We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move into the final stretch of the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. This means that every single win or loss can have a significant impact on the position each team will finish in when the regular season draws to a close, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
Here at SportsTips, we are just as keen on the NHL as you are! We spend each and every day going through the best games and previewing them for you. Our experts offer up their free NHL picks, which means that you not only get enjoyment out of watching some intriguing games, but also make extra cash while doing so!
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
Nashville Predators @ Buffalo Sabres – 7.00PM ET
The Nashville Predators will be on the road for just one game when they travel to Buffalo and face off against the Sabres. The Predators have won four of their last six games, including their last two in a row against the Flyers and Senators. The Sabres have lost three of their last four games, and this takes their season record to 24-33-11.
Marko Nadin
The Buffalo Sabres are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-33-11 record. They have lost three of the last five games and four of those have ended in a tie in regulation. The Sabres are coming off a 2-3 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Sabres are among the bottom 7 teams in the league with 2.7 goals scored and 3.5 allowed goals per game. Buffalo has lost 45 of the last 60 games against teams with a winning record and 46 of the last 60 games played after one day rest.
The Nashville Predators are fifth in the Western Conference with a 39-24-4 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Nashville is 11th in the league scoring 3.3 goals per game and 7th converting 24.2% of the power play situations. Nashville has won 3 of the last 5 games against Buffalo. They have also won 4 of the last 5 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 24 of the last 32 games played after two days rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-188)
Tony Battalio
The Nashville Predators were on top of the Central Division at one point this season. However, after the rise of the Colorado Avalanche, that feels like a distant memory that has been lost forever. Now they come into this matchup sitting in fourth place in the Central Division. They do, however, hold one of the wild card spots in the Western Conference at the moment. They come into this game with a record of 39-24-4 through their first 67 games of the season. With 15 games remaining in the regular season it will be interesting to see if they hold onto their Stanley Cup playoff spot coming down the stretch.
The point streak is still alive. #LetsGoBuffalo | @Lexus
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 31, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres have been the worst team in the National Hockey League for a couple of seasons now. That doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon after they traded away their franchise cornerstone, Jack Eichel, to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season. Buffalo comes in this game with a record of 24-33-11 through their first 68 games of the season. They currently find themselves in sixth place in the Atlantic Division but they are a long way away from playoff contention. As for the result of this game, I have the Nashville Predators getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-188)
Jeffery Thomas
The Nashville Predators come into this game on a two-game winning streak. They beat the Flyers and Senators consecutively and now get another favorable draw in the Buffalo Sabres who they lost to earlier in the year 1-4. Both teams come into this game having had a lot of high-scoring affairs recently so why this total is set so low is confusing.
In six of Buffalo’s last nine games there have been at least 6 goals and for Nashville eight of their last ten. Both goaltenders are capable of good performances on their night but didn’t have impressive play in March, so I’ll back these two offenses that have been playing really well and take the over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-110)
Chicago Blackhawks @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.00PM ET
The Chicago Blackhawks wrap up their quick two game road trip on Friday when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who themselves are on game two of their four game homestand. The Blackhawks are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they were shutout, 0-4, by the Panthers. The Lightning have won their last three games in a row, as they have wins over the Red Wings, Islanders and Hurricanes.
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Lighting are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 42-18-6 record. They have won the last three games after losing the previous three. The defending champions are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over one of the biggest conference rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning are 10th in the league with 3.3 goals per game and are ranked 7th with 2.7 allowed goals and 29.7 allowed shots on goals per game. Tampa Bay has won 9 of the last 12 games played after two day’s rest and 15 of the last 21 games against Western Conference teams. The Lightning have won 8 of the last 9 games against Chicago.
The Chicago Blackhawks are having another disappointing season as they are 14th in the Western Conference with a 24-33-10 record. They have lost the last three games and are coming off a 0-4 loss to the Florida Panthers last night. Chicago is ranked 26th in the league scoring 2.7 goals per game and 25th with 3.5 allowed goals per game. The Blackhawks have lost 40 of the last 58 games as road underdogs, 42 of the last 55 games against teams with a winning record and 6 of the last 7 games played without a day off.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-385)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks had a rough start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season as it took them several games to record their first victory. Despite their best efforts, the hole was just too deep to dig out of and now they find themselves towards the bottom of the Central Division and Western Conference standings. The Blackhawks are playing the second game of a back to back in this one and in the first game of the back to back they lost and were shutout by the Florida Panthers.
Like father, like son pic.twitter.com/AxrakMyPlk
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 31, 2022
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning are coming into this game with a record of 42-18-6. They are currently in third place of the Atlantic Division, as they lead the Boston Bruins by a single point coming down the stretch of the regular season. The Tampa Bay Lightning have their sights set on a three peat but will have to work harder than they have the previous two years to get back to the top of the mountain. As for the result of this game however, I have them getting the victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-385)
Jeffery Thomas
The Chicago Blackhawks had a rough outing on Thursday night, losing 0-4 to the Florida Panthers. Now they’ll get the other Florida team on the second leg of a back-to-back and hope to salvage something from this trip. If there was ever a chance to get points on the Lightning it would be now, when they are in cruise-control before really ramping up the levels in the postseason. Tampa are the back-to-back defending champs and really don’t get up for regular season games as much anymore since they have much bigger goals to achieve.
With that being said though, their 80% effort can beat a lot of teams in this league, including this really bad Blackhawks team. The Lightning will have the home-ice and rest advantage after being off since Tuesday. They’ve been at home preparing for this one and should have all the answers on how to get this game wrapped up in comfortable fashion. I love their roster and think this is a spot where they shine big and cover the spread.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-140)
New York Islanders @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM ET
A new chapter of the Battle of New York will be written tonight as the New York Islanders face off against the New York Rangers. The Islanders are playing two nights in a row, and in their last game they proved too good for the Blues Jackets, winning 5-2. The Rangers will be looking to build on their current winning streak, which stands at four, with wins over the Penguins (twice), Sabres and Red Wings.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-19-5 record. They have won the last 4 games, two of them in overtime and are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings. The Rangers are third in the league allowing 2.6 goals per game and second converting 27.1% of the power play situations. The Rangers have won 22 of the last 29 home games, 42 of the last 56 games as favorites and 41 of the last 60 against Eastern Conference rivals. The Rangers have played under the total goals margin in 5 of the last 7 home games.
The New York Islanders are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-27-9 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders are fifth in the league with 2.7 allowed goals per game and sixth defending 80.4% of the power play situations. The Islanders have won 5 of the last 6 games against the city rival. They have also won 6 of the last 8 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division but have lost 9 of the last 13 road games. The Islanders have played under the total goal margin in 6 of the last 7 games played on Friday and 5 of the last 7 games played without a day off.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-178)
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers and New York Islanders have had two completely different seasons. Not many people expected the New York Rangers to be at the top of the National Hockey League standings. Just like not many people expected the New York Islanders to be at the bottom of the National Hockey League standings this season. The Rangers come into this matchup with a record of 44-19-5 through their first 68 games of the season. As they currently sit in second place of the Metropolitan Division, only three points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place.
Night besties. pic.twitter.com/B4WEukvj9E
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 1, 2022
The New York Islanders on the other hand have been awful this season. They’re coming into this game off of the first night of a back to back against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite picking up the win over the Blue Jackets, they still come into this game well below the .500 mark. They come into this one with a record of 30-27-9 on the season. They are currently in fifth place of the Metropolitan Division but way out of playoff contention. As for the result of this game, I have the New York Rangers getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-178)
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Islanders will be on the back-to-back on Friday after completing a quick home and home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders won both meetings and overtook their Metro Division counterparts for that 5th place spot, it won’t mean much as both teams are far from contending for a playoff spot, but for the New York Rangers the playoffs is all that’s on their mind right now. They’ve caught fire recently and ended the month of March on a four-game winning streak, most impressively knocking off the Pittsburgh Penguins twice in the span.
That has got them all the way up to 2nd in the Metro and just 5 points back of first place. The Islanders are 4-12 in their last 16 games on no rest and have the tall task of beating the Rangers in Madison Square Garden. Going against the better competitor has been an issue all year for the Isles, who have a 6-24 record in their last 30 games against teams with a winning record and just 5-22 straight up in their last 27 games as underdogs. Everything points to a nice home win here for the red-hot Rangers.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-178)
St. Louis Blues @ Edmonton Oilers – 9.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues are in the middle of their three game road trip when they travel to Edmonton and hit the ice against the Oilers. The Blues will be looking to build on their back-to-back wins over the Canucks, and their season record currently sits at 37-20-9. The Oilers have split their last six games, but they are currently on a two game winning streak, as they have beaten the Coyotes and Kings.
Marko Nadin
The Edmonton Oilers are seventh in the Western Conference with a 38-25-5 record. They have won 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton is seventh in the league scoring 3.4 goals per game and 4th converting 26.1% of the power play situations. The Oilers have won the last 7 games as home favorites, 6 of the last 8 games played after one day rest and 5 of the last 7 games following a win. Edmonton has played over the total goals margin in the last 9 games as favorites.
The St. Louis Blues are fourth in the Western Conference with a 37-20-9 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off back-to-back wins over the Vancouver Canucks, scoring 4 goals in each of the two games. The Blues are fifth in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and 11th allowing 2.8 goals per game. The Blues have won 6 of the last 7 games against Edmonton and 13 of the last 16 games against teams from the Western Conference. St. Louis has played over the total goals margin in the last 4 road games and in the last 5 games following a win.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-134)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues are one of the most consistent teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 37-20-9 through their first 66 games of the season. They currently find themselves sitting in third place in the Central Division, three points behind the red hot Minnesota Wild for second place. St. Louis is currently on a two game winning streak after getting back to back wins over the Vancouver Canucks to end the month of March. Now they will look to make it three straight wins with a victory in this one.
It’s about that time… 🗓
Hit up https://t.co/bWYHvN0Wqc to give yourself an April refresh! 🔥#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/iXovKL8vZu
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 31, 2022
Despite having two of the best players in the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Oilers looked completely dead in the water for the first part of the season. Since adding Evander Kane however, the Oilers have vastly improved and now find themselves in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup trophy in another month or so. They come into this game with a record of 38-25-5 through their first 68 games of the season. Their 81 points is good enough for third place in the Pacific Division at the moment. As for the outcome of this game, I have the Oilers picking up the win at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-140)
Jeffery Thomas
This one should be a lot of fun when we get two of the best offenses in the league squaring off Friday night in Edmonton. The Oilers are led by arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and have been on a tear going 8-2-1 in their last eleven. They’ve scored a ridiculous 4.72 goals a game in that span and will be taking on a Blues team that got Thursday off after sweeping a home and home with the Vancouver Canucks.
Each of these teams are slated to make the postseason, both sitting at 3rd place in their division and it should be a really entertaining and competitive contest. Both of these teams defenses have been works in progress all season but have masked that with elite offensive showings. The Oilers are used to having to put up 4-5 goals to win and that will be their aim here, and St. Louis should have no problem getting at least 3 themselves. I love the over here in what will be one of the most fun contests on Friday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-134)
Vegas Golden Knights @ Seattle Kraken – 10.00PM ET
Two teams from the Pacific Division will come together on Friday night in the NHL, when the Vegas Golden Knights hit the road and take on the Seattle Kraken. These two teams faced off against each other just a couple of days ago and in that game it was the Golden Knights that got the win, 3-0. Can the Kraken get revenge now they are playing at home, or will the Golden Knights prove too good yet again?
Marko Nadin
The Seattle Kraken are not having an impressive rookie season in the NHL as they are 15th in the Western Conference with a 21-40-6 record. They have won 3 of the last five games but are coming off a 0-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in their previous game two days ago. Seattle is among the 5 worst teams in the league with 2.6 goals scored and 3.5 allowed goals per game. The Kraken have lost 20 of the last 28 home games and 17 of the last 22 games against teams with a winning record.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 8th in the Western Conference with a 37-28-4 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 3-0 win over tonight’s opponent. Vegas has won all three games against Seattle so far. They are ranked 14th in the league with 3.1 goals per game and 8th with 34.1 shots on goal per game. Vegas has won the last 5 games against Pacific Division opponents and 9 of the last 13 games as road favorites.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-182)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights have freely fallen down the standings in the Pacific Division the last month or so of the season. They are now at risk of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs completely after spending the majority of the season on top of their division. They come into this game sitting in fourth place behind Calgary, Edmonton, and Los Angeles. They only hold a one point lead over the Dallas Stars for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference which makes every game during the rest of the regular season a must win.
Jack Eichel talks about life on the road in Seattle 🎰#VegasBorn | @CreditOneBank pic.twitter.com/poXJGDd3Lc
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 31, 2022
The Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season in the National Hockey League hasn’t gone like they would’ve hoped it to go. As they find themselves towards the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference and with a losing record. The Kraken come into this game with a record of 21-40-6 through their first 67 games of the season, having already been officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. As for the result of this game, I have them losing another one, as I have the Vegas Golden Knights getting a much needed victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-182)
Jeffery Thomas
An all Pacific Division matchup on Friday as we see the 4th placed Golden Knights take on the 8th placed Kraken. We just got this game on Wednesday, with Vegas coming away with the 3-0 victory. The Golden Knights have been ravaged by injury and it’s most prevalent in their forwards, which has really caused their offense to sputter. Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone and Reilly Smith are all slated to miss the game again so they’ll have to rally together and try to improve on their 2.8 goals a game average in the last 5 games.
The Kraken haven’t been too much better, averaging just 2.83 goals a game in their last six contests, but that’s also been a theme for them all year and a big reason why they have been so bad. The Knights are 5-0 in their last five games against Pacific Division rivals and still have so much more to play for than the Kraken. I know it’s a revenge spot for Seattle after just losing a couple nights ago, but there’s a reason why they lost and it’s because they are bad. They’ve been losing a lot all year and Friday it will continue at the hands of a Vegas team that is fighting to stay in the hunt.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-182)
If you’re looking for more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
