Expert NHL Betting Picks This Weekend: May 2-3

Expert NHL betting picks for three matchups across Saturday and Sunday. Get moneylines, totals and parlay plays for a Game 7 clash, and a pair of Game 1s.

May 2, 2026

Expert NHL Betting Picks This Weekend: May 2-3

By:

Daniel Dobish

May 2, 2026

NHL Picks

NHL Best Bets & Picks: Flyers vs Hurricanes, Canadiens vs Lightning & More – Expert Game Previews

The Stanley Cup Playoffs roll on this weekend, with the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricnaes kicking off the second round with Game 1 from Raleigh on Saturday. On Sunday, the Canadiens and Lightning wrap up their heated first-round series with a Game 7 in Tampa, while the Wild and Avalanche begin the second round in Denver on Sunday night.

We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Saturday and/or 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.

Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes

The Flyers meet the Hurricanes for Game 1 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on ABC.

Philadelphia avoided an epic collapse in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the series in Game 6 with an epic overtime battle which was scoreless until Cam York won it for the home side. The Flyers were up 3-0 in the series, and they were a whisker away from staring a Game 7 in the face.

The Flyers played close games with the Carolina Hurricanes all season. These Metropolitan Division rivals met four times in the regular season, and the Hurricanes won three times, with two shootout wins, and one in overtime. The Flyers won their only game 3-2 in a shootout on April 13 in Philadelphia. At that rate, we could have a lengthy, contentious and close series. But, it's the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's exactly how it should be, right?

We get the old argument on whether or not it's about momentum or rest. Philadelphia streaks in with confidence after winning Wednesday in a huge game. After sweeping the Ottawa Senators, the Canes have been off since last Saturday. A week off during the playoffs is tough, as it is hard to ratchet up the intensity to a high level.

Let's take the Flyers on the puck line for Game 1, as the underdog covered all four times on the puck line this season. And, the Under hit in the past two meetings, so let's go low.

Flyers +1.5 Goals (-145 at BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks)
Under 5.5 (+100 at Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbooks)

Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning

The Canadiens blew and opportunity to put the Lightning away on Friday, losing Game 6 on home ice 1-0 in overtime. The hero of the day was Gage Goncalves, with helpers to Dominic James and Brandon Hagel. Jakub Dobes did a good job, stopping 32 of 33 shots, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 30 shots he faced.

These teams have alternated wins and losses, with Montreal winning each of the odd-numbered games, and Tampa Bay winning each of the even-numbered contests. Four of the first six games have ended up going to overtime, and each have been one-goal games. It has been an amazing series of hockey, and the Under has cashed in five straight since a narrow Over result in Game 1.

Despite the quirky odd-number game trend, which is rather circumstantial, let's back the Lightning on home ice. The last time Tampa Bay was in a Game 7, it edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on the road May 14, 2022 as the Under cashed. It won 1-0 in a Game 7 against the New York Islanders in the quirky COVID playoffs of 2021 as the Under again hit. It went low in a 4-0 loss to Washington in a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final May 23, 2018, and the Under cashed in a 2-1 loss in the ECF in Pittsburgh May 26, 2016. The Under cashed in a pair of Game 7 wins in 2015, as well as a pair of Game 7s in 2011. So, in the past 15 years, that's 6-0 to the Under in Game 7s for the Lightning.

This is the first Game 7 for the Habs since May 31, 2021, a 3-1 win against Toronto in "The Bubble" as the Under cashed. The total went low in a second-round Game 7 win in Boston on May 14, 2014, too. It's Game 7, and scores will be low here, too.

Lightning ML (-162 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 (-130 at Bet365 Sportsbook)

Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche

In Game 1 on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver, the Wild and Avalanche meet to kick off the second round.

Minnesota showed the Dallas Stars the door in six games in the first round, including wins in three straight, as Jesper Wallstedt was on fire in the final three games. Colorado swept the Los Angeles Kings, last playing Sunday in L.A. However, the first two games in Denver were narrow 2-1 wins, including an OT victory in Game 2.

These Central Division teams met four times in the regular season, splitting the series. The road team each won once in the other team's barn, while the home victories by both teams came in 3-2 shootout victories. So, like the other two series above, look for this one to be super close, too. The Under cashed in three of the four meetings, too.

This will be a low-scoring game, and it's best to back the Wild catching the goal and a half on the puck line.