Welcome back, fellow degenerates, let's kick-off the first hockey Saturday of 2025 with a big day for the pocketbooks. We've returned from our holiday siesta and are back in the lab cooking up some tasty picks for our favourite NHL betting day of the week and with 12 games on tap, there's plenty of options to choose from. We highlight our favourite three bets with breakdowns below along with our top-three side bets at the bottom of the article that will also be catching a little bit of our loot. Good luck and let's get this paper.

Complete 2024-25 Saturday Record (Daily Record Tracked/Posted @Flips_Picks):

Gold: 5-5
Silver: 8-2
Bronze: 4-6
Side Bets (Located at Bottom of Article): 19-10
2024-25 Combined Saturday Record: 36-24

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Gold Selection
Utah Hockey Club @ Dallas Stars – Pick: Stars ML (-179)

After a rugged showing two weeks ago where our picks went an abysmal 2-4 overall, we're back in the saddle looking to recoup some losses by riding with a few clear favourites for lesser odds, so these selections are perfect to slap together into your favourite parlay of the evening. That starts with the backing of a stingy Dallas Stars team who has been hot of late and that has absolutely owned Utah/Arizona over their recent head-to-head meetings. Not only have the Stars won four of their last five overall, but they're rocking a sparkling 18-1 record against this Utah/Arizona franchise that cannot be ignored.

Dallas is also one of the toughest groups to play against on home ice, as head coach Pete DeBoer has made a fortress out of American Airlines Center over the past couple of seasons with the Stars flaunting the second-best home record this season at 15-5-1. Sure, the Stars have been beating up on some really bad teams of late, with recent victories coming against the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, and also this very same Utah side, but they are the far superior team with recent form and statistical trends both leaving us feeling more than comfortable running with them for our gold pick of the night.

If the Stars can get out to an early lead, this one could get out-of-hand in a hurry as Dallas has the tendency to clamp down on opponents as the best defensive team in the NHL right now allowing a league-low goals-against number at a miniscule 93. Dallas. Moneyline. Lock it in.

Silver Selection
Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Under 6.5 (-168)

Hockey Night in Canada and two Original Six rivals going toe-to-toe on one of hockey’s biggest stages in downtown Toronto. If that doesn't fire up a couple of passionate fan bases, then nothing will. With both of these Atlantic Division foes having a bit of hard time producing goals right now, both the Bruins and Leafs will be hoping for the same kind of passion igniting their slightly anemic offensive groups as both sides head into this one jockeying for early division position. A lot on the line, a big-time platform, two teams struggling to light the lamp, and recent head-to-head statistics all pointing to a low-scoring affair.

This one jumps off the page as a spot to really love the under. A lot of sportsbooks have this number sitting at 5.5, but we like it a lot more at 6.5 and take the lower odds and move on. The total has stayed under the number in four of Boston's last five trips to Scotiabank Arena and the total has done the same in seven of the last nine meetings overall between the Buds and Bs.

Despite a disappointing start for the usually rock-solid Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins netminder has turned it around of late while looking much more comfortable in his cage over his last seven with a 4-2-1 record, .921 save percentage, and a shutout to show for it. In the other cage should once again be the red-hot Joseph Woll, who has been defending Toronto's blue paint with cerebral-like precision in his last three starts, allowing only four goals on 89 shots. This one should have playoff-like intensity from puck drop and stay under the number for our silver selection.

Bronze Selection
Edmonton Oilers @ Seattle Kraken – Pick: Oilers ML (-180)

We've said it before and we will once again, louder this time for the people in the back: The Seattle Kraken are a bad team. Nothing really moves the needle with this group at either end of the ice, as the Kraken are a club that's allowed the second-most goals-against in the Pacific Division while also being below average on special teams and lacking in team identity.

The Oilers haven't exactly been a shining example of success of late either, but back-to-back wins in their last two have Edmonton pointing back in the right direction and primed to go on a run here starting with a franchise in Seattle that they have wins in five straight against on Kraken ice. We're keeping this real short and sweet: Edmonton for an easy two points. Book it.

Side Bets
Montreal Canadiens @ Colorado Avalanche – Pick: Over 6.5 (-114)
St. Louis Blues @ Columbus Blue Jackets – Pick: Blues ML (+100)
Buffalo Sabres @ Vegas Golden Knights – Pick: Jack Eichel 2+ Points (+132)

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.