NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Daily Best Bets and Predictions

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The quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup has begun!

Sixteen teams will compete for what’s often said to be the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, but only one can be crowned NHL champion in June.

Our hockey experts will deliver their NHL Playoffs best bets and NHL picks every day from now until the Stanley Cup is presented.

NHL Playoffs best bets for April 18 & 19

Game	Best bet	Odds
OTT vs. CAR	Cozens 1+ points	+115
MIN vs. DAL	Wild moneyline	+105
PHI vs. PIT	Under 6.5	-130
LAK vs. COL	Avalanche -1.5	+105
MTL vs. TB	Slafkovsky o0.5 points	-145

Odds courtesy of Kalshi.

Saturday, April 18

Senators vs Hurricanes Game 1

3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Best bet: Dylan Cozens 1+ points (+115 at Kalshi)

Dylan Cozens finished the regular season third in scoring for the Ottawa Senators, registering a point in five of his last six games.

He notched a multi-point performance in a 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on April 5, and had four points in two games against them this season.

Perhaps more importantly, the Yukon native strung together a four-game point streak to help secure a second consecutive postseason berth for the Sens.

Furthermore, his 28 shots in the month of April are nine more than his closest teammates, a testament to his level of confidence right now.

Anytime goalscorer pick: Andrei Svechnikov (+195 at Kalshi)

Andrei Svechnikov has scored in six of his last seven games, hitting his stride at the perfect time.

The 2018 second-overall pick led the ‘Canes with eight playoff goals last season, and has scored in three straight games against Atlantic Division opponents. He scored against the Senators on April 5.

Four of his last six goals have come via the power play, which matches up well against the Sens’ abysmal 29th-ranked penalty kill.

Wild vs Stars Game 1

5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Best bet: Wild moneyline (+105 at Kalshi)

The Dallas Stars limped into the postseason with a 7-5-2 record, and just three of those wins came against postseason teams. More concerning, Dallas ranked 20th in expected goals percentage at five-on-five.

For comparison, the Minnesota Wild ranked fourth in xGF% at 5-on-5 during the same stretch.

As noted, Dallas will be without key center Roope Hintz, and No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen (lower body) is likely to play at less than 100% after missing the final three games of the regular season and being deemed questionable for the series opener.

Stars No. 1 Jake Oettinger is also coming off his worst NHL season with a .899 save percentage and just 23.14 goals saved above expected across 54 starts.

Anytime goalscorer pick: Joel Eriksson Ek (+325 at Kalshi)

Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek has only scored twice with a 4.6 shooting percentage across his past 17 games despite piling up an impressive 7.96 expected goals and 29 high-danger scoring chances.

There’s statistical correction coming in the goals column for Eriksson Ek considering he’s been dangerous and also posted an 11.3 SH% across 387 games since the beginning of the 2020 campaign.

Flyers vs Penguins Game 1

8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Best bet: Under 6.5 (-130 at Kalshi)

The Philadelphia Flyers were dominant defensively at five-on-five down the stretch with the fewest goals against and second-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes during their NHL best 15-5-1 run after the March 6 trade deadline.

Excellent defense will be critical against the Pittsburgh Penguins because the Pens paced the league in goals per 60 minutes and team shooting percentage at 5-on-5 during the same result.

I’m anticipating the solid Philly defense to help kick-start statistical correction to the shooting efficiency from Pittsburgh and pave the way to this total going Under the number in Game 1.

Anytime goalscorer pick: Travis Konecny (+270 at Kalshi)

Flyers winger Travis Konecny only scored twice across his final 13 games of the regular season despite recording 3.67 individual expected goals and 14 high-danger scoring chances while averaging 18:20 of ice time and jumping the boards with the No. 1 power-play unit. His 7.4 shooting percentage during the skid was also way below his 17.7% mark through the first 64 games of the season.

Sunday, April 19

Kings vs Avalanche Game 1

3:00 p.m. ET, TNT.

Best bet: Avalanche -1.5 (+105 at Kalshi)

The Colorado Avalanche ran over the Los Angeles Kings in the regular season, winning all three meetings by multiple goals while beating them 13-5 in aggregate.

That was par for the course for Los Angeles when facing high-end teams, especially defensively.

Los Angeles lost seven of its last 10 games against Top-10 defensive teams, averaging 1.8 goals and 24.9 shots per game. Generating offense was a massive challenge.

It won’t get any easier for them against the Avalanche, who went 15-3-1 with a net goal differential of +1.79 per game following 2+ days of rest.

Anytime goalscorer pick: Nathan MacKinnon (-125 at Kalshi)

Nathan MacKinnon led the NHL in goals, shot attempts, and shots on target during the regular season. He was especially productive when well-rested.

He has scored 10 goals over his last nine games while working on two days of rest, and five goals spanning four games after having 3+ days of rest.

MacKinnon also found the net in 64% of Colorado’s home wins, and I expect the Avalanche to win decisively here.

5:45 p.m. ET, TNT.

Best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky Over 0.5 points (-145 at Kalshi)

Juraj Slafkovsky had an excellent campaign altogether but was especially effective down the stretch, producing 28 points over 25 games following the Olympics.

It wasn’t as if Slafkovsky had a couple of ceiling performances to exaggerate his numbers. He was remarkably consistent, hitting the scoresheet at least once in 18 games — good for a 74% clip.

Slafkovsky faced the Tampa Bay Lightning twice during that stretch and produced multiple points in both meetings. That is nothing new for Slafkovsky, who has points in five of his last six against the Bolts.

Look for Slafkovsky to make an impact in Game 1.

Anytime goalscorer pick: Nikita Kucherov (+130 at Kalshi)

Nikita Kucherov hasn’t scored in back-to-back playoff series, but a steady dose of Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling certainly had a lot to do with it.

The Canadiens don’t have true shutdown personnel — particularly on the backend — of that level, and head coach Jon Cooper also controls the matchups. That should result in less time against Selke candidate Nick Suzuki, which would help Kucherov’s cause.

Look for Kucherov to put his recent postseason struggles behind him.

Popular NHL betting markets

The NHL is a betting buffet — the key is picking the right market for your edge.

Futures: Not only can you bet on the team you think will win it all in the Stanley Cup odds, but you can also wager on Conn Smythe odds. The latter trophy is awarded to the player judged to be the best performer in the postseason, not just in the Stanley Cup Final

Game lines: The spread, moneyline, and total are the bread-and-butter once the playoffs begin. As the postseason rolls on and teams become more risk-averse, lines will get tighter and totals will drop, so bettors can take advantage of swings throughout series one way or the other.

Props: NHL player props will still be going strong all the way until a potential Game 7 of the Cup Final. The most popular markets include anytime goalscorer, player points, assists, shots on goal, and goalie saves.

Same-game parlays: SGPs can be fun, but value varies. Compare the parlay payout to betting legs individually, and prioritize lines you’d play on their own.

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