Senators vs. Hurricanes prediction: Why Carolina is favored to win Saturday's NHL matchup [4/18/2026]

The Carolina Hurricanes will square off with the Ottawa Senators in the 2026 NHL Playoffs at Lenovo Center on Saturday, starting at 3:00 PM ET.

Based on updated simulation results, Dimers' proven NHL model predicts the Hurricanes as the most likely winner of the Senators vs. Hurricanes game.

This article offers an expanded analysis of Saturday's matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

Senators vs. Canes prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using powerful machine learning and data analysis, we have simulated the result of Saturday's NHL Playoffs matchup between the Senators and Hurricanes, forming part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our independent predictive model currently gives the Hurricanes a 56% chance of defeating the Senators.

According to our model, the Senators (+1.5) have a 65% chance of covering the puck line, while the 6.5-goal over/under has a 55% chance of staying under.

Senators vs. Hurricanes odds

We have researched the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Senators	Hurricanes
Puck Line	+1.5 (-200)	-1.5 (+170)
Moneyline	+125	-146
Total	o6.5 (-135)	u6.5 (+114)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Senators vs. Hurricanes picks and best bet

After matching our probabilities against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Puck Line	Senators +1.5	-200
Moneyline	Senators	+125
Total	Under 6.5	+114

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Under 6.5 total goals.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Senators vs. Hurricanes player props

Who will score a goal in Senators vs. Hurricanes?

According to our model, Nikolaj Ehlers is most likely to score an anytime goal in Senators vs. Hurricanes.

Our projections give Ehlers a 29.1% chance of scoring a goal at Lenovo Center, while the star is a 5.5% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Ottawa Senators

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Brady Tkachuk	27.9%
Drake Batherson	27.4%
Tim Stutzle	25.8%
Shane Pinto	25.2%
Dylan Cozens	24.8%

Carolina Hurricanes

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Nikolaj Ehlers	29.1%
Seth Jarvis	27.6%
Logan Stankoven	26.0%
Sebastian Aho	25.4%
Andrei Svechnikov	24.3%

First goal scorer predictions

Ottawa Senators

Player	First Goal Probability
Drake Batherson	5.5%
Brady Tkachuk	5.4%
Dylan Cozens	5.1%
Tim Stutzle	4.7%
Shane Pinto	4.2%

Carolina Hurricanes

Player	First Goal Probability
Nikolaj Ehlers	5.5%
Logan Stankoven	4.8%
Seth Jarvis	4.7%
Andrei Svechnikov	4.7%
Sebastian Aho	4.3%

Senators vs. Canes game-day updates and essential details

Saturday's matchup between the Hurricanes and Senators in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM ET.

• Who: Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM ET/12:00PM PT
• Venue: Lenovo Center

The Stanley Cup Playoffs (aka NHL Playoffs) is an elimination tournament in the NHL to decide the winner of the Stanley Cup.

Sixteen teams, including the Senators and Hurricanes, made the 2026 NHL Playoffs, which consists of four rounds: the First Round, Second Round, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals.

Each round is played as a best-of-seven series, with the first team to four wins advancing to the next round until a champion is crowned.

Conclusion

We predict the Hurricanes, with a 56% win probability, will likely beat the Senators in Saturday's NHL matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.