3 Best NHL Bets and Player Props for Monday 4/28/25

Even with the Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, we still have plenty of betting options for the NHL.

On top of your typical moneylines and totals, we can also dabble in the player prop market for things such as shots and goal-scorers.

Which bets stand out across today's playoff action?

Let's dig in and lay out the best bets based on FanDuel Sportsbook's NHL betting odds.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

Today's Best Stanley Cup Playoff Bets

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers

Panthers Moneyline (-140)

One thing always becomes painfully clear this time of year: the Florida Panthers are built for the playoffs. Once again, the Panthers have emerged as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. They will be looking to put the Tampa Bay Lightning on the ropes, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Tampa.

Despite a lackluster end to the regular season, the Panthers have recaptured their championship glory early in Round 1. Florida knocked off the Lightning in the first two games of their opening-round series before dropping a pivotal Game 3. Despite the loss, the Panthers remained dominant, out-chancing their division rivals 24-14 in scoring and 17-7 in high-danger chances.

The Bolts have struggled to gain offensive traction throughout the series. Through the first three games, Tampa Bay has been held to an average of 8.0 high-danger chances per game, failing to crack double-digits in any of those contests. Their scoring reflects that rigid defensive structure with the Lightning recording just four goals at five-on-five.

The analytics point toward a much more one-sided affair than the betting line does. Therefore, we see an edge in backing the Panthers as moderate home favorites.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars

Stars Moneyline (+116)

With the series tied 2-2, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are guaranteed a Game 6. However, that's not before they decide a winner on Monday night. The Avs pulled even with their Game 4 victory, staking themselves to a betting advantage ahead of a crucial Game 5 showdown.

The betting market might be confident in Colorado's chances, but we are not. Dallas has proven to be an elite home-ice team, a characteristic evident through the opening two games of the series. The Stars outplayed the Avalanche in Games 1 and 2, earning a cumulative 61.1% expected goals-for rating. Across those outings, Dallas out-chanced Colorado 25-18 in high-danger chances and 50-41 in scoring opportunities.

Five-on-five scoring has also been an issue for the Avs. Over their last two contests, Colorado has totaled just two goals at five-on-five and hasn't eclipsed that benchmark since Game 1. They keep falling victim to the Stars’ stout defensive structure and elite goaltending, recording just one high-danger goal since the series opener.

The Avalanche have struggled to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, and that’s unlikely to change with the Stars holding home-ice advantage. We see an edge in backing Dallas at the current price.

Roope Hintz Over 0.5 Points (-120)

Balanced scoring has been a strength of the Stars for quite some time, and they have one line in particular that is due for an offensive breakout. The top line of Roope Hintz, Mikael Granlund, and Mikko Rantanen has fallen short of expected production and is due for a strong showing.

In particular, Hintz is operating significantly below his expected goals-for rate. The Stars' forward has just one goal in the series despite recording 13 shots across the four games. Further, that’s the only goal he’s been on the ice for this series. Consequently, his actual goals-for total is more than four points off expected (5.3).

Of course, Hintz’s analytics profile also points toward a sharp increase in scoring. He’s generated 42 scoring chances and 18 high-danger chances through four games while starting 74.4% of his shifts in the attacking zone. But with just an on-ice shooting percentage of 2.6% and a 0.922 PDO, it’s clear that Hintz is due for a massive jump in output.

The Stars face a daunting task on Monday, but they’ve been up to the challenge all series. Back in friendly confines, they can deploy their top scorers in advantageous positions. That includes a healthy dose of Hintz in the Avs’ end. As inferred by the betting price, we see a playable edge in backing him find the scoresheet in Game 5.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NHL betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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