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The 2026 NHL Playoffs started with a bang Saturday, and more exciting action is expected Sunday. The games get started early with the Western Conference top seed Colorado Avalanche hosting the Los Angeles Kings at 3 p.m. ET and wrap up with the Utah Mammoth visiting the Vegas Golden Knights in another West showdown at 10 p.m. ET. In between are two Eastern Conference battles, with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Montreal Canadiens at 5:45 p.m. ET and the Boston Bruins visiting the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 p.m. ET.    

Here, we break down the latest NHL odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook with pick recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NHL game 10,000 times. The model enters the final week of the 2025-26 NHL season profitable on top-rated NHL picks this season, including a +550 return on top-rated money-line picks. Bettors have plenty of choices between parlay betting, spread betting, Over/Under bets and player prop betting for Sunday's four games.

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NHL Playoffs picks for Sunday, April 19

Canadiens money line (+154)

Montreal has beaten Tampa Bay twice since the final day of last month, pulling off a 4-1 victory in Tampa on March 31 and winning at home 2-1 on April 9. The Canadiens outshot the Bolts 22-18 and had a 7-4 edge in power plays in the last matchup. They didn't score with the man advantage, but Cole Caufield became the first Montreal player to reach 50 goals since 1990 in the game (he finished with 51). The SportsLine model likes the Habs to win as plus-money underdogs, as they do so in 50% of its simulations. 

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David Pastrnak 1+ assists (+100)

The Bruins' star led the team with 100 points and is averaging 0.92 assists per game this season. He had three points -- a goal and two assists -- in Boston's 4-3 overtime victory in Buffalo the last time these teams met. Pastrnak had at least one point in three of the four matchups with the Sabres this season, and while three of those came from goals, he is an assists machine. The SportsLine model has Pastrnak pegged for 0.43 goals and 0.78 assists.

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Mammoth money line (+130)

The model has a 'B' grade on the Utah money line, as they are winning in 48% of simulations as plus-money underdogs. The Mammoth are covering the +1.5 puck line 71% of the time, but the heavy juice makes the money line the value play. Utah lost three of its final four games but won five in a row before that and won 4-0 in Vegas in the most recent meeting between these teams. The Golden Knights won seven of their final eight, but the model leans toward Utah in the opener.  

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