The NHL playoffs are one of the most exciting events in sports, as sometimes you just need to get in to make a run. We've seen lower seeds come away with upsets and even hoist the Stanley Cup. Let's look at a couple of those potential teams with today's NHL best bets.
Sunday's NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
New Jersey Devils (+180) at Carolina Hurricanes (-216) | O/U 5.5 (+114/-135)
The Devils are coming into this series at a huge disadvantage. Earlier this year, they lost star forward Jack Hughes for the season. Despite only playing 62 games, he finished with the second-most goals, assists and points on the team. The good news is that someone has made their return, as Dougie Hamilton will be back in the lineup to anchor the defense.
Even with Hughes out, they still have a great collection of forwards - Nico Hischier scored 35 goals, Timo Meier recorded 26 goals and Jesper Bratt had 67 assists.
Can they get through a tough Carolina defense? They were one of the best this year, especially that blueline that allowed the fewest shots on goal per game (2.49) and had the best penalty kill (83.6%). They will need that defense because their offense lacks depth. Sebastian Aho scored 74 points, Seth Jarvis had 67 and Andrei Svechnikov had 48. They are the only forwards with at least 40 points on the team.
The Hurricanes were 31-9-1 at home, including two wins against the Devils. Those trends should continue in this game.
Pick: Hurricanes 60-Minutes (-130)
Ottawa Senators (+140) at Toronto Maple Leafs (-166) | O/U 5.5 (-108/-112)
Can the Maple Leafs finally get over the playoff hump? It's been nearly 60 years since the Maple Leafs hoisted the Stanley Cup, and their recent playoff runs have been disappointing, winning just one playoff series in the last 20 years.
This might be the last run for this squad, with some being pending free agents. There are some concerns about how they will do in a seven-game series. They are a great scoring team with 3.26 goals per game, but they struggle with expected goal scoring (under 50%) and fail to pressure opposing defenses.
The Senators controlled the season series by winning all three games. The biggest difference for Ottawa this season was the addition of Linus Ullmark, who was a great pickup. He finished the regular season allowing 2.72 goals per game with a .910 save percentage. His numbers against the Leafs were stellar - one goal allowed with a .960 save percentage in two games.
The Senators have offensive weapons, but were almost identical regarding the full-strength expected goal share. Two of the three games have gone under six goals, which could continue today.
Pick: Under 5.5 Goals (-112)
