Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, April 18

The final day of the regular season is here as is the last chance for teams who have not made the playoffs to make one last effort to account for a win on the ice. It is also the last chance for about to replace when dealing with some of the worst teams in the league. After this game there will be no more easy bets to be made as playoff games will be much more difficult. The game lines will be much more significant after the regular season, but for today's games, there is one game that is worth the value of a game line bet. Look for some of the Best Bets to be made through DraftKings.

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Seattle Kraken vs. Minnesota Wild

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Thursday

• Moneyline: Kraken (+124) | Wild (-148)

• Puck Line: Kraken +1.5 (-198) | Wild -1.5 (+164) 

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

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My Pick: Minnesota Wild (MIN) at DraftKings

Kicking off the final night of the regular season is the Western Conference matchup between the Seattle Kraken (33-35-13) going on the road to take on the Minnesota Wild (39-32-10). This game tonight will be the third and final matchup of the season with the Wild winning both of the games.

It hasn’t been an easy season for the Kraken who went from playoff team to a team who slipped out of playoff contention with several weeks of the season. One of the biggest problems the Kraken encountered was the terrible play of their offense since the start of the season. Seattle is coming into this game with a four-game losing streak, including a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, one of the worst teams in the league.

The Wild were a team that was showing they could keep up in the race for the Western Conference Playoffs. The biggest problem was the tough division they had to endure. Minnesota just missed the chance for a potential wild card spot. They have won three of the last five games with the losses being at the Vegas Golden Knights and at Colorado Avalanche.

This game has a chance to be an incredibly low-scoring game with the Wild and the Kraken possessing below-average offenses. The Wild rank 21st in the league in goals per game (3.02) while the Kraken rank 29th in goals per game (2.59).

The only hope for the Kraken to take the final game of the season is with their defense, which allows an average of 2.83 (eighth in the league). Minnesota can score against the Kraken’s defense consistently this season. This game shouldn’t be any different.

Bet on Minnesota Wild at DraftKings

Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets

• Time: 8:00 PM E.T. - Thursday

• Moneyline: Canucks (+114) | Jets (-135)

• Puck Line: Canucks +1.5 (-230) | Jets -1.5 (+190) 

• Total: Over 5.5 (-118) | Under 5.5 (-102)

My Pick: Winnipeg Jets (WPG) at DraftKings

One of the biggest games in the final night of the regular season is the Western Conference matchup between elite teams as the Vancouver Canucks (50-22-9) go on the road to take on the Winnipeg Jets (51-24-6). This game tonight will be the third and final time these non-divisional rivals will meet on the ice.

The Canucks dominated the Jets 5-0 at home on March 9 with three goals coming from the first period. This was a day after the Jets defeated the Seattle Kraken at home with a 3-0 score. Before that, the Jets had defeated the Canucks four consecutive times. This includes the 4-2 road win for the Jets on the road.

Winnipeg has shown they can win consistently while maintaining their presence in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL. Winnipeg is also currently on a seven-game winning streak.

The Canucks, on the other hand, have shown inconsistencies in various moments and rely on other team’s misfortunes to place themselves high. This season was a big down year for the Pacific Division.

Offensively, the Canucks are fast and explosive as they average 3.42 goals per game (sixth in the league). The Jets, on the other hand, take their time to get to the scoreboard, but still average 3.15 goals per game (15th in the league).

The biggest key of the game will likely be on the defensive side of the ice. Vancouver ranks fifth in the league in goals allowed per game, allowing an average of 2.68 goals per game. The Jets possess the upper hand defensively by allowing an average of 2.42 goals per game, which is second in the league only behind the Florida Panthers.

Bet on Winnipeg Jets at DraftKings