We are back, ladies and gents, as a neat-and-tidy 5-1 Saturday last week has us fired up for another big day of NHL betting action for what is sure to be a juicy slate of high-paced hockey action. What a start to the year it's been: The Anaheim Ducks looking like a complete wagon, the Montreal Canadiens turning heads with their offensive prowess, and even the veteran Pittsburgh Penguins getting dubs with regularity on the backs of hot starts from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – there is no shortage of surprises and we're only one month deep.

Hockey is alive and well and so is our pocketbook, so let's get after it with our top-three betting breakdowns and favorite side bets for this tantalizing 13-game board that features three matinee matchups and 10 evening tilts.

Good luck and let's get this paper.

Updated 2025-26 Saturday Record (Daily Record Tracked/Posted @Flips_Picks):

Gold: 1-2
Silver: 2-1
Bronze: 3-0
Side Bets: 3-6

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Gold Selection
Washington Capitals @ Tampa Bay Lightning – Pick: Lightning ML (-152)

What a difference a couple weeks can make. The Tampa Bay Lightning opened the year with a surprising one win through their first seven games and since then have completely hit a 180 with six wins out of their last seven. Most impressive of the turnaround is the teams in which those victories have come against, as the Bolts have beat down such Western Conference juggernauts as the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights in addition to the surging Utah Mammoth and upstart Detroit Red Wings – clearly this team has returned to the perennial-playoff threat it should be.

That's extremely bad news for Eastern Conference opponents, which this time around is the up-and-down Washington Capitals and struggling Great Eight in Alex Ovechkin. Ovi has only three goals in 14 games, which is seven shy of the 10-piece he put up across the same time frame only a season ago. His lack of production is clearly part of the offensive problem for the Caps, who are currently in the bottom third of the NHL in goals for. This is a classic case of two teams heading in different directions and a great spot for the Bolts at home to get the win against a team in Washington that they have victories in five of their last seven games against at Amalie Arena. Tampa. Moneyline. Lock it in.

Silver Selection
Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Auston Matthews Anytime Goal

Insert comment on Mitch Marner's departure impacting the Maple Leafs here:  ___________.

Even though we mentioned his name, we're not going to touch on that played out narrative, instead focusing on a much more obvious one when it comes to the long-term success of this team. Toronto will go as far as Auston Matthews carries it. Straight up and down, when 34 goes, so do the Maple Leafs and right now Papi is starting to cook with goals in three straight games while bringing his total on the year to eight.

Credit due for a Boston Bruins group that few gave any shot at cracking the playoffs let alone a top-three spot in the division, as the B's have reeled off five consecutive wins while climbing into a tie for second in the Atlantic. Clearly, with that kind of momentum, this will be far from a cake walk for a Leafs squad that has already dealt with injuries and inconsistent play to hinder their start to the 2025-26 NHL campaign.

However, with a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 against Boston and a confident Matthews in tow, the Leafs and their captain are in a great spot to stay hot. In 22 career regular-season games against the Bruins, Matthews is rocking 14 goals and 13 assists as well as three game-winning goals. When he starts stringing goals together, they tend to come in bunches, so don't be surprised when he cashes for us once again.

Bronze Selection
Utah Mammoth @ Montreal Canadiens – Pick: Over 6.5 (+108)

The future is now for these two up-and-coming clubs, each boasting one of the most offensively gifted rosters in the NHL today. Two lineups that have already propelled both the Canadiens and Mammoth to early success, as Utah sits in a tie for second in the Central Division and Montreal currently in a three-way tie for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Let's keep this one plain and simple, shall we? Two red-hot offenses, two teams in the top-five in NHL goals for, and the last time they played each other produced a total of eight goals. In addition, the total has gone over the number in four of Utah's last six road games, and the same can be said for six consecutive games overall for the Habs. This one is shaping up to be a good ol' fashioned barnburner with goal horns aplenty.

If you're getting a little degenerate and looking to spice things up a notch, the Canadiens are 15-5 in their last 20 games at the Bell Centre, so lean to them on the moneyline in a good spot here with the Mammoth on the third game of a tough five-game eastern road swing. However, our favorite play in this spot is the over 6.5, good for our bronze pick of the evening. 

Side Bets
Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Maple Leafs ML

Flip Livingstone is an NHL betting expert, fantasy writer, and daily podcast host with the Locked On Fantasy Hockey pod. He also has experience at outlets such as theScore NHL, Postmedia, and Hockey Night in Canada. You can follow him @Flips_Picks.