Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, 4/18/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026

Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Flyers (+124) Penguins (-148)

The Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16) host the Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12) at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The moneyline on this game has Philadelphia at +124 and Pittsburgh opens at -148. The betting total is set at 6.

The Philadelphia Flyers came out of this game feeling pretty good about themselves with a 4-2 win against the Canadiens in their previous outing. The Flyers had a good offensive outing in this win. In the game, they earned a goal on 4 out of the 25 shots they tried. They also had 1 power play opportunity but weren't able to score. Philadelphia accrued 10 minutes in the box in this game.

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While playing at even strength, the Flyers have allowed 184 goals while scoring 203 on the offensive side of the ice. Philadelphia Flyers opponents have 245 power play tries (12th in the league) and have earned 55 goals in those attempts. With respect to their goal scoring prowess, the Philadelphia Flyers have notched 240 goals (21st in the league) for the season and have surrendered 239. Philadelphia has tried 2,088 shots and holds a shot percentage of 11.5%. For the season, they have racked up 98 points and their points percentage is sitting at .598. The Flyers thus far have had 2,087 shots taken against them and have earned a save percentage of .885. Philadelphia comes into the game with 235 power play chances and they have tallied 37 goals during those advantages, giving them a rate of 15.74%.

The player in the crease for this game is Daniel Vladar. Opponents have notched 417 goals against Vladar in his professional hockey career and his goals against average per contest is 2.86. Vladar has taken the ice for 157 games over the course of his pro hockey career. His save percentage is at .898 for his 5,690 minutes between the pipes. He has an overall mark of 78-48-23 and he started in 146 games. Over the course of his pro career, Vladar has accrued 85 quality starts and his quality starts rate is .582. Vladar has seen 4,091 shot attempts taken against him and has recorded 3,674 total saves.

In their last game, Pittsburgh faced the Blues in a game where the Penguins went home in defeat by a score of 7-5. They had 2 power play opportunities in this matchup but weren't able to put one in the back of the net. The Penguins earned 5 goals of the 23 shots on goal they attempted.

The Penguins are sitting with 234 goals at even strength and 56 goals (8th in the league) while on the power play. Pittsburgh has attempted 2,343 shots (10th in the NHL) and has accumulated a shooting percentage of 12.38%, while allowing the other team 2,245 shots. For the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have earned 290 goals, 98 points, as well as a points percentage of .598. They have granted a total of 258 goals to be scored by of a combination of 214 goals at even strength and 44 goals while they were shorthanded. They have earned 232 power play opportunities and they have a power play rate of 24.14%. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 81.43% on their oppositions 237 power play chances, and their save percentage sits at 88.5%.

For the opposition you will find Stuart Skinner between the pipes. His opponents are averaging 2.71 goals/game and he has surrendered 517 goals in total. Skinner's quality start rate is 55.0% and he has made 105 quality starting assignments in his pro career. He has made the start in 191 contests and has played for a total of 9,277 minutes. Skinner has amassed a career mark of 109-62-18 and has participated in 197 games. He has a tally of 4,872 saves out of 5,389 shots taken, which gives him a save % of .904.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh's Pick: Take Philadelphia (+124)

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