NHL Picks

The Utah Mammoth and Los Angeles Kings continue their respective battles for playoff positioning with an important matchup on Saturday night. This is the 3rd and final meeting between these sides this season, and with both teams floating within the wild card race, these two points are crucial. Here is our Mammoth vs. Kings prediction.

Utah has strung together a rough couple of games recently, as they are 1-3-0 in their last 4 games, and have given up 19 goals in the process. The one win came against these Kings just six days ago, and I am expecting the same outcome. Utah has really impressed this season

Los Angeles has yet to show the are serious about securing their spot in the playoffs. They are 2-2-3 in their last seven matchups, and have lost to teams near the bottom of standings such as the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. They have been abysmal on home ice (10-16-8) and are tasked with taking down a team that should be incredibly hungry for a bounce back. This will be an absolute battle no doubt, but Utah has proven far more this season than Los Angeles has. Take Utah on the money line for our Mammoth vs. Kings prediction.

Mammoth vs. Kings prediction: Mammoth ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to (-130).

On Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames meet for an all-Canadian, Pacific Division matchup in the NHL. This is the third of four meetings this season, and while both will miss the playoffs, I still expect to see a spirited affair between the rivals. To get you set for the action to come, we have provided our Canucks vs. Flames prediction.

The total has gone over in both meetings between the two this season, but in this matchup I expect minimal goals. To begin, these teams own the two worst goals per game averages in the NHL. They both score below 2.5 goals per game, which is a key reason for their lack of success. With that comes Calgary’s minuscule power play (15.9%) that ranks second-last overall. Vancouver’s is not much better at 19.2%. On the other side, Calgary has stayed decent in terms of goals against average (3.04) and save percentage (.904). They also have a decent penalty kill of 80.8% that ranks 11th overall. Vancouver, who owns the league’s worst goals against average of 3.72, will be challenged to keep up defensively with Calgary, but I say they do. These teams are evenly matched and will grind to continue building good habits for the future, and when all is said and done this should have minimal offensive results. Take the under for our Canucks vs. Flames prediction.

Canucks vs. Flames prediction: Under 6 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that total to (-115).

The Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights face off to close out a busy Saturday in the NHL. Time is running out for a playoff push by the Capitals, who have just nine remaining games, and this won’t be an easy two points to capture. It is time for our expert Capitals vs. Golden Knights prediction.

Washington has shown flashes of brilliance lately, including a 7-4 win against the Utah Mammoth in their most-recent game, but the consistency hasn’t been there. They are 5-5-2 in their last 12 games, which just isn’t good enough at this time of the year. Meanwhile, Vegas is in an extremely tight race for the Pacific Division lead, and it is still achievable if they can secure some wins. They will also be looking for some payback after a close win for Washington when these two played a month ago. In what will be a loud and energetic T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on a Saturday night, I expect the Golden Knights to defend home ice. Take Vegas on the money line for our Capitals vs. Golden Knights prediction.

Capitals vs. Golden Knights prediction: Golden Knights money line (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable to (-170).

It will be an afternoon special when the New York Islanders host the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Florida is the 2-time defending Stanley Cup champion, but this has been a lost season. The Panthers have 11 more games before they can go hit the golf course during the offseason. New York, on the other hand, is in an absolute battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders could finish as high as #2 in the Metropolitan Division or miss the playoffs entirely. Given that the home team will be far more motivated to win on Saturday, that’s the way I am leaning for my Panthers vs Islanders prediction.

Home-ice advantage should serve the Islanders well, as they are a solid 20-12-2 in front of their home fans during this 2025-26 campaign. Ilya Sorokin is confirmed to be the starter for this one, which will also help. Sorokin is 27-18-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Meanwhile, Florida is just 2-4 in its last 6 games and 3 of its 4 losses during this stretch have come by at least 3 goals. This is by no means my favorite play on the NHL schedule given the ML price, and New York doesn’t have any value on the -1.5 puck line. But a small play on the Isles to win outright is not a bad play.

Panthers vs Islanders prediction: New York ML (-170) available at time of publishing. Playable at that price.

The Ottawa Senators continue to defy all reason in their pursuit of the playoffs. With a depleted blueline that has them dressing two rookies on the third pair and playing with their top two defensemen, Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson, Ottawa keeps racking up points. In what felt like a massive letdown spot on Thursday night, the Senators nearly defeated the Penguins but persevered to get a point in a shootout loss. As much as it feels like an easy bet to take the Tampa Bay Lightning here, it feels too risky to bet against the Senators again.

One angle to attack when looking at Ottawa’s blueline is that it’ll take a track meet for them to stay in games until at least Sanderson returns. Their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday was one of the most exciting they’ve had this year because of the wide-open nature, and the Lightning have no problem playing that style if they need to. Betting the over looks even better if at least one of the two backup goaltenders takes the crease on Saturday afternoon, but even if they don’t, the offenses could be good enough to get it over the finish line.

The Lightning have been in a bunch of high-scoring games over the last two weeks, with 6 straight games going over the 6.0 total we get in this matchup. Tampa Bay has scored 29 goals in those 6 games, an impressive 4.8 per game. Senators’ games haven’t been as high-scoring, but they have three or more goals in 4 of the last 5 games. If they hit at least the three-goal mark on Saturday, Tampa Bay looks like a good bet to get them the other three and beyond.

Senators vs Lightning prediction: Over 6.0 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

It looked like the Edmonton Oilers were going to struggle to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season. The goaltending was atrocious, the defense was leaky, and once Leon Draisaitl suffered an injury that will keep him out of the regular season, there was a chance that Edmonton could completely fall apart and miss the playoffs altogether. Luckily, the Oilers are playing in one of the weakest divisions we’ve seen in the NHL in a long time, and their opponent on Saturday, the Anaheim Ducks, leads that division.

The Oilers were in a bad spot when they went to Florida and lost both games to the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, but back-to-back wins against the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights shed some light on their chances going forward. For the first time in a long time, the Oilers looked like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs, and beating the Ducks would give them an added boost of confidence.

The Ducks have been no slouches either, winning four consecutive games, including 2 statement wins against the Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth. However, their last two wins came against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks on the short Canadian road trip, which could set up a letdown spot against the Oilers. Look for Edmonton to continue their winning ways and get another big win on Saturday afternoon.

Ducks vs Oilers prediction: Oilers ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins square off for a big matchup on Saturday evening in the NHL. It is the second and final matchup of the season between the two, as Dallas looks to sweep the regular season series. To get you prepared for some excellent hockey to come, here is our Stars vs. Penguins prediction.

Pittsburgh has had a completely difficult time keeping the puck out of the net. In their last five games, they have given up 24 goals (4.80 per game). They showed improvement in their last game, but Dallas will make things even harder for them, even on home ice. Both Dallas (3.33) and Pittsburgh (3.39) score at a top-eight rate in the entire league, and as the regular season is in crunch time, I expect to see these offensive results continue. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby suffered a lower body injury on Thursday, and while his status is questionable, I expect the Penguins to have their offensive game regardless. In this game I see an elite offense in Dallas, a competent offense in Pittsburgh, and a struggling defense and goaltending group on the Penguins. I expect a high scoring affair to take place, so side with the over in this one. 

Stars vs. Penguins prediction: Over 6.0 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to 6.5 at (-125).

The Minnesota Wild will take on the Boston Bruins Saturday night. The Wild come into this one ranked 3rd in the Western Conference. The Wild success has been due to the incredible defense and goaltender play. On the season, they are allowing just 2.81 goals per game while their goaltenders are saving 90.5% of total shots they face. While the defense has been good, the Wild have scored 2 or fewer goals in 6 of their last 10 games. This inability to score is a major problem as we get closer to the playoffs. Luckily for Minnesota, the Wild’s spot in the playoffs is almost secured.

For the Bruins, they currently rank 5th in the Eastern Conference and have won 3 of their last 4 games. The Bruins have been very impressive at home recently, winning 13 of their last 15 games. This success sits behind the 5th best shooting percentage in the league and the 7th best save percentage. The Bruins are playing great hockey on both sides of the puck. As long as the Bruins can stay out of the penalty box, they should have a good chance in this one. I am taking the Bruins on the money line.

Wild vs. Bruins Predictions: Bruins ML (+110) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Carolina Hurricanes will be hosting the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Devils come into this game playing some good hockey, despite being all but eliminated from playoff contention. The Devils are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They are running into one of the most solid teams in the league in the Hurricanes. They Hurricanes are ranked fourth offensively in the league and they limit their opponents to the fewest shots on goal per game in the NHL. They are extremely dominant on home ice, their record at the Lenovo Center is 25-9-2. The Hurricanes have the top spot in the Metropolitan Division pretty well locked up, but they have the Buffalo Sabres to contend with for the top spot overall in the Eastern Conference. Finishing first in the conference guarantees you home ice advantage all the way to the conference final round. I expect they have winning the conference in their mind.

The Hurricanes are a much deeper team than the Devils and their relentless forecheck wears down the opposing team’s defense. I like the Hurricanes to get it done on home ice today.

Devils vs. Hurricanes prediction: Hurricanes ML (-210) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The San Jose Sharks will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday night. The Sharks come into this one losing their last 6 games, and these consecutive losses have pushed them further from the playoffs than they hoped to be. Part of the issue is that they give up the 2nd most goals in the NHL averaging 3.57 goals against per game. The bad part is that they have given up 22 goals over the last 5 games, which averages out to 4.5 goals per game. The Sharks have also lost 8 of their last 10 away games. It could be a long game for the Sharks.

For the Blue Jackets, they are currently ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets have been rolling in the second half of the season. They have won their last 3 home games and 6 of their last 10 overall. The Blue Jackets improvements have been the most impressive on the defensive end. Over the pat 5 games, they have only allowed 10 total goals. The Blue Jackets motivation for the playoffs should shine through in this one, and I am rolling with the Blue Jackets on the puck line.

Sharks vs. Blue Jackets Prediction: Blue Jackets -1.5 (+125) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Seattle Kraken will be on the road on Saturday to take on the Buffalo Sabres. Despite their red-hot run over the last few months, the Sabres are riding a 3-game losing streak coming into this game. The Sabres are holding a 2-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The main difference that separates the Kraken and Sabres is the team offense. The Sabres as a team are averaging 3.45 goals per game, while the Kraken are only averaging 2.86. The Kraken average the third-fewest shots on goal per game in the NHL. The leading scorer on the Kraken is Jordan Eberle with only 51 points. There are three players on the Sabres with more than this, with the leader having 75.

The KeyBank Center will be rocking on Saturday night. The Sabres play very well here as their record on home ice is 22-10-4. I expect them to come out flying, looking to put an end to their 3-game slide. Give me the Sabres on the puck line in this one.

Kraken vs. Sabres prediction: Sabres -1.5 (+135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Montreal Canadiens are traveling to Nashville to face the Predators for the second and final time this season. When these teams met back in October, Montreal secured a 3-2 overtime victory. Both teams are now vying for playoff spots, making every point crucial.

Nashville has won 4 of its last 5 games and is looking to put its recent loss to New Jersey behind it. They have received strong goaltending from Juuse Saros, who is expected to start. This season, the Predators have not been very aggressive in terms of shot attempts, which explains their average of fewer than 3 goals per game.

On the other hand, the Canadiens have had no trouble scoring this year, but their goaltending has improved significantly as well. Jakob Dube seems to have taken over as the starting goalie, and his performance in the last two games has been outstanding. We can expect a tightly contested match with limited scoring opportunities.

Canadiens vs Predators Prediction: Under 6.5 (-115) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be in St. Louis on Saturday night to take on the Blues. This is a battle between 2 teams who are eliminated from the playoff race and are just playing for pride. Each team is without one of their top players, the Leafs being without their Captain Auston Matthews and the Blues are without Robert Thomas who is battling an upper body injury. The Blues have been on a run of playing in low-scoring games. In their last 7 games, the under is 7-0. They are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, averaging only 2.61 goals per game. The also average the second-fewest shots on goal per game. The offensive production in this game will be taking a hit without Matthews and Thomas in the lineup. Joel Hofer is projected to get the start for the Blues. He has been good this season with a 2.38 GAA and .912 SVP. I expect him to be solid in net tonight.

I think we are in for a low-scoring game Saturday night in St. Louis as both of these teams will be lacking motivation and they are just playing out their schedules at this point in the season. Give me the under in this one.

Maple Leafs vs. Blues prediction: Under 6.0 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche face off for the second time in as many games. Colorado won the previous matchup 3-2 on Thursday and aims to extend their winning streak. They have been one of the most dominant teams this season, particularly at home, where they average nearly 4 goals per game and hold a 23-6-5 record.

While the Jets have kept their games competitive against the Avalanche, they struggle to create scoring opportunities overall. Connor Hellebuyck has performed well in goal, but without adequate support from the offense, his efforts may not be enough. Given how closely matched these teams are, I suggest taking the Puck Line in regulation. This way, if we don’t cover the spread, there’s still a chance for a push, especially since the game could hinge on an empty-net goal.

Jets vs Avalanche Prediction: Avalanche -1 (-105) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

The Philadelphia Flyers are traveling to Detroit to face the Red Wings for the first time this season. Both teams are competing for a playoff spot, making every game crucial. The Red Wings recently secured a 5-2 victory in Buffalo less than 24 hours ago and will be looking to maintain that momentum. John Gibson started in that game, and with Cam Talbot uncertain for this matchup, we may see him start again for back-to-back games. Gibson has been excellent on the road, but his performance tends to falter at home.

The Flyers do not generate many shots on goal, which explains why they are scoring fewer than 3 goals per game. They also limit opponents’ shots, making them a rather uneventful team overall. However, they are capable of scoring a few goals against a goalie who might be starting on short rest. The Red Wings have enough offensive talent to find the back of the net, and if either team is trailing in the late stages of the game, we can expect to see the goalie pulled for an extra forward relatively early. This matchup has the potential to be a high-scoring affair.

Flyers vs Red Wings Prediction: Over 5.5 (-120) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.