NHL Betting Picks & Predictions for This Week’s Games
The NHL schedule ahead of May 05 is full of exciting matches, with teams showing momentum throughout the season. Each NHL team will have its own style, whether it’s attacking or defensive. The Colorado Avalanche will hopefully continue their winning streak in this NHL clash against the Minnesota Wild. Whereas the Buffalo Sabres will hope to exploit their home ground in this NHL matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. The Buffalo Sabres look to capitalize on their home-ice advantage in this NHL contest against the Montreal Canadiens. On the other hand, the Vegas Golden Knights are set to play the Anaheim Ducks, which will test consistency. Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes will meet the Philadelphia Flyers in a match between balance and inconsistency.
This regular season in the NHL concluded with several dominant teams in both divisions, as well as some surprise teams.
In the East, the NHL Atlantic Division is led by the Sabres and Lightning with 109 and 106 points, respectively. In addition, the Canadiens and Bruins maintained their playoff spots, while the Maple Leafs struggled and finished last.
The Carolina Hurricanes were the top team in the NHL Metropolitan Division, earning 113 points thanks to their consistency and defense. The other teams that qualified for the NHL playoffs are the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
In the Western Conference, the best-performing team that won the President’s Trophy was the Colorado Avalanche with 121 points. Alongside, the Colorado Avalanche had the best goal difference this season. Other noteworthy NHL teams from the Western Conference include the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild from the Central Division. The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers lead the Pacific Division.
Thus, it is clear which team will perform best in the upcoming play-offs.
Upcoming NHL Schedule
1. Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild
Date: 05 May 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver
2. Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens
Date: 06 May 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 07:00 PM ET | 04:00 PM PT | 04:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo
3. Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks
Date: 06 May 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 09:30 PM ET | 06:30 PM PT | 07:00 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Valley
4. Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes
Date: 07 May 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Lineup Breakdown & Predictions
Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild
Date: 05 May 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver
Colorado Avalanche Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas
Defensemen
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Goaltender
Scott Wedgewood
Minnesota Wild Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Kirill Kaprizov — Ryan Hartman — Mats Zuccarello
Defensemen
Quinn Hughes — Brock Faber
Goaltender
Jesper Wallstedt
Prediction:
The Colorado Avalanche enter this match with very good momentum following their 9-6 victory in their last match. This displays their potent attack and capacity to dominate scoring encounters. The Avalanche have also been the better team in their recent head-to-head encounters. They have managed to find holes in the Minnesota defense whenever needed. The Avalanche seems like a better-balanced squad, considering they play at home at Ball Arena, which gives them a boost.
Minnesota proved in the last match that they could keep pace offensively, but their defense is weak. Especially when facing an explosive offense like Colorado’s. Thereby, the Colorado Avalanche will once again dominate this encounter.
The pick: Colorado Avalanche
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens
Date: 06 May 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 07:00 PM ET | 04:00 PM PT | 04:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Peyton Krebs — Tage Thompson — Alex Tuch
Defensemen
Mattias Samuelsson — Rasmus Dahlin
Goaltender
Alex Lyon
Montreal Canadiens Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovský
Defensemen
Mike Matheson — Noah Dobson
Goaltender
Jakub Dobeš
Prediction:
In the upcoming NHL clash, the Buffalo Sabres have an edge since they are the home team. If we look at the NHL table positions of these two teams, it is clear that the Buffalo Sabres are performing much better. A comparison of the NHL table positions clearly shows the Buffalo Sabres are the superior team in terms of performance. Whereas the Montreal Canadiens are struggling to maintain a certain level of consistency, especially defensively.
The Buffalo Sabres have been the more successful team against their opponents in their last clashes. Even though Montreal has shown great offensive potential in their recent meetings, they still struggle defensively. It will be hard for them to win against Buffalo on the road.
The pick: Buffalo Sabres
Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks
Date: 06 May 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 09:30 PM ET | 06:30 PM PT | 07:00 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Valley
Vegas Golden Knights Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Defensemen
Noah Hanifin — Alex Pietrangelo
Goaltender
Adin Hill
Anaheim Ducks Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Cutter Gauthier — Leo Carlsson — Troy Terry
Defensemen
Pavel Mintyukov — Radko Gudas
Goaltender
Lukáš Dostál
Prediction:
The Vegas Golden Knights bring solid momentum to this game and have the upper hand in the NHL standings. This game, particularly at T-Mobile Arena, is going to be tough for the Anaheim Ducks. The last time these two teams faced each other, Vegas were in total control for much of the game. They proved more effective on offense, while the Anaheim Ducks struggled to cope with their opponents’ defensive pressure.
Overall, these teams’ results throughout the NHL season show Vegas is much more balanced and consistent. Meanwhile, the Ducks have experienced ups and downs. Also, in direct encounters, Vegas has been doing better compared to the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks might create a few chances on counterattacks, but keeping up with Vegas’ depth over the full game will be tough.
The pick: Vegas Golden Knights
Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes
Date: 07 May 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 08:00 PM ET | 05:00 PM PT | 05:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Philadelphia Flyers Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Alex Bump — Trevor Zegras — Porter Martone
Defensemen
Travis Sanheim — Rasmus Ristolainen
Goaltender
Dan Vladar
Carolina Hurricanes Expected Lineup:
Category
Players
Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis
Defensemen
Jaccob Slavin — Jalen Chatfield
Goaltender
Frederik Andersen
Prediction:
The Philadelphia Flyers will seek some sort of revenge, although this won’t be easy against a solid team like the Hurricanes. They have played a lot more consistently than the Flyers. During their last head-to-head clash, the Hurricanes took control for long periods, creating a few scoring opportunities.
Statistically speaking, the Hurricanes have been a very balanced NHL squad. They play well on both defense and offense compared to the inconsistent Flyers, who struggle against good teams. Additionally, in past meetings between the two squads, the Hurricanes have always had a higher win rate. It looks like Carolina will be able to take control again.
The Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Final Outlook
The NHL matchups this week will lean toward teams with more momentum and consistency. Both the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights seem to be the top contenders. Also, the Buffalo Sabres will have an advantage at home. Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are still considered among the best-rounded teams. Overall, the game clearly favors the stronger, more consistent teams in these matchups.