Late March and early April is one of the best times of the year on the college sports calendar. March Madness just wrapped up but we have the final weekend of the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament this weekend. College Hockey is super entertaining and we highly encourage you to find time to tune in to the Frozen Four this weekend. SGPN will even help you get an extra sweat on the action with these Frozen Four Picks.
Frozen Four Picks – 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament Betting Preview
Denver vs Western Michigan
Time: Thursday, 5:00 PM ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN2/ESPN+
Moneyline: -140 Denver vs Western Michigan +110
Total: 5.5 Goals, Over -130, Under +100
Puck Line: (-1.5 +175) Denver vs Western Michigan (+1.5 -230)
This feels like the National Championship game. These were the two NCHC representative programs in the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament. They have already played each other four times this season. All four matchups were determined by one goal, WMU won three games, and three contests went to Overtime.
Both teams are tied for the nation’s lead in goals scored per game (4.0) but have totally different identities. Denver has more blue chip talent on their roster. Zeev Buium and Jack Devine are both Hobey Baker Award candidates. Pioneers’ David Carle is also currently the best coach in the game.
But Western Michigan plays a style of hockey that is similar to military academies in football. The Broncos back end isn’t that strong this season so they instead dominate in the puck possession department. In the NCHC Championship game the Broncos had 29 more shot attempts outshooting the Pioneers 87-58.
The consistent pressure that WMU will apply on DU will give the depleted Pios defensive unit problems and neutralize their top tier offensive talent. Plus Western Michigan’s momentum and hungry fanbase will propel the Broncos in their first Frozen Four game seeking their surging program’s first National Championship.
The Bet: +110 Western Michigan ML
Boston vs Penn State
Time: Thursday, 8:30 PM ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN2/ESPN+
Moneyline: +120 Penn State vs Boston -154
Total: 6.5 Goals, Over -125, Under -105
Puck Line: (+1.5 -200) Penn State vs Boston -1.5 +154
Penn State is 14-3-2 in their last 19 games. The Nittany Lions have been one of the hottest (non-1-seed) teams in the country since the calendar flipped to January. Boston is really talented but has lacked consistency at times this season. We saw the epitome of that inconsistency in the Terriers’ first 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament game. Ohio State outshot BU 15-2 and was leading 1-0 after the first period. Boston then tallied 8 goals over the next 40 minutes to win the contest 8-3.
Boston’s power play has been excellent all season. The Terriers rank 4th nationally cashing in on 28.4% of their man advantages. BU’s netminder Mikhail Yegorov is their X-factor. Boston is 10-5-1 when the Freshman is in net and he has saved 12.9 goals above expectation. Compare that to his compadre Mathieu Caron’s -4.6.
The achilles heel of Boston and the cause of their inconsistency is their lack of discipline. The Terriers lead the nation in penalty minutes and penalty minutes per game (13.5). Even a blind squirrel can find a nut on the power play and that’s why Penn State at plus-money is a great pick.
Add in Arsenii Sergeev, Penn State’s goalie, who has saved 19.3 goals above expectation compared to Yegorov’s 12.9. Plus PSU’s All Big Ten First Team player Aiden Fink was pretty silent during the first weekend of the tournament. The Nittany Lions are in this position because other surrounding players rose to the occasion but also FINK IS DUE!
The Bet: +120 Penn State ML
Frozen Four Picks
Western Michigan vs Denver is going to be a heavyweight fight. The idea of betting Penn State to win the Frozen Four National Championship is super intriguing. Just like WMU, the Nittany Lions are in their first Frozen Four and their fan base is hungry.
To get to the National Championship game Penn State would have needed to defeat Hockey East opponents in three straight games while persevering the Big Ten gauntlet during the second half of the year. Hockey East was by far regarded as the best College Hockey conference this season with the Big Ten right behind it.
This team is playing their best hockey at the right time of the season, they’re battle tested, and they will have a rowdy fan base ready to aid them to a National Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Bet: +380 Penn State To Win The Frozen Four National Championship
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