Best NHL Bets: Stanley Cup Playoffs Picks for Sunday, April 20

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on April 20, 2025

Find your PERFECT PICK

View RotoWire's advanced analysis across all major sportsbooks and DFS.

Daily Picks
Effortless Analysis
Data-Driven Decisions
Web and App Support

The National Hockey League heads into Day 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday, and we get three more series kicking off. The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes play Game 1 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, but we'll avoid that game since it is matinee action, and instead we'll give you time to take in the information below so you can formulate your bets and parlays accordingly. We'll try to build a bankroll for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let's get started.

Top up your bankroll thanks to sportsbook promos like this BetMGM bonus code offering $1,500 in bonus bets.

Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Sunday, April 20

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.

Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs

The Senators and the Maple Leafs renew acquaintances in the postseason for the first time since 2004. These organizations have met four times in the postseason, with the Maple Leafs taking all four series.

While the historical information above might look a bit ominous for the Senators, Ottawa steams in with a ton of confidence after sweeping the regular-season series against Toronto 3-0. The Senators not only won both matchups in Toronto on Nov. 12, and again March 15, but each victory was by two goals. So, don't expect the Senators to be fazed. Plus, the last time these teams met in the playoffs, Ottawa leading scorer Tim Stutzle was two years old, and Jake Sanderson was likely still in a crib at 14 months old. Claude Giroux, he was 16, so he likely remembers it best.

Speaking of Giroux, while he might not be the dominant scorer he once was in his early NHL days in Philadelphia, he led the league in faceoff win percentage (FOW%) at 61.5 percent, so that is a key stat to watch this time of year.

Not only have the Senators won each meeting this season, but they've taken five in a row in the series since Dec. 27, 2023. So, if the Maple Leafs win, it will end a rather surprisingly streak of losing against their provincial neighbors. Toronto was the Atlantic Division champ, and it is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, so it is fully expected to win despite the surprising skid against Ottawa.

Again, while Ottawa won two games in Toronto in the regular season, it was just 18-19-4 on the road, whereas the Maple Leafs were 25-13-3 at Scotiabank Arena.

The good news for the Senators is that Brady Tkachuk is expected to be 100 percent. He played in the regular-season finale after being on the shelf for eight games due to the dreaded upper-body injury. It will be his first foray into the NHL postseason in his career.

On the injury front for Toronto, Jake McCabe is expected to return for Game 1 after sitting for the final seven games due to a UBI. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who raised Lord Stanley's Cup with the Florida Panthers last season, has a little bit more of a murky outlet. He is considered a game-time decision for bench boss Craig Berube.

In net, Linus Ullmark (25-14-3, 2.72 GAA, .910 SV%, 4 SO) is the expected starter for the Sens. He was 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .960 SV% with a shutout against the Maple Leafs in two starts this season. He kicked aside all 27 shots he faced in a 3-0 road win Nov. 12 at Scotiabank Arena.

For the Leafs, it is highly likely Berube counters with the white-hot Anthony Stolarz. Like OEL (above), he won the Cup with the Panthers last season as a backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. But, that isn't the reason. It's because Stolarz has been on fire, as the 31-year-old tendy has won eight straight starts since March 20, including shutouts in his final two games, and three of the past four. Of course, two of those shutouts came against non-playoffs teams, but it's impressive nonetheless.

This is going to be a fun series, and Toronto needs to get off to a good start, or the fans will be wringing their hands, saying, "Here we go again!" with another potential first-round failure. The weight on the Leafs at this time of year is astronomical, as Toronto is so championship starved at this point, it's ridiculous. It's 1967, the last time they won a Stanley Cup, if you really want to needle your buddies. And, remind your friend that the NHL had just six teams then, too, for extra salt in the wound.

We'll cautiously back the Maple Leafs in Game 1 because of Stolarz, as he should help offset the dominance of the Sens in the series lately. And, we'll go with a surprisingly low-scoring game, too.

Maple Leafs ML (-160 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (-108 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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

Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights

The Wild and the Golden Knights meet at T-Mobile Arena on The Strip in Las Vegas, and like the series above, we had a regular-season sweep for one side.

VGK won all three regular-season meetings, including 4-1 on home ice Jan. 12 in the only previous visit for Minnesota to the Silver State. The most recent meeting was a 5-1 whitewashing for the Golden Knights in St. Paul, as Jack Eichel had a hat trick, with Brett Howden and Tanner Pearson providing the other goals. That was more than enough offensive support for Adin Hill, who turned back 23 of the 24 shots he encountered.

Not only is Howden an occasional scorer, but watch for his work at the faceoff dot. He won 10 of 16 faces against the Wild in the most recent game in the Twin Cities. He and William Karlsson (58.1 percent FOW%) do good work at the dot, as does Tomas Hertl (55.9 percent FOW%). Faceoffs are key in the playoffs, especially in the offensive zone.

This is just the second time these organizations have met in the postseason, and it will be the first time home fans of both teams get to fully enjoy it. Vegas won the first time in seven games in during the strange COVID postseason with very limited attendance.

Minnesota played four overtime games in the final five regular-season contests, winning each of them. In fact, the Wild was unable to solve its difference in regulation in six of the final eight contests, so it won't be fazed if there is a little extra drama or free hockey in the playoffs.

Vegas was on fire down the stretch, winning at an 11-2-2 clip to seize the Pacific Division, holding off the charging Los Angeles Kings. The Under was 8-2 in the final 10 outings, too.

Filip Gustavsson (31-19-6, 2.56 GAA, .914 SV%, 5 SO) is expected in the crease for Minnesota, while Hill (32-13-5, 2.47 GAA, .906 SV%, 4 SO) is projected for Vegas.

Backing Vegas straight up will cost you more than two times your potential return at most shops. Since Minnesota has been playing so many tight games lately, let's take the Wild on the puck line, and we'll go low on this Game 1, too, as far as the total is concerned.