NHL Best Bets & Picks: Sabres vs Islanders & Canadiens vs Bruins & More – Expert Game Previews
The National Hockey League (NHL) has nine total games on the slate for Saturday, including a matinee game at 1 p.m. EST between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders on ESPN+. We also have a 3:30 p.m. EST puck drop between the Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators at 3:30 p.m. EST, and an NHL Network game between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. EST.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with NBA and/or NCAA basketball action. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.
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Buffalo Sabres 
at New York Islanders 
The Sabres (28-17-5) and Islanders (27-18-5) meet at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
On Dec. 20, these teams met at KeyBank Center in the first meeting this season, with the Sabres posting a 3-2 win in a shootout as the Under (6.5) cashed. The Sabres have won four of the past six meetings in the series, with the underdog going 3-2 in the previous five meetings, with the Under going 2-1 in the past three meetings, and 8-2 across the past 10 in the series since Jan. 19, 2023.
Buffalo has won two of the first three games on the current five-game road trip. The Sabres picked up a 4-2 win in Montreal on Thursday as slight 'dogs (+105) as the Under (6.5) cashed behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
New York suffered a 4-1 loss at Seattle, ending a seven-game road trip (Jan. 8-21) with a 3-3-1 mark, as the Over went 3-2-1 in the final six stops. The Over is 6-3-1 across the past 10 games, too.
Alex Lyon (11-6-3, 2.83 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO) and Ilya Sorokin (16-12-2, 2.51 GAA, .913 SV%, 5 SO) are the expected goaltender duo for Saturday's matinee game. We'll lean Islanders, who are 14-8-2 at home this season, and let's go low on the total based on the series trends.
- Islanders ML (-120 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
- Under 6.5 (-130 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Utah Mammoth 
at Nashville Predators 
The Mammoth (26-20-4) and Predators (24-22-4) meet at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville at 3:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
In the past four meetings in this series, the road team has picked up a win, while the Over is 3-1 in that span. Nashville is the last home team to win in the series, posting a 4-0 win as moderate favorites (-155) on Nov. 9, 2024.
The Mammoth, 11-13-2 on the road this season, have won four in a row, while going 7-0-1 in the past eight games. Most of that good work was done on a massive homestand, however, with each of the past seven since Jan. 7 on home ice.
Utah is 2-1 in the past three road games; however, while going 4-2-0 in the previous six games east of the Mississippi River, too.
Nashville posted a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators, and it is 4-2-0 in the past six outings. The offense is banging, averaging 4.2 goals per game (GPG) in the past five games, while allowing 4.2 GPG in the same span. It's no surprise the Over is 5-0 in the span.
Let's take the Mammoth to stay hot, and we're going to go high on the total. That might be the best play on the board in this matchup.
- Mammoth ML (+105 at Bet365 and Caesars Sportsbooks)
- Over 6 (-115 at Bet365 and Caesars Sportsbooks)
Montreal Canadiens 
at Boston Bruins 
The Canadiens (28-16-7) and the Bruins (29-20-2) meet at TD Garden at 7 p.m. EST in the NHL Network game on Saturday night.
These two Original Six rivals have met twice this season, with the road team winning each of the first two matchups. Boston won 3-2 at Bell Centre on Nov. 15 as moderate underdogs (+130) as the Under (5.5) cashed, while the Habs won 6-2 in the most recent matchup at TD Garden on Dec. 23 at even-money (+100) as the Over (6) connected.
Boston is 6-2-0 in the past eight meetings, with the Over going 5-3-0 in those games since Nov. 18, 2023. David Pastrnak is red-hot lately, posting six goals and 22 points with a plus-10 rating across the past 11 games, while Charlie McAvoy has three goals and 11 points in the past 11 outings.
Montreal, who is 6-3-1 across the past 10 games, has hit the Over in three of the past four games. Nick Suzuki has two goals and seven points in the past four outings, while Cole Caufield has lit the lamp five times with seven points in the same span.
The goaltender matchup is expected to be Sam Montembeault (9-7-2, 3.42 GAA, .871 SV%) against Jeremy Swayman (19-12-2, 2.88 GAA, .902 SV%, 1 SO) on Saturday night.
Let's side with the Bruins to get the job done, and we'll go with the Over, ever so slightly.
- Bruins ML (-120 at Bet365, Caesars and DraftKings Sportsbooks)
- Over 6.5 (-105 at Bet365, BetRivers, Caesars and DraftKings Sportsbook)
Parlay Strategy and Super Parlay Picks for NHL Betting Slates
6-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+2833 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Islanders ML (-122) vs. Sabres
- Under 6.5 (-134) - Islanders vs. Sabres
- Over 5.5 (-140) - Mammoth at Predators
- Mammoth ML (-120) at Predators
- Bruins ML (-122) vs. Canadiens
- Over 6.5 (-106) - Bruins vs. Canadiens
3-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+507 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Islanders ML (-122) vs. Sabres
- Mammoth ML (-120) at Predators
- Bruins ML (-122) vs. Canadiens
3-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+481 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 6.5 (-134) - Islanders vs. Sabres
- Over 5.5 (-140) - Mammoth at Predators
- Over 6.5 (-106) - Bruins vs. Canadiens
