Saturday’s Picks: Knight Time
Flip Livingstone
2024-03-23
We are officially under a month away from the end of the 2023-24 NHL campaign. Meaning, we're running out of Saturdays to stack up some postseason cash. Last week was our first losing one of 2024, so we're primed for a major bounce back with a number of intriguing betting angles to plunder this evening.
Only 11 games on the NHL betting board this fine Saturday including four matinee tilts to take in. We break down our favorite three betting spots below including three side bets at the bottom of the article. Let's have a big week. Good luck.
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Updated 2023-24 Saturday Record (Complete Daily Record Tracked/Posted @Flips_Picks):
Gold: 11-5-0
Silver: 9-7-0
Bronze: 9-7-0
Side Bets (Located at Bottom of Article) : 26-22-0
Overall Record: 55-41-0
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Gold Selection
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Vegas Golden Knights – Pick: Knights PL (-134)
To put it mildly, the Vegas Golden Knights are in an extremely precarious position. Pushing all-in at the NHL trade deadline have expectations on The Strip sky high, but with the Knights only sitting four points up on the St. Louis Blues for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, Vegas is clearly at a tipping point.
Should this team punch its postseason ticket, which we all expect it should, there isn't a single team in the conference that will want to go through the Knights' deep and talented forward group, balanced backend, and blue-paint savant Adin Hill.
With all that said, going up against the Columbus Blue Jackets while the Jackets are on the second half of a tough back-to-back after playing the Colorado Avalanche last night is the perfect way to put points on the board and pad that cushion on the Blues.
In terms of the Blue Jackets, this team is straight up bad. One win in their last seven overall, one win in their last six on the road, and a slew of major injuries to key pieces have the Jackets reeling and ready for the golf course. It should be noted Columbus actually touts a solid 6-3-1 record against Vegas over their last 10, which includes a 6-3 smackshow in their last meeting earlier this month, so credit due.
However, given the spot Columbus is in having played last night coupled with the Knights back at home looking for blood after allowing six goals to the Jackets earlier this month with their playoff lives on the line, expect a complete 60-minute performance from Vegas. Golden Knights, puck line, let's get it.
Silver Selection
Connor McDavid Over 1.5 Anytime Points (-125)
This one really doesn't even need an explanation, does it? That's how good McJesus has been over the past, um, four months.
Not only has McDavid erased a massive point deficit in terms of the Art Ross race with Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon, currently sitting only 10 points back of Kucherov, but 97 is powering the Edmonton Oilers' ascent of the Pacific Division standings. McDavid loves playing against the Maple Leafs – especially in Toronto having grown up only 40 minutes north in Newmarket, Ontario. He shows out in a very big way with friends and family in attendance seemingly every single time he plays the Buds and his career numbers back that notion up, as the smooth-skating talisman flaunts 11 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in only 22 regular-season games against the Leafs. Not bad.
Fourteen out of McDavid's last 19 games have produced two-or-more points, the Leafs can allow goals in bunches, and the Oilers have scored 13 goals combined over their last three tilts against Toronto. McDavid has another big night in his own backyard, good for my Silver Pick of the night.
Bronze Selection
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Los Angeles Kings – Pick: Lightning ML (+110)
Let's keep this one short and sweet, shall we? Three main angles are playing into us loving this spot for the Lightning. First, the Bolts are cooking right now with impressive wins against the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights during their current five-game streak. Secondly, Tampa Bay absolutely owns the Kings in terms of the recent head-to-head to the tune of a 9-1-0 record over the last 10 meetings. Lastly, Los Angeles only has wins against the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and Ottawa Senators over their last stretch of games, so it's not exactly like this group has been battle tested of late.
Tampa will be a very tough team for any club to deal with if it can remain in a playoff spot and right now, the Bolts are showing their quality. The Lightning keep rolling with a big road in La La Land.
Side Bets
Auston Matthews Anytime Goal (-110)
Ottawa Senators @ New Jersey Devils – Pick: Devils ML (-164)
Edmonton Oilers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Over 6.5 (-120)
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.