Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Sunday, April 19

NHL best bets for Sunday's four first-round Game 1 playoff games with expert picks, parlays and odds as the run to the Stanley Cup begins for eight teams.

Updated on April 19, 2026 1:34PM EST

Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Sunday, April 19

By:

Daniel Dobish

Updated on April 19, 2026 1:34PM EST

NHL Picks

NHL Best Bets & Picks: Kings vs Avalanche, Mammoth vs Golden Knights & More – Expert Game Previews

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have four new series dropping the puck on Sunday, including the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 at 3 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV/HBO Max in the front end of a doubleheader. The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning play Game 1 at 5:45 p.m. ET in the second end of the TNT double dip.

At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Buffalo Sabres return to the postseason, hosting the Boston Bruins in Game 1 on ESPN, while the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights do battle at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Sunday's MLB and NBA basketball action. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.

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For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.

Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche

The Kings will be happy to see somebody different than the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. L.A. lost to Edmonton in the first round in each of the past four playoffs, including in six games last season.

The Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy with 55 wins and 121 points, most in the NHL. Of course, no Presidents' Trophy winner has hoisted the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks won it all in 2013, so Colorado has its work cut out to avoid the "curse".

These teams met three times during the regular season, with Colorado winning all three meetings by a combined 13-5, with at least four goals scored in each of the victories. It won 5-2 in the only regular-season meeting in Denver on Dec. 29 as the Over (6) cashed. The total was 1-1-1 in the three meetings.

The Kings are a pesky bunch, and they finished 7-2-4 in the final 13 games. Look for the Kings to hang around and cover the goal and a half as an underdog, while going high on the total.

Kings +1.5 Goals (+100 Caesars Sportsbook)
Over 5.5 (-128 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning

The Canadiens and Lightning battled down the stretch, trying to track down the Sabres in the Atlantic Division, but they just never could get there. As such, the Habs must travel to the Suncoast to try and slay the Lightning in the first round.

These teams meet four times in the regular season, with the teams splitting 2-2. Two of games were decided by a single goal, including a 5-4 SOW by the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Dec. 28.

The Canadiens won the two most recent meetings, a 4-1 win at Tampa as moderate dogs (+146) on March 31 as the Under (6.5) cashed, and 2-1 at Bell Centre in Montreal on April 9 at even-money (+100) as the Under (6.5) again hit.

We'll back the Canadiens catching a goal and a half here, as this one should be nip and tuck, not just in Game 1, but for the entire series. And, we'll go low on the total based on the previous two installments.

Canadiens +1.5 Goals (-150 at BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
Under 6.5 (-135 at DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbooks)

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Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

The Bruins travel to KeyBank Center in Buffalo, and the home of the Sabres is going to be a madhouse for Game 1. It's the first home playoff game since April 24, 2011, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round in Game 6 with Ryan Miller in net against Brian Boucher. Jiri Kulich of the Sabres had just celebrated his seventh birthday in Czechia when that game occurred. Yeah, it's been a while.

These Atlantic Division rivals met four times in the regular season, with Boston winning three of the meetings. Two of the wins came in overtime, including a 4-3 OTW on March 25 at KeyBank center as moderate underdogs (+168) as the Over (6.5) cashed.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (22-9-3, 2.51 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO) is expected to make his first-ever NHL playoff start, while Jeremy Swayman (31-18-4, 2.71 GAA, .907 SV%, 2 SO) is likely for the visitors.

I hate to rain on the parade in Buffalo, but the Bruins had the number of the Sabres in the regular season, and I can see the B's grinding out a lower-scoring game to snake home-ice advantage away in Game 1, although this should be a lengthy series.

Bruins ML (+145 at Bet365 Sportsbook)
Under 6.5 (-128 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights

The Mammoth make their postseason debut, although Salt Lake City will have to wait until Game 3 before Utah gets a home game.

The Golden Knights held on for the Pacific Division title, but facing the Mammoth, who finished with 92 points, is no bargain. In fact, Utah had just three fewer points than VGK did.

These teams met three times in the regular season, with Utah winning the final two installments, including a 4-0 win behind Karel Vejmelka on March 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as slight underdogs (+114) as the Under (6) cashed. Clayton Keller netted two goals to provide most of the offense. In fact, the total went low at a 2-0-1 clip in the three meetings this season, and it is 4-0-1 in the past five in the series since Nov. 15, 2024.

Let's back the Mammoth to get the job done outright in Game 1, although there is a ton of hockey remaining in this series, and it should be a seesaw affair. And, we'll go low on the total, per the series trends.