Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets and Props Today (Expect Plenty of Goals in Devils vs. Blackhawks)

Iain MacMillan | Mar 26, 2025

The total in Devils vs. Blackhawks on Wednesday night is set at 5.5. / John Jones-Imagn Images

We're fresh off a 3-0 sleep on Tuesday night so let's see if we can carry that momentum into Wednesday night's slate.

There are just four NHL games on tap for tonight and with both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out for the Edmonton Oilers, I'm going to skip betting on that game and focus on the other three. I have two total bets and a player prop locked in. Let's dive into them.

• Season-to-date record: 143-144-8 (-9.45 units)

Best NHL Picks Today

• Anders Lee OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal (+130) via FanDuel
• Devils vs. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 (-110) via Caesars
• Bruins vs. Ducks UNDER 6 (-115) via Caesars

Canucks vs. Islanders Prop Bet

The New York Islanders have opened up their offense since the All-Star Break as they try to make a push for the playoffs. As a result of that, the Islanders are fourth in the NHL in shots on goal per 60 minutes in that time frame. Their offensive players have been beneficiaries of that, including Anders Lee who is fresh off a seven shot performance against the Blue Jackets.

I'm willing to take Lee at +130 to continue to pepper the opposing net with shots.

Pick: Anders Lee OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal (+130)

Devils vs. Blackhawks Prediction

I understand neither of the offenses in this game have been great lately, but this is too low of a total of two teams whose defenses have been horrific. Since the All-Star Break, the Devils ranks fifth in 5-on-5 expected goals against and the Blackhawks ranks seventh. On top of that, both team;s have been getting nothing from their goaltenders.

The Devils have a team save percentage of 88.76% and the Blackhawks have a team save percentage of 86.82% since the break. If they were getting good goaltending play, I could look past the poor defense, but a combination of poor defense and terrible goaltending is more important than the struggling offenses with a total of just 5.5.

Pick: OVER 5.5 (-110)

Bruins vs. Ducks Prediction

Only the Minnesota Wild have scored fewer goals per 60 minutes since the All-Star Break than the Boston Bruins at. At just 2.17 actual goals per 60 minutes and 2.45 expected goals per 60 minutes, the Boston offense has been non-existent since trading away their top weapons.

Getting a total of 6.0 in a game involving one of the coldest offenses in hockey is a no-brainer of an UNDER bet.

Pick: UNDER 6 (-115)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!