The NHL regular season ends tonight, and while the Eastern Conference is already set, the Western bracket still has meaningful movement left. All 16 teams are locked in for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but three Pacific Division teams are still battling over seeding.
Edmonton enters the night with a one-point edge on both Anaheim and Los Angeles, while Los Angeles can still climb out of the wild-card slot with the right combination of results. Utah, meanwhile, has already secured the first wild-card spot and knows it will face Vegas in Round 1.
That makes tonight a bettor’s dream if you like motivation angles, scoreboard watching, and live opportunities tied to playoff implications. Below the staff at LegalOnlineBetting.com offers our breakdown of each of these four key matchups on the season’s final evening.
St. Louis Blues at Utah Mammoth
Puck line: Blues +1.5 (-270), Mammoth -1.5 (+220)
Moneyline: Blues -108, Mammoth -112
Total: Over 6.0 (-117), Under 6.0 (-103)
Utah does not have seeding pressure tonight. The Mammoth already clinched the first wild-card spot and are locked into a first-round series against Vegas. That means this game is less about playoff position and more about whether Utah wants to sharpen up before the postseason begins. St. Louis, on the other hand, is playing for draft-lottery order rather than playoff placement.
From a betting standpoint, that creates an unusual handicap. Utah is the better and more motivated hockey team in the short term because it is still in competitive rhythm, but a locked-in playoff team on the final day can also shorten its bench less aggressively, manage minutes, and avoid unnecessary risk.
That makes the full-game side a little trickier than the standings might suggest. The total is more interesting. If Utah plays free and fast without postseason urgency, six goals is a reachable number.
Best Bet: Utah Moneyline (-112)
Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators
Puck line: Ducks +1.5 (-275), Predators -1.5 (+225)
Moneyline: Ducks -108, Predators -112
Total: Over 6.5 (-108), Under 6.5 (-112)
This is one of the night’s most important seeding games. Anaheim is currently third in the Pacific but can climb to second with a win of any kind and a regulation loss by Edmonton. That matters because second place means a divisional first-round matchup instead of falling into a tougher wild-card path.
Nashville is out of the playoff race, which changes the emotional profile of the game. The Predators still have home ice and pride to play for, but Anaheim has the cleaner motivational edge and a very specific reason to push for two points.
This is exactly the type of final-night matchup where bettors tend to side with the team that still has something concrete to gain. Markets at NHL sportsbooks reflects a near coin flip, which is reasonable, but Anaheim’s urgency gives it the sharper value side.
Best Bet: Ducks Moneyline (-108)
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames
Puck line: Kings -1.5 (+185), Flames +1.5 (-225)
Moneyline: Kings -145, Flames +125
Total: Over 6.0 (-105), Under 6.0 (-115)
This might be the most fascinating betting game on the board. Los Angeles enters the night currently lined up to face Colorado in Round 1, but the Kings can still move as high as second in the Pacific with a win, a regulation loss by Edmonton, and a Ducks loss. They can also rise to third simply by earning one more point than Anaheim. In other words, Los Angeles has a real chance to change its first-round opponent.
That is massive from a betting perspective. Teams do not always admit they are thinking about matchup preference, but bettors absolutely should. Avoiding Colorado is a meaningful incentive, and it gives the Kings one of the strongest motivational profiles of the night.
Calgary is already out, and while spoiler roles can be dangerous, the Flames are on the wrong side of both urgency and overall roster strength. The Kings’ price is not cheap, but it is justified. The more aggressive angle is the puck line, though that comes with obvious late-game risk if Calgary keeps it tight.
Best Bet: Kings Moneyline (-145)
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
Puck line: Canucks +1.5 (+102), Oilers -1.5 (-122)
Moneyline: Canucks +255, Oilers -310
Total: Over 6.5 (-125), Under 6.5 (+105)
This is the seeding hinge game of the night. Edmonton needs just one point to clinch second place in the Pacific. A regulation loss, however, could drop the Oilers to third or even into the wild-card spot if both Anaheim and Los Angeles win. Vancouver has nothing to gain in the standings, but Edmonton has every reason to treat this like a playoff warm-up with consequences.
The problem for bettors is price. At -310, the Oilers are expensive, and the market clearly understands the urgency. That shifts attention to derivatives. The puck line is more playable than the moneyline if you believe Edmonton comes out with playoff intensity against a team whose place in the standings is already fixed. The total is also tempting because Vancouver has been defensively vulnerable, and Edmonton should be hunting a clean, businesslike win.
Best Bet: Oilers -1.5 (-122)