NHL Playoffs Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (5/6)
The Stanley Cup playoffs resume on Tuesday. What a fantastic few days of puck it has been. We have two more second-round series getting underway tonight, and I have bets for both games.
Here are my two favorite NHL bets tonight.
Tuesday's NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Carolina Hurricanes (-125) vs. Washington Capitals (+104) | O/U 5.5 (-122/+100)
Both the Hurricanes (0-0) and Capitals (0-0) took care of their first-round opponents in five games, beating the Devils and the Canadiens, respectively. Despite boasting the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Caps find themselves as a sizable +146 underdog in the series. The Canes are -178 favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Puck drop for game one is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
I'm not sure why Washington is such a large underdog in the series, let alone getting plus-money in the opener tonight on the moneyline. I'll gladly take a +104 shot on the Caps, who went an impressive 26-9-6 at home during the regular season. They also went 3-0 at home in their first-round series against Montreal.
I have to mention that Aliaksei Protas is back in the mix offensively, and he's coming off of a regular season where he scored the 12th-most points (20G, 30A) during 5-on-5 play across the whole NHL. That's a huge boost for Washington in the depth department.
Speaking of 5-on-5 play, Washington was the second-best defensive team in terms of GAA (1.69) during the opening round. Carolina is notorious for having its offense flame out in the postseason, and that may be the case already, as they were 13th in goals per 60 minutes (1.93) during 5-on-5 play in the first round. Logan Thompson (2.49 GAA, .910 SV% in regular season) is healthy, and I expect him and this Washington defense to lead their team to victory in game one.
Bet: Capitals Moneyline (+104)
Edmonton Oilers (+115) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-138) | O/U 6.0 (-125/-102)
The Oilers (0-0) rattled off four straight wins to beat the Kings in their first-round matchup, which sets them up with another Pacific Division opponent in the Golden Knights (0-0). Vegas took down seventh-seeded Minnesota in six games, winning three straight to close out the series. The oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have this series as a coin flip, pricing each team at -110 to advance to the WCF. Game one gets underway at 9:30 p.m. ET from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
I don't mind laying the -138 vig that comes with Vegas tonight. I love the way this Knights team is constructed. They're big, physical, and deep, while also having a ton of veteran players who know how to play playoff hockey. I mentioned Washington's home-ice edge above, well, Vegas enters this game with a regular-season mark of 29-9-3 at home.
The big issue with Edmonton is their defense and goaltending. The Oilers will still be without their best defensive d-man, Mattias Ekholm (undisclosed), who is set to miss the entire series from what I've read. In the first round, the Oilers finished 15th in GAA (3.81), while owning the worst penalty kill at just 60.0%. Edmonton's going to get exposed in this series, starting in game one tonight. Give me Vegas on the moneyline.
Bet: Golden Knights Moneyline (-138)