of these teams in action as many teams are out of the playoffs. There are two more spots open in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference with five teams currently fighting for the spots. Look for these teams to make a great chase for the remainder of the week, causing great betting lines in games.

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Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Monday

• Moneyline: Bruins (-155) | Capitals (+130)

• Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+164) | Capitals +1.5 (-198) 

• Total: Over 5.5 (-110) | Under 5.5 (-110)

My Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (CAR)

Bet on Hurricanes at DraftKings

The five-team battle for two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference begins on Monday night with one key game being the Boston Bruins (47-18-15) going on the road to take on the Washington Capitals (38-31-11). Boston is looking to maintain its presence as one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Washington is looking to get an impressive win over the three wild card teams in contention. They can accomplish that by defeating the Bruins at home.

The Bruins have won five of the last six games played, including a 4-1 win at Carolina, a 3-2 in overtime at home versus the Florida Panthers, and most recently, a 6-4 road win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are among the five teams fighting for a spot in the postseason. The beginning of their solid began with a 3-2 win in a shootout at Washington on March 30.

In the only previous matchup of the season between the two teams, the Capitals defeated the previous with an A3-0 score in Boston on February 10. This was a time when the Bruins were at a severely low point and needed the NHL All-Star Break to catch up. That being said, the Capitals know how to make the Bruins play their hardest.

The Capitals have won two of the last three games played, including a 2-1 win at the Detroit Red Wings and a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. These are teams with great offenses, but incredibly poor defenses.

The Bruins’ defense ranks fifth in the league in goals allowed per game (2.7) which doesn’t suit well for a Capitols’ offense that ranks 28th in the league in goals per game (2.65). Boston should be more than capable of taking this game and making the playoff road for Washington much harder to get to.

Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers

• Time: 7:30 PM E.T. - Monday

• Moneyline: Senators (+195) | Rangers (-238)

• Puck Line: Senators +1.5 (-122) | Rangers -1.5 (+102) 

• Total: Over 6 (-125) | Under 6 (+105)

My Pick: Rangers Puck Line (+102)

Bet on Rangers at DraftKings

Staying in the Eastern Conference, one of the best non-game line bets of the night will be featuring the Ottawa Senators (36-40-4) going on the road to take on the New York Rangers (54-23-4). The Rangers have already secured their spot in the playoffs and have accounted for the most points out of all teams in the Eastern Conference. The Senators, on the other hand, are trying to make the most of their underwhelming after being eliminated for the postseason a while ago.

This game tonight will be the third and final matchup of the season between these two teams. The Senators took a surprising 6-2 home victory over the Rangers near the beginning of December. Nearly two months later, the Rangers took a 7-2 win on the road. Each of these series hasn’t been close and shouldn’t be on Monday.

The Rangers are entering this game as significant favorites, but the puck line is in favor of the Senators of keeping it close. They have won nine of the last 12 games played this season with some of them being against Eastern Conference teams still in contention for the playoffs. The last three wins have come in overtime or in a shootout.

The Rangers are ranked seventh in the league in goals per game (3.38) and goals allowed per game (2.79). The Senators had one of the more efficient offenses through more than of the season, but have since fallen to 18th in the league in goals per game (3.09). Defensively, the Senators have been one of the worst teams in the league since the beginning of the season. Ottawa is ranked 28th in goals allowed per game (3.45).