Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction 4/18/2026 Today’s NHL Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Kings vs Flames Prediction for this NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 1 on Saturday, April 18th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup.

Pittsburgh Penguins Preview

The Penguins finished the regular season with 98 points with a 41-25-16 record and were placed 2nd in the Metropolitan Division. They are 48-34 ATS and 48-32 in over/under and have a 20-13-8 home record and a 21-12-8 road record. They are coming off a 5-7 road loss to the Blues, and their previous three games were a 0-3 road loss to the Capitals, a 3-6 home loss to the Capitals, and a 5-2 road win over the Devils.

Offensively, the Penguins are averaging 3.54 goals per game and are scoring 24.1% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 3.15 goals per game and are killing 81.4% of their opponent’s power plays.

Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins with 74 points and 29 goals, while Erik Karlsson leads the team in assists with 51. Stuart Skinner is the starting goalie for the Penguins, and he has a 23-17-9 record, with 2.92 GAA and .888 SV%. Arturs Silovs is the backup goalie and he has a 19-12-8 record, with 3.07 GAA and .888 SV%.

Philadelphia Flyers Preview

The Flyers finished the regular season with 98 points with a 43-27-12 record and were placed 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. They are 51-31 ATS and 40-39 in over/under and have a 20-13-8 home record and a 23-14-4 road record. They are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Canadiens, and their previous three games were a 3-2 home shootout win over the Hurricanes, a 7-1 road win over the Jets, and a 3-6 road loss to the Red Wings.

Offensively, the Flyers are averaging 2.93 goals per game and are scoring 15.5% of their power play opportunities. Defensively, they are allowing 2.92 goals per game and are killing 77.6% of their opponent’s power plays.

Travis Konecny leads the Flyers with 68 points and 27 goals, adding a team-high 41 assists. Dan Vladar is the starting goalie for the Flyers, and he has a 29-14-7 record, with 2.42 GAA and .906 SV%. Samuel Ersson is the backup goalie and he has a 14-11-5 record, with 3.12 GAA and .870 SV%.

Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Trends: April 18, 2026

Why the Pittsburgh Penguins will win

• The Flyers have lost each of their last nine games at PPG Paints Arena following a win.
• The favorites have won each of the Penguins’ last nine games at PPG Paints Arena.
• The favorites have covered the puck line in each of the Penguins’ last eight games.
• The Flyers have failed to cover the puck line in three of their last four games against opponents on a losing streak.
• The favorites have won the third period in each of the Penguins’ last four games.

Why the Philadelphia Flyers will win

• The Flyers have won 11 of their last 13 games as road underdogs.
• The Penguins have lost six of their last seven home games against opponents on a winning streak.
• The Flyers have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight games as underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in 12 of their last 13 Saturday home games.
• The Penguins have lost the second period in each of their last six home games against Eastern Conference opponents when trailing after the first period.

Total Goals Facts

• Fourteen of the Penguins’ last 15 night games have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Nine of the Flyers’ last 10 road games against the Penguins following a win have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Each of the last seven Saturday games at PPG Paints Arena have gone OVER the total goals line.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Flyers’ last 14 night games.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Penguins’ last eight night games.

Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts

• Rickard Rakell has scored at least one goal in each of the Penguins’ last four games as home favorites.
• Evgeni Malkin has recorded at least one assist in each of his last 12 home appearances against the Flyers.
• Sidney Crosby has scored four goals against the Flyers this season – equal-most against any opponent.

Philadelphia Flyers Player Prop Facts

• Matvei Michkov has scored a goal in each of the Flyers’ last three games.
• Porter Martone has recorded an assist in each of the Flyers’ last five games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Trevor Zegras ranks 1st in the league for shootout goals (7) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 3rd in the league for goals per game this season (3.54).
• The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 6th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (81.43%).
• The Philadelphia Flyers rank 32nd in the league in power play percentage this season (15.74%).
• The Philadelphia Flyers have recorded the equal-longest road winning streak (8 games) in the NHL this season.

Flyers vs Penguins Prediction

Both teams were tied 2-2 in their four meetings in the regular season and were 1-1 in their two meetings in Pittsburgh. The Penguins won by 6-3 and the Flyers by 4-3 in a shootout. The Penguins are 6-1 in their last 7 meetings in Pittsburgh.

In this Flyers vs Penguins Prediction, the Penguins are coming as -150 home favorites. Both teams closed the regular season on different notes, as the Penguins lost their last three games and conceded 16 total goals in that span, while the Flyers were red-hot with a 6-1 record in their last 7 games, having conceded two goals or less in six of their last seven games. Given both teams’ recent form, I have to take a stab with the Flyers and the plus money in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Philadelphia Flyers ML