Check out a prediction and top betting pick for Game 1 between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The puck drops on the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs this Saturday, so we’re gearing up for the postseason! The final game of the day starts at 8 p.m. ET as an in-state rivalry takes center stage. The Pittsburgh Penguins earned the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division and now host the Philadelphia Flyers to kick off this series tonight.

Here’s a Penguins vs. Flyers Game 1 prediction and pick for today’s NHL Playoffs action on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Flyers vs. Penguins Game 1 prediction, preview

Look. The Flyers aren’t a great hockey team. Their goal differential of +7 is the lowest of any Eastern Conference franchise in the postseason field and their 98 points in the regular season are tied for the fewest as well, with the opposing Penguins at that. That doesn’t mean that this won’t at least be an interesting series though, especially given the contrasting styles of play between the pair.

Philadelphia brings a defense-first mentality, ranking ninth in goals per game allowed (2.91) and fourth in shots allowed to opponents (25.5). The Flyers are fifth in high-danger chances to opponents and 10th in blocks as well, so there’s some legitimate optimism about the scheme and buy-in from the players. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to be fourth in hits as well, something that’ll come in handy in a playoff environment. However, the offense is paltry, to put it simply. The Flyers are 21st in scoring with 2.93 goals a game and fifth-to-last in shots on goal (25.5). At just 25th in high-danger chances themselves, they don’t get a ton of quality looks, either. It’s fair to call their games something of a slog, if you will.

Philly actually doesn’t have a single 70-point scorer on its roster. Travis Konecny (68P; 27G/41A) leads the way and is tailed closely by Trevor Zegras (67P; 26G/41A), who did just produce a career-best campaign in his first year with the franchise. Owen Tippett, Matvei Michkov and Christian Dvorak mustered 51 points apiece, with Tippett getting to 28 goals and Michkov reaching 20. There’s some depth here, but not a ton of it. As for the netminder, Dan Vladar brings a respectable 2.42 GAA and .906 SV% into the series after starting 52 games.

Looking at the Penguins, it’s something of a stunner that they made it here. They did finish with just 98 points and their 41 wins are the fewest of any team in the Eastern Conference, but bear in mind that Sidney Crosby missed 14 games. Their +25 goal differential isn’t too shabby, and in the context of a team teetering on a rebuild, the chance to win a first-round series is a great success in the first place.

Pittsburgh is essentially the opposite of Philadelphia — think high scores and relatively little defense. The Penguins average 3.54 goals per game, third most of any team. They’re also 10th in shots per contest with 28.6, third in high-danger chances and seventh in medium-danger opportunities. With a 24.1% PP%, they’re seventh on the man advantage and are able to swing games through special teams, especially at sixth in PK% at 81.4%. The overall defense struggles though, sitting 24th in goals allowed per game (3.15) despite ranking 13th in shots allowed (27.4). The Pens are also 11th in blocks and seventh in takeaways, but the relative struggles in the 5v5 game are real.

To the surprise of nobody, Crosby paced the Pens in scoring this season (74P; 29G/45A). However, he has plenty of help around him. He was followed by Norris Trophy candidate Erik Karlsson (66P; 15G/51A), plus longtime partners Bryan Rust (65P; 29G/36A) and Evgeni Malkin (61P; 19G/42A). Journeyman Anthony Mantha also finished the regular season with 64 points and the team lead in goals with 33. Now, the goaltender situation is one that doesn’t strike confidence. Stuart Skinner, traded to the Penguins in the Tristan Jarry swap, will start Game 1 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 SV% on the campaign.

Flyers vs. Penguins Game 1 pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Penguins as -142 favorites to win at home on the Moneyline today, while the Flyers come in with +120 odds on the road. The game total sits at 6.5 combined goals.

Betting splits show 72% of straight bets on Pittsburgh to win, 56% of wagers on Philadelphia to cover the +1.5 puck line, and just 51% on the total’s over.

These teams split the season series at two games apiece. The Flyers took a 4-3 win in the most recent matchup and a 3-2 victory in the first meeting, though the Penguins dominated with wins of 6-3 and 5-1 in the others two.

While Philadelphia has the advantage on defense and in the net, the visitors will have to find some additional sources of offense to compete in this series. One could say that the Flyers’ game is better suited to the playoffs, but they simply don’t have a ton of scoring or the special-teams prowess to compete unless Vladar plays a great game here. Look at it this way — can you trust a team that has the NHL’s worst power play at 15.7% and the 22nd-ranked penalty kill at 77.6%? Probably not. That’s why I’m going with the Penguins and their superior offense to take this one in regulation.

Best bet: PIT Penguins 60 min line (-130)