In tonight's NHL expert picks, I've found some credible moneyline, puckline and total bets for the final Saturday night of the regular season.
bruins vs penguins
The Game: Boston Bruins vs pittsburgh Penguins, 8 PM ET
| Team | Puckline | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | -1.5 (+185) | O6 (-105) | -135 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1.5 (-225) | U6 (-115) | +114 |
Pick: Penguins ML (+114)
We're down to the wire. The Penguins are just one-point ahead of Washington and Detroit in the Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Pittsburgh has chose the perfect time to get hot, winning five of its last six outings.
Hosting the big, bad Bruins at PPG Paints Arena, the Pens are fresh off a thrilling 6-5 OT must-win over Detroit. Pittsburgh has won eight straight games on home ice after playing overtime the matchup prior.
For the last Saturday of the regular season, I'm looking strictly at motivation here. Crosby is aging backwards, pocketing 10 points in his last six outings. Plenty to play for if you're Pittsburgh. The Pens don't want their season to end.
Sidney Crosby appeared to intentionally get tossed from the faceoff circle to begin overtime.
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 12, 2024
He then jumped the play when Dylan Larkin won the draw, collecting the loose puck.
Crosby is really playing 4D chess 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9KWV6a3fXK
red wings vs maple leafs
The Game: Detroit Red Wings vs Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 pM ET
| Team | Puckline | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | +1.5 (-155) | O6.5 (-120) | +150 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -1.5 (+130) | U6.5 (+102) | -180 |
Pick: Red Wings ML (+150)
Continuing on the topic of motivation, the Red Wings are also in the race with the Penguins. Dropping the recent outing with Pittsburgh delated the tires a bit, but walking away with one point is better than nothing.
You'd think facing the offensively talented Toronto would be intimidating -- not for Detroit. The Red Wings have won three of their last four matchups against the Leafs as underdogs.
The history of Saturday night fever is alive and well with Detroit going 8-2 SU this season on Saturdays. Five of those victories came against skilled groups like Vancouver, Vegas, Tampa Bay, Boston and LA.
Detroit should shake off the loss and get back to focusing on winning one game at a time.
canucks vs oilers
The Game: vancouver canucks vs edmonton oilers, 10 PM ET
| Team | Puckline | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | +1.5 (-200) | O6.5 (-102) | +114 |
| Edmonton Oilers | -1.5 (+165) | U6.5 (-118) | -135 |
Pick: U6.5 (-118)
Edmonton (3.62 GPG) and Vancouver (3.42 GPG) are two of the best offenses in the league -- yet, I'm still going with the UNDER.
The Oilers may still be without McDavid, who has been sitting out with a lower body tweak. For Edmonton, the total has gone UNDER in 4 of its last 6 games.
Meanwhile, the Canucks have cashed the UNDER in 4 of their last 6 games on the road.
