All but 2 teams are suited up on Saturday for what promises to be a phenomenal day and night of hockey. Just about every game has some kind of key implication on the playoff picture in both conferences. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, there is still plenty to shake out in terms of who will crack the playoffs, and where in the playoff picture they end up. Every day down the stretch is huge and Saturday is no exception.
If you will be tuning in and want to have some action, I’ve picked out my NHL best bets for Saturday, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Also, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the season, including all 15 matchups today.
NHL best bet: Blue Jackets -1.5 (+120) over Sharks
San Jose has fallen further out of the playoff picture due most recently to a current 6-game losing streak. That contributes to a stretch in which the Sharks are 5-10-4 in their last 19 games. They also have just two wins in their last 11 road games as part of a 15-19-2 road record on the season. In San Jose’s current losing streak, they lost 2 at home and 4 on the road by a combined score of 29-12. This team is getting bullied lately on any ice.
Meanwhile, Columbus has been one of the best teams in the NHL since mid-January. The catalyst has been a coaching change that completely changed the way this team plays for the better. Columbus’ defense and goaltending has been stellar, and they have collectively completely shut opponents down. Entering this game, the Blue Jackets have allowed 2 or fewer goals in 8 out of their last 10 games. That is a good matchup for a Sharks team that has scored 1 or fewer goals in 3 out of their last 4 games. It only helps that Columbus has scored at a decent clip as well. These +120 odds are solid value for what appears to be a lopsided matchup.
Read our full analysis of Saturday’s 15-game NHL slate
NHL best bet: Maple Leafs vs Blues over 5.5 (-122)
This has been a very disappointing season for both of these teams. One weakness they have in common leading to how they got here is weak goal prevention. The Blues have tightened up their goal prevention lately, but the Maple Leafs have not. Toronto allows the 3rd most goals per game in the NHL and St. Louis is not much better overall, ranking 22nd in the league in goals allowed per game.
While the Blues have been in solid form, they have caught several opponents at the right time that are either struggling or just plain a bad team. The Maple Leafs could qualify as both. But Toronto actually enters this game with consecutive wins, having scored 4 goals in each after allowing 9 goals in the 2 games prior. Their game totals have reached 7 goals in 3 out of their last 4 games with the other game in that stretch reaching 6 goals. Their average game total this season is 6.56 and trends have not deviated lately. The Maple Leafs should be the driver behind an over in this one given their ability to score, inability to prevent goals, and general volatility.
NHL best bet: Flames 3-way ML (+100) over Canucks
The rollercoaster season for the Flames has continued in the last couple of weeks. Calgary has had some brutal lows and almost hopeful highs. This month alone, they have followed up a 2-7-1 stretch with a current 4-0-1 run. During Calgary’s 5-game point streak, they beat St. Louis, Florida, Tampa, and Los Angeles prior to taking Anaheim beyond regulation. None of those opponents are pushovers and the Flames took care of business. On Saturday, they do get a pushover opponent.
The Canucks have been the worst team in the NHL all season. Recent results have been reflective of their season as a whole. They have lost their last 4 games by a combined score of 18-6. That is an average loss by 3 goals per game. That -3.0 goal differential per game is worse than their -1.23 goal differential per game this season. Somehow, this team has been even worse lately than their season averages. Even though the Flames are far from a juggernaut, they are in good form and have a favorable matchup against a worse team in worse form. This is another solid plus-money value.
Read our full individual game predictions from the first drop of the puck until the final horn on Saturday.
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