NHL Picks Today: 3 NHL Best Bets and Player Props for Saturday 4/18/26

Top NHL Picks at a Glance

• Carolina Hurricanes Moneyline
• Minnesota Wild Moneyline
• Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline

Whether it's moneylines, goal props, or who lights the lamp, there are plenty of ways to bet on NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL player prop projections, which are powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

NHL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Today's Best NHL Betting Picks for the NHL Playoffs

Bet #1 — Carolina Hurricanes Moneyline

Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes | Game 1 | 3:00 PM ET

Step-by-Step Analysis:

Step 1 — Regular Season Records Tell the Story. The Carolina Hurricanes finished the 2026 regular season with 113 points, the best record in the entire Eastern Conference and second-best in the NHL overall. They earned the Metropolitan Division title with a 53-22-7 mark and will have home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Ottawa Senators, while a genuinely talented team, enters as the second wild card with 97 points — a 16-point gap that reflects the substantial difference in these rosters.

Step 2 — Carolina's Offensive Depth Is Unprecedented. The Hurricanes are the only team in the NHL this season to have seven different players reach the 20-goal threshold: Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and Jordan Staal. Aho led the team with 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in 79 games. Their power play — the best in the East and fourth-best in the NHL at 24.9% — features the dangerous combination of Shayne Gostisbehere and the offseason acquisition of Ehlers, whose chemistry has elevated a unit that was previously a liability in Carolina.

Step 3 — Analytics Favor the Hurricanes. Carolina ranks second in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage at 55.89%, meaning they control possession, territory, and chance quality at an elite rate. Only Colorado, the Presidents' Trophy winner, is better. Ottawa sits third at 54.39% — which is impressive — but is on the road and facing a Hurricanes team that outpaces them by a full percentage point in that critical metric. The Canes also average 32.2 shots per game (second in the League) and allow just 23.9 (fewest in the NHL).

Step 4 — Regular Season Head-to-Head Needs Context. The teams split three regular-season meetings, with the results heavily influenced by situational factors. Carolina's 4-3 win in Raleigh on Feb. 3 came with a rest advantage and against a backup goaltender. Ottawa's 6-3 win on April 5 came as Carolina played a back-to-back with their division already clinched against a Senators team fighting for playoff lives. Both conditions created not-super-reliable outcomes. In neutral competitive contexts, Carolina's superior roster depth, coaching (Rod Brind'Amour is one of the best in the NHL), and home advantage should be decisive.

Step 5 — Goaltending Edge Leans Carolina. Brandon Bussi has been a revelation for Carolina after being claimed off waivers from Florida in October, going 6-0 in his most recent stretch with a 2.00 GAA and .938 save percentage. Ottawa's Linus Ullmark — the Sens' likely Game 1 starter — is a quality goalie, too, but Bussi enters the playoffs hot and is arguably the most important factor in determining whether Carolina goes deep.

Step 6 — Ottawa's Penalty Kill Is a Major Liability. The Senators' penalty kill ranked fourth-to-last in the NHL at 75.5% — a critical vulnerability against a Carolina power play that converted at 24.9%. Carolina can draw penalties, deploy Gostisbehere and Ehlers, and punish Ottawa repeatedly on the man advantage if Ottawa takes undisciplined penalties.

Bet #2 — Minnesota Wild Moneyline

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars | Game 1 | 5:30 PM ET

Step-by-Step Analysis:

Step 1 — This Is the Tightest Matchup in the Entire First Round. The Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series opened as the closest betting line on the board and has continued to tighten. Dallas was originally priced at -140 to advance but has drifted to -120 as things move toward Minnesota, which is now available near even money. This movement reflects the market's recognition that this matchup is essentially a coin flip.

Step 2 — Minnesota Has the Regular Season Series Edge. The Wild took the regular season series 2-1 and outshot Dallas across all three meetings by a combined 101-73. That is a staggering shot differential that reflects Minnesota's ability to generate territorial dominance and dictate puck possession.

Step 3 — Dallas Is Significantly Injured. The most important development entering Game 1 is Dallas's injury situation. Miro Heiskanen — arguably the best two-way defenseman in the NHL and the backbone of Dallas's defensive structure — sustained a lower-body injury in Dallas's 5-4 win over Minnesota on April 9 and missed the Stars' last three regular-season games. His status for Game 1 is uncertain. Additionally, Roope Hintz — one of the Stars' most important pieces — will miss at least the first two games of the series with a lower-body injury. Jason Johnston himself acknowledged these are "two huge pieces." Losing a top-pairing defenseman and a 44-point center is clearly a blow to the Stars.

Step 4 — Minnesota's Goaltending Gives Them an Edge. The Wild's Jesper Wallstedt has been the hotter goaltender since the Olympic break, posting a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage across 12 games including 10 starts in that stretch. Dallas's Jake Oettinger — while a proven playoff performer with a 2.01 GAA and .929 save percentage in six career games against Minnesota — is facing a Wild team that has evolved significantly since their 2023 playoff matchup. Wallstedt represents a genuine upgrade in net for Minnesota.

Step 5 — Kirill Kaprizov Is the Best Offensive Player on the Ice. Minnesota's captain Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild offensively and should be the best player in this series. In a series this close, individual difference-makers matter enormously, and Kaprizov — in a game with Heiskanen potentially not playing — may find more open ice than usual.

Bet #3 — Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins | Game 1 | 8:00 PM ET

Step-by-Step Analysis:

Step 1 — Pittsburgh Dominated the Regular Season Series. The Pittsburgh Penguins went 2-0-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers during the regular season, outscoring the Flyers 16-9 across those four meetings.

Step 2 — Crosby and Malkin Are Generational Postseason Advantages. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each enter their franchise-leading 17th postseason. Crosby (201 career playoff points) is tied with Jaromir Jagr for fifth all-time in NHL playoff points. Malkin (180) owns the fourth-most playoff points ever by a player born outside North America. No other team in the first round has this level of postseason pedigree concentrated in its top two forwards. Crosby has more career regular-season goals (60) against Philadelphia than any other NHL team, and since returning from injury in mid-March, he has accumulated 15 points across 12 games, entering the playoffs at the peak of his form.

Step 3 — Philadelphia's Goaltending Depth Is a Structural Concern. With Tristan Jarry traded to Edmonton at the deadline, Pittsburgh is rolling with Arturs Silovs (.889 Sv%) and Stuart Skinner (.888 Sv%). Skinner does bring Stanley Cup Final experience with Edmonton. However, Silovs is relatively untested at this level. This is a legitimate concern for the Penguins, but it is also already priced into the -170 series line. For a single Game 1 bet at home, with Crosby and Malkin driving the offense, Pittsburgh's advantages in talent, experience, and venue can overwhelm the goaltending question.

Step 4 — Philadelphia Is Young, Physical, and Untested. The Flyers finished with a roster built around players 25 and under, including Matvei Michkov (21), Porter Martone (19), and their best player Dan Vladar (a genuine No. 1 goaltender who went 5-1 in his final six starts with a 1.81 GAA and .921 SV%). Vladar's form entering the playoffs is legitimately impressive, and his career record against Pittsburgh (2-3-1 in six appearances) is a data point worth noting. But a young team making its first playoff appearance at a raucous PPG Paints Arena on an ESPN national stage against one of hockey's most iconic franchises is a significant psychological and experiential disadvantage in Game 1.

Step 5 — Pittsburgh's Power Play Is the Most Dangerous Weapon in the Series. Pittsburgh's 24.2% power play went 7-for-18 against Philadelphia during the regular season. Erik Karlsson — with 22 power-play assists and 66 points in 75 games — is one of the best power-play quarterbacks in the NHL and has recorded at least one point in each of his last two meetings with Philadelphia. If Philadelphia's 77.2% penalty kill (which ranks among the worst in the playoffs) is exposed, this series could end quickly.

NHL Betting -- Frequently Asked Questions

What is the moneyline in NHL betting?

The moneyline is a straight-up bet on which team will win the game — no spread involved. Favorites are listed with a negative number (e.g., -160), meaning you'd need to wager $160 to win $100. Underdogs carry a positive number (e.g., +140), meaning a $100 bet returns $140 in profit.

What is the puck line?

The puck line is hockey's version of a point spread. It is almost always set at 1.5 goals. The favorite must win by two or more goals to cover, while the underdog can lose by one goal and still cover.

How does the over/under (total) work in hockey?

FanDuel sets a total number of goals for the game (including overtime and shootout goals). You bet whether the actual combined score will go Over or Under that number. NHL totals typically range from 5.5 to 6.5 goals. The shootout winner will have a goal added to their total. For example, if the score is 2-2 after regulation, and one team wins the shootout, the final score for settlement purposes is 3-2. However, some prop bets are settled on regulation time only — always check the specific rules for each bet at your sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.