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Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (4/17)

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The 16 NHL postseason teams are finalized, but some teams are still jockeying for playoff positioning over the final two days of the regular season. The league rolls out a four-game slate tonight, and I've narrowed in on three bets for this action on the ice.

Here are my top three NHL bets for tonight, April 17.

Our NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet assists bettors by comparing lines from leading sportsbooks with our daily projections >>

Wednesday’s Best NHL Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Toronto Maple Leafs (+110) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-130) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120) 

The Maple Leafs and Lightning wrap up their respective seasons tonight in one final Atlantic Division clash. Toronto (102 points) has the third seed locked up in the division, where they'll take on Boston (109 points) in the first round. Tampa Bay (96 points) owns the top Wild Card spot, meaning they'll square off against Florida (110 points) in a first-round intrastate war. This divisional matchup is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. 

Since the season's winding down, I will have some fun and play the "Historic Same Game Parlay." Auston Matthews is stuck on 69 goals, where he's trying to become the 15th player to reach 70 tucks in a season. Nikita Kucherov, on the other hand, is trying to join the elite company of five other players who've notched 100 assists in a single season. He's at 99 helpers through 81 games. I'll take them both to accomplish these feats tonight in Tampa Bay. 

These are two offensive-minded teams, and it's typically a higher-scoring affair when they link up. The first three meetings have seen these final scores: 4-3 OT, 6-5 OT and 4-1, with Toronto winning the first two games and Tampa winning the last meeting. Neither team boasts an elite defense, with Tampa coming in at 22nd in overall defense (3.05 GAA) and Toronto sitting at 20th (2.99 GAA). Look for these superstars to take care of business in the season finale tonight. 

Bet: SGP: Matthews Anytime Goalscorer, Kucherov Over 0.5 Assists (+144)

St. Louis Blues (+185) @ Dallas Stars (-225) | O/U 6.0 (-110/-110) 

The Blues (91 points) will miss the playoffs this season and finish their year on the road against the Stars tonight. With a win, the Stars (111 points), who are first in the Central Division, will finish one point off of the Rangers' 114-point President's Trophy pace. It's still undetermined who Dallas will face in the first round of the postseason, but it could be Vegas, Nashville or Los Angeles. Tonight's game between the Blues and Stars is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. 

These teams opened up the season against each other, and now they'll close the season with a fourth and final contest. Dallas is 1-1-1 in the season series, while St. Louis is 2-0-1. Two of the three games have finished 2-1, while the third was a 4-3 overtime win for the Blues. I'm going to ride with the trend and take the under tonight. 

Dallas appears to be morphing into playoff form, where they're opting for lower-scoring games. They've seen seven of their last eight games come in under 6.0 goals, and the final scores are averaging just 5.0 goals per contest over the eight-game sample size. The Stars have climbed to 10th in overall defense, where they're conceding only 2.77 goals per game. The Blues are 12th in the same category, allowing only 2.80 goals per game. All signs point to a lower-scoring matchup in Dallas tonight, so I'll play the under.

Bet: Under 6.0 (-110)

Edmonton Oilers (-205) @ Arizona Coyotes (+170) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120) 

Not only will the Coyotes (75 points) not make the postseason, but this will be the final professional hockey game played in the greater Phoenix area for the foreseeable future. As for the Oilers (104 points), they're locked into the second seed in the Pacific Division, where they'll have home ice against either the Golden Knights or the Kings. This Western Conference matchup is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from the Mullet Arena in Tempe, Ariz. 

These two teams just squared off on Friday, and it was the Yotes who secured a 3-2 overtime victory. I think goals will be at a premium once again tonight, so I'll play the under 6.5 goals. It's a similar thought process to the St. Louis/Dallas game above, where it looks like Edmonton has been tightening things up as they near the playoffs. Six of their last eight games have featured six goals or fewer. Over their last 10 games, the Oilers are allowing only 2.3 goals per contest. 

Edmonton will look to shut down an Arizona offense that's a middle-of-the-pack 15th in both overall offense (3.1 GPG) and on the power play (21.76%). As for the Coyotes, they've been much better at home this season, going 21-19-0. They'll likely send Connor Ingram to the crease, and he owns a 2.60 GAA and .915 SV% at home this year. He also leads the league with six shutouts. Let's play the under for the final hockey game in The Valley. 

Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Wednesday:

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