Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, April 25

Thursday night in the NHL is set for again a couple of games in the Eastern Conference series that have been one-sided. The series-leading Florida Panthers go on the road to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for an all-Florida rivalry. Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes, who lead the series by two games will go on the road to take on the New York Islanders. These are games that the better team has completely won, but as the games go on the road, the game lines will be much closer creating better bets. Look for the Best Bets to be made in tonight's games through DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - Game Three

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Thursday

• Moneyline: Panthers (-105) | Lightning (-115)

• Puck Line: Panthers +1.5 (-265) | Lightning -1.5 (+215) 

• Total: Over 6 (-112) | Under 6 (-102)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Florida Panthers (FLA)

Just by looking at the playoff series record, you wouldn’t think that the Florida Panthers wouldn’t be dominating the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the two playoff games played, however, the outcomes have come from a single point. On Tuesday night, the Panthers survived the trap at home versus the Lightning with a 3-2 score in overtime.

Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe scored the winning goal in overtime off a stellar backhand shot. He also accounted for an assist earlier in the game. Up until the game-winning shot from Verhaeghe, Tampa Bay’s defense and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy were having a solid performance. Vasilevskiy accounted for 34 saves on 37 shot attempts.

The series now heads to Tampa Bay where the Panthers have a chance to shut out the series with a sweep. This is going to be a tough task for the Panthers to accomplish despite them winning all of their games played in Tampa Bay.

It is also going to be a tough task for the Lightning to attempt to stop a potentially dangerous Panthers’ offense. The Panthers’ offense finished the regular season ranked 11th in the league in goals per game (3.23). It is a unit that the elite play of the top-ranked regular-season defense in the NHL has overshadowed.

On the other side of the ice, the Lightning possesses one of the worst scoring defenses in the league by allowing an average of 3.26 goals per game (23rd in the league). It will be a matter of time before the Panthers breakthrough with a solid offensive performance against the Lightning’s inefficient defense.

Bet on Florida Panthers at DraftKings

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders - Game Three

• Time: 7:30 PM E.T. - Thursday

• Moneyline: Hurricanes (-162) | Islanders (+136)

• Puck Line: Hurricanes -1.5 (+164) | Islanders +1.5 (-198) 

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

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

My Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (CAR)

The final game of the night is set as the Carolina Hurricanes go on the road to take on the New York Islanders for their chance to close the series in a four-game sweep. This series has been one of the more lob-sidded matchups this postseason as the Hurricanes have had an answer for a devoted Islanders team.

This past Tuesday night, the Hurricanes endured a high-scoring game where several players created a huge impact on the ice. Center Seth Jarvis accounted for a goal and two assists. It wasn’t until the second half of the second period that the Hurricanes came back to life to take control of the game.

Carolina allowed two goals late in the first period and one more in the beginning of the second. The Hurricanes allowed three goals off 12 total shots. This is a defense that improved throughout the regular season.

The Hurricanes can’t survive a game like this against any other higher seeds in the Eastern Conference or when the series goes to Elmont, New York. The Hurricanes are still one of the most well-balanced teams in the entire league after the trade deadline.

For the Islanders to have a chance in this game, they will need to create more fast breaks and catch the Hurricanes off balance. The Islanders secured a playoff spot thanks to the talent and production of their offense. Carolina, however, has a much more impressive defense that should be able to withhold the Islanders’ potential.

Bet on Carolina Hurricanes at DraftKings