Best NHL Bets Today: Expert Picks for Tuesday, April 8

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 8, 2025

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The National Hockey League has a total of 10 games on the scheduled for Tuesday evening, including a doubleheader on ESPN. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers play a huge Atlantic Division game at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, while the national doubleheader wraps up at 9:30 p.m. ET with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Tuesday, April 8

For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.

Seattle Kraken at Utah Hockey Club

The Kraken (34-38-6) and Utah Hockey Club (35-30-12) meet at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, with a puck drop of 9 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+.

Seattle has been eliminated from postseason contention, but somebody appears to have forgotten to inform the Kraken. They are playing like a playoff team, as the Kraken have rattled off three consecutive victories, all on the road, including a 2-1 win at Los Angeles on Monday night. That was a devastating blow for the Kings, who are trying to chase down the Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

The Kraken have been getting amazing goaltending from Joey Daccord, although with the back-to-back situation, it is expected Philipp Grubauer will be in between the pipes in SLC.

For Utah, it has 82 points through 77 games, so it is still alive and well in the chase for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. However, it is nine points behind the Minnesota Wild, so if Utah cannot keep winning in regulation, and if Minnesota ticks off one more point this season, it's curtains for Utah.

The Kraken have been a huge thorn in the side for Utah, winning each of the first two meetings by a combined 9-4 score, both as underdogs.

In the most recent meeting March 14, Seattle doubled up Utah 4-2 at Climate Pledge Arena as a moderate underdog (+135) as the total pushed (6) at most shops. In the first period, Eeli Tolvanen and Nick Schmaltz exchanged goals. In the second period, Kevin Stenlund and Brandon Montour scored goals, but the teams still couldn't solve anything, tied 2-2 after 40 minutes.

In the third, though, Kaapo Kakko had an unassisted goal to put Seattle ahead of good, giving him the game-winning goal. Tolvanen was back with the empty-net goal to put a bow on the scoring, making a winner of Grubauer, who kicked aside 23 of the 25 shots he faced to best Karel Vejmelka.

Based on Seattle's dominance in this series, as well as its solid play lately, let's back the Kraken to keep up the good work on the road. The Kraken is especially solid for the opportunity to nearly double up. If you're a little more conservative, taking the goal and a half works, too.

As far as the total, let's go high, as long as you can get it at a flat six.

Kraken ML (+195 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
Over 6 Goals (-120 at BetMGM)

Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.

Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche

The Golden Knights (47-22-8) and Avalanche (47-27-4) meet at Ball Arena in Denver at 9:30 p.m. ET in the second end of the doubleheader. It's a possible playoff preview, too, and what a series that would be.

These teams have split the season series so far, and it has been a big difference in results. On Oct. 9 in Las Vegas, the Knights won 8-4 as short 'dogs (-105) as the Over (6.5) easily cashed, while the Avs won 2-1 in a shootout in Denver on Nov. 27 as the Under (6.5) was never threatened.

Vegas has won a pair of 3-2 games in the past two outings, while going 8-2-0 in the past 10. The Under is on a 5-0 run for the Golden Knights, too.

For Colorado, it was on the short end of a 5-4 loss in St. Louis, another red-hot team, while the Over (5.5) easily connected. The Avs are still 6-2-1 in the past nine games, and the Under is 4-2-0 in the previous six contests. Both of these teams are red-hot, so this should be entertaining and a low-scoring affair.

Let's back the home side, since the host has won each of the first two meetings in this series. And, with Adin Hill and Mackenzie Blackwood locking horns, we'll roll with the Under. The recent trends for both teams suggest a lower-scoring game, too.