Flip Livingstone's Picks

Only two Saturday's left on the NHL schedule, my friends. With the NHL postseason drawing near, our opportunities to make this regular-season money are dwindling. However, after yet another week of entertaining hockey we should be in store for a juicy day of NHL betting action with 13 matchups on tap today.

Playoff races in both the Eastern and Western Conference are tightening, and with that you can expect a lot of one-goal-game results, so keep that in mind when taking a look into any puck lines on your betting card.

Avoid the April Fools' day madness and let's tap in to a big day of NHL bets. Good luck and as always, enjoy the games.

2022-23 Saturday Record Breakdown (Complete Daily Record Tracked/Posted @Flips_Picks)

Gold: 8-4
Silver: 6-6
Bronze: 8-4
Side bets: 22-12-2

Total Saturday Record: 44-26-2

Gold Selection

Carolina Hurricanes @ Montreal Canadiens – Pick: Hurricanes PL -1.5 (-110)

If you actually read the intro above then you're probably wondering why I would immediately contradict myself in terms of being weary of puck-line bets during this crucial stretch of the season. Well, the reasoning behind this bet is simple, yet solid: the Hurricanes are playing for the division and the Canadiens are touching up their short games for an early trip to the links.

However, if you need more assurance than just the plain obvious, I've got you. Not only have the Habs been an absolute pin-cushion this season in terms of allowing goals, only the Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Sharks have allowed more, but they've been absolutely dominated by Carolina over their last 10 meetings.

The Hurricanes have gone beast mode against Montreal to the tune of an 8-1-1 record, with four of those wins being by two-or-more goals, leaving me feeling more than comfortable taking the puck line here in favor of the much better team. Carolina is 9-4 away from home over its last 13 and that trend continues tonight as the Canes further their push for home ice advantage and the Metro Division crown.

Silver Selection

New York Islanders @ Tampa Bay Lightning – Pick: Under 6.5 (-210)

I'm keeping these breakdowns much shorter and sweeter this week than I usually do, but that's mostly because the betting angles and games I'm looking at don't need much explanation. They make sense and the recent trends back them up – for the most part.

Case in point is the matchup between the Isles and Bolts in what is sure to be a playoff-like atmosphere at Amalie Arena tonight between two teams with their eyes locked on postseason positioning.

Straight up, this one feels like an UNDER, and with a lot of books having the total sitting at 6 or even 5.5, I really like teasing the number up a little for reduced odds. Not only does this game feature two of the best netminders in the entire world with Russian counterparts Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin manning the blue paint, but with so much on the line for both Tampa and New York, I truly expect to see playoff-like performances from both sides.

The last three games for each the Islanders and Lightning have stayed UNDER the number and that happens once again tonight in Tampa. Don't be shy about teasing that number up like I have, up to 6.5 with the total staying UNDER for my Silver Pick of the evening.

Bronze Selection

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators – Pick: Auston Matthews OVER 1.5 Points (+110)

Yeah, I know, another week, another shot at an Auston Matthews player prop. However, this week we're switching things up a little and going with the OVER 1.5 anytime points for a player in Matthews who's hitting his stride at the most opportune time of the year for Sheldon Keefe's Maple Leafs. Matthews has looked like his old lethal self over his past 10 games, putting up eight goals, eight assists and a whopping 59 shots on net while logging well over 20 minutes a night in ice time.

All indications pointing to another big night from the Toronto talisman against a franchise that he has completely owned over his career. Matthews' last time out against the Sens produced a two-point game to bring his career regular-season total against Ottawa to a sensational 23 goals and 20 assists in only 28 games. Aside from his track record against the Senators and his reignited ability to dominate the offensive zone, this matchup tonight against Ottawa is just screaming for a crooked number finish.

Ottawa is banged up on the blue line in a very big way with newly-added Jakob Chychrun and more recently Thomas Chabot now out with injury, and they've struggled all season to stay healthy in the crease which has resulted in a mediocre ability to keep the puck out of their own zone and net. Matthews takes advantage of that tonight with another clutch performance against Toronto's inter-provincial rival who are fighting for the postseason lives.

Side Bets

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators – Pick: Over 6.5 (-123)

Dallas Stars @ Colorado Avalanche – Pick: Avalanche ML (-145)

L.A. Kings @ Seattle Kraken – Pick: Kings ML (+100)

San Jose Sharks @ Arizona Coyotes – Pick: Under 6.5 (-105)

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

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Brad Hayward's Picks

It's coming down to the nitty-gritty in your fantasy playoffs, isn't it now? And you should have planned enough to have players starting last night and on Sunday, and yet have a full roster today. There have been a few crazy dropped players in a couple of my leagues, and I only hope that my fantasy players got all of my encouraging texts and emails (sic).   

Last night the news I watched was about Devon Levi.  He got his first start and his first win against the New York Rangers, and had several really impressive saves. Buffalo – both the organization and the fan base – expect big things from him over the coming years. The Sabres are a young team, and maybe they all hit their stride in 2024-25. Anyway, congrats to Mr. Levi.   

Season Stats

(Last week, 6-0-0)

Gold: 8-5-0

Silver: 6-6-1

Bronze: 8-5-0

Side bets: 25-11-0

Overall Saturday record: 47-27-1 

Gold Selection

New Jersey Devils @ Chicago Blackhawks – Pick: Devils to cover -1.5 goals (-130)

The Metropolitan Division is far from set for its final standings. New Jersey came through large on Thursday, with a 2-1 victory over the Rangers, and then New York, losing again last night can help the Devils, just one point back, focus on catching Carolina – still entirely possible. The Hurricanes are limping in at 4-6-1 in their past 11 games, although only one of their final eight contests will be played against teams currently in playoff positions.  The Hawks, on the flip side, have lost seven in a row, all by over that 1.5 goal spread.  Jonathan Toews' return on home ice makes a difference?  Maybe. 

Silver Selection

San Jose Sharks @ Arizona Coyotes – Pick: Matias Maccelli to have 1+ assists (+130)

Maccelli has been a quiet story in the desert.  First, it's Arizona, and Clayton Keller (82 points, over 200 shots, 20 PPP) gets comparatively no press to the larger market stars.  Then, he's a rookie on a team with several higher-ranked prospects, like Conor Geekie, Barrett Hayton, and Dylan Guenther. But Maccelli leads this year's rookie class in assists with 33, and he had 13 points in March.  San Jose having a porous blue line, and Arizona's success at Mullett Arena, and I'm figuring this bet to be worth Silver, indeed. 

Bronze Selection

Buffalo Sabres @ Philadelphia Flyers – Pick: Flyers to win (-110 ML)

This is an even-odds bet on DraftKings. But the Sabres are on the back half of an emotional 3-2 win, and Philly is playing their best hockey of the season, 5-0-2 in their past seven. The Rangers' kid-line gets far more attention, but Morgan Frost between Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee could be a force to fly over the next several seasons. Most prognosticators would have Philadelphia well behind both Ottawa and Buffalo for future success, but I'm not underestimating John Tortorella. Torts still has it, and the team's buy-in to his system makes a playoff appearance in 2023-24 (wow!) more than a pipe dream.  

Side Bets

Goalscorer Brady Tkachuk (+125), against Matt Murray and the Leafs

Los Angeles Kings (+100) to defeat Seattle

And, nostalgia overwhelming me…. Jonathan Toews (+195) to register an assist in his return

Brad Hayward writes a weekly DFS column for Dobber Hockey, and is a recently-retired surgeon. Message him @dokhockey.