A busy Friday evening of NHL action leaves us with a relatively compact board of betting options for our favorite day of the week. That also means a handful of teams will be on the second half of back-to-backs, resulting in a number of different goaltending matchups that will obviously impact odds and lines. Make sure you have the latest lineups locked down before laying any wagers.

In terms of the first half of the season and picks, we're sitting at the even .500 mark heading into 2024, so let's have a big evening and end this year in style. Nine games on tap and a number of advantageous betting scenarios to break down. Let's get this paper.

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Updated 2023-24 Saturday Record (Complete Daily Record Tracked/Posted @Flips_Picks):

Gold: 5-3-0
Silver: 4-4-0
Bronze: 4-4-0
Side Bets (Located at Bottom of Article) : 11-13-0
Overall Record: 24-24-0

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Gold Selection
Montreal Canadiens @ Florida Panthers – Pick: Panthers -1.5 (+100)

Before diving too deep into this one and why we're backing the Panthers here, the Montreal Canadiens deserve some love, as Marty St. Louis' crew has points in seven of their last 10 including wins against legitimate playoff-quality clubs like the New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets.

At the same time, however, it also should be noted the Habs are definitely an overachieving bunch, as a deeper look into their special teams (21st-ranked power play/29th-ranked penalty kill) and all-around play clearly indicate a team still establishing its identity and definitely lacking in terms of backend talent.

The same definitely cannot be said for a Florida team touting the likes of such beastly blue-liners as Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour, the underrated Niko Mikkola, and others. Wins in three straight games over the New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning have the Panthers playing their best hockey of the season. Balanced scoring, a red-hot Sam Reinhart, strong goaltending from both Sergei Bobrovsky, and the aforementioned D-men see the Cats climbing the Atlantic Division standings to now sit only two points adrift of the Boston Bruins and top spot in the conference.

Florida is proving last year's improbable run to the Stanley Cup was no fluke and Montreal has dropped their last seven visits to South Florida. As alluded to at the opening of the article, the goalie matchup in this one needs to be analyzed, as Bobrovsky was in the crease last night for the Panthers' 4-3 victory over the Rangers and Anthony Stolarz is likely to man the cage. If that is the case, taking the Cats on the moneyline instead might be the move.

Either way, Florida, hammer time.

Silver Selection
Edmonton Oilers @ L.A. Kings – Pick: Oilers ML (+105)

Don't look now but the Edmonton Oilers are really starting to look like the team we all thought they were entering the season as a real Cup threat. Obvious issues with goaltending, slow starts from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and a new defensive system clearly not working are all weaknesses that have seemingly been rectified since the firing of former bench boss Jay Woodcroft.

Straight up and down the Oilers are absolutely cooking right now, putting up impressive road dubs against the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and most recently, a neat-and-tidy shutout against the San Jose Sharks. Actually, Edmonton is a stellar 11-3 over its last 14 games and are once again alive in the postseason push.

Everyone knows this team runs through 97 and 29, but the fact that both Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are also having strong seasons makes this Edmonton group a very tough one to matchup against. Zero disrespect to an L.A. Kings team that is one of the most potent in the NHL, but we're riding with the red-hot Oilers in this spot, one in which they have victories in eight of their last 11 trips to La-La Land.

We're getting great odds here at plus money, so add this into your favorite parlay or don't be shy about throwing down on this one straight up. Oilers get it done on the road once again for Silver Pick of the night.

Bronze Selection
Sebastian Aho Anytime Assist (+110)

Speaking of hot, somebody throw some respect on Sebastian Aho's name real quick, as the smooth-skating Finn has 12 points in his last five, including back-to-back four-point games.

Considering the fact that 10 of those points came via assists, it's a bit curious we're getting plus money here. Especially when you factor in the relatively poor defensive play of the Hurricanes opponent Saturday in the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that just blew a large lead while allowing a six-piece to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, and this feels like an excellent spot for Aho to continue to hit the scoresheet with regularity. In 17 career regular-season games against Toronto, Aho's registered only four assists and seven points, so there's not a ton to go on here in terms of head-to-head track record.

However, Aho's recent play and ability to distribute the puck and create for his teammates right now is uncanny. Combine that with Martin Jones and a beleaguered Buds blueline and this should be yet another great spot getting plus money. Aho anytime assist is my Bronze Pick of the night.

Side Bets
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Buffalo Sabres – Pick: Over 6.5 (-140)

St. Louis Blues @ Pittsburgh Penguins – Pick: Penguins ML (-190)

Connor McDavid Anytime Assist (+110)

Flip Livingstone is an NHL betting and NHL fantasy writer and daily podcast host with experience at outlets such as theScore NHL, Narcity Media, Postmedia, and Hockey Night in Canada. You can follow him @Flips_Picks.