This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Wednesday, April 17
The NHL regular season ended for me as a fan last night when my Capitals beat the Flyers to clinch the final Wild Card spot in the East, knocking out the Red Wings, Penguins, and Flyers in one fell swoop. We've still got two nights of NHL action on the board for us gamblers though, and we're going to make the most of them. No one on the slate really has much to play for except for pride at this point, but no matter what we've got four games to sink our teeth into, so let's take a look at the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Oilers, Coyotes under 6.5 (+102 on DraftKings)
Just how motivated will these teams be tonight? The Coyotes recently learned that the team will be moving to Utah after this season, so tonight's tilt will be the last game for the franchise in Arizona. Maybe that's motivating for the guys, but with them far from a playoff spot, I think they might be looking ahead to their offseason tee times already. The Oilers are cruising into the postseason with home-ice advantage in the first round. Tonight's tilt is very inconsequential for them, so they'll probably just look to get out of the desert without any injuries. These teams played just five days ago and the Coyotes won 3-2 in Edmonton. A 5-goal total seems reasonable again tonight.
Coyotes ML (+146 on FanDuel)
I'm not going to not bet on the Yotes in their last ever game for the franchise in Arizona. Tickets for tonight's game at Mullett Arena went through the roof. The Oilers probably won't be too motivated, and the Coyotes have more reasons to get excited to play this game. This could get really sweaty, but heck, everything in the desert is!
Penguins, Islanders under 6 (-108 on DraftKings)
The Isles went on a tear down the stretch to claim the third spot in the Metro Division, and the Penguins' playoff hopes were dashed with the Caps' win last night. The Islanders have allowed two goals or fewer in each of their past seven games, and I just don't believe the Penguins will come out with much juice tonight given the circ*mstances.
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Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Dylan Guenther over 2.5 shots on goal (-135 on DraftKings)
Guenther's been one of the bright spots for a team in total transition. He's notched 33 points in 44 games on the season, and has 15 points in his last 15 games. He creates a ton of scoring opportunities for himself and for his teammates, and he's hit over 2.5 shots on goal in 10 of his last 15 games too. He's got 19 total in his last five games and just threw five on net in his most recent outing, so I expect him to finish strong on home ice tonight too.
Robert Thomas to record 1+ assists (-118 on FanDuel)
Thomas has been far and away the best player in St. Louis this season. He leads the team with 85 points, 18 points better than the next top scorer Jordan Kyrou. He's registered 60 assists overall too. He was on a 5-game streak of recording at least one assist before getting blanked in his last outing, so I like him to get back on the scoresheet with an apple tonight even with a tough matchup against the Stars.
Jamie Benn over 0.5 points (-140 on DraftKings)
The Stars have a little bit to play for tonight as they could lock up the top seed in the Western Conference with a win. Their captain should get his boys ready to rock for that, and he's poised to lead the way with a matchup he seems to love. He has 14 points in his last 15 games against the Blues, and has nine points in his last 10 games overall. The Blues don't have anything to play for besides pride, so I think Benn will be bearing down on them all night long and should get his fair share of chances.
