Flyers vs Penguins Prediction, Picks & Odds for Saturday’s NHL Playoffs Game 1

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 17, 2026 , 10:37 AM ET • 3 min read

Parker's prediction: Philly flies to 1-0 series lead with low-scoring Game 1 win at PPG.

NHL

Match starts: 29 hrs
PHI
37 %
PIT
63 %
Read Analysis
Travis Konecny Philadelphia Flyers NHL
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Philadelphia Flyers right winger Travis Konecny.

The Battle of Pennsylvania is on for the first time since the 2018 postseason with the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday, April 18.

My top Flyers vs. Penguins predictions and NHL picks are calling for Philly to continue its late season surge with a low-scoring road upset in Game 1.

Flyers vs Penguins Game 1 prediction

Flyers vs Penguins best bet: Under 6.5 (-130)

The Philadelphia Flyers were dominant defensively at five-on-five down the stretch with the fewest goals against and second-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes during their NHL best 15-5-1 run after the March 6 trade deadline. 

Excellent defense will be critical against the Pittsburgh Penguins because the Pens paced the league in goals per 60 minutes and team shooting percentage at 5-on-5 during the same result.

I’m anticipating the solid Philly defense to help kick-start statistical correction to the shooting efficiency from Pittsburgh and pave the way to this total going Under the number in Game 1.

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Flyers vs Penguins Game 1 same-game parlay

The Flyers received a huge boost with Porter Martone joining the team down the stretch, and he’s collected 10 points – four goals – across his first nine NHL games, including hitting the scoresheet in each of the past six.

Martone projects to jump the boards with veterans Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, and the trio have posted a 57.1% shot share at five-on-five. So, with Konecny dropping to a 1.5 shots total, this is the perfect spot to target him after recording just seven shots across his final six games of the regular season.

Konecny frequently trades at a 2.5 shots total, and he recorded two or more shots in 51 of 77 regular-season games.

Flyers vs Penguins SGP

  • Flyers moneyline
  • Porter Martone Over 0.5 points
  • Travis Konecny Over 1.5 shots

Flyers vs Penguins Game 1 goal scorer pick

Travis Konecny (+270)

Flyers winger Travis Konecny only scored twice across his final 13 games of the regular season despite recording 3.67 individual expected goals and 14 high-danger scoring chances while averaging 18:20 of ice time and jumping the boards with the No. 1 power-play unit. His 7.4 shooting percentage during the skid was also way below his 17.7% mark through the first 64 games of the season.

Flyers vs Penguins odds for Game 1

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia +125 | Pittsburgh -150
  • Puck Line: Philadelphia +1.5 (-183) | Pittsburgh -1.5 (+183)
  • Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Flyers vs Penguins trend

The Philadelphia Flyers have won 18 of their last 25 games (+15.20 Units / 56% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Penguins.

How to watch Flyers vs Penguins Game 1

Location PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Date Saturday, April 18, 2026
Puck drop 8:00 p.m. ET
TV ESPN, SN

Flyers vs Penguins latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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