NHL Playoffs Picks & Predictions: Sunday (4/27)
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 Playoffs Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Washington Capitals (-118) at Montreal Canadiens (-120) | O/U 5.5 (+114/-135)
Game 3 was tight for the first two periods, but in the third, the Canadiens broke it open with three unanswered goals for the 6-3 win. The Canadiens took advantage of Washington's mistakes, including a couple of turnovers that the Habs converted into goals. They also showed their toughness as they got into some scuffles, most notably the one between Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson, but Montreal was physical all game and out-hit the Caps 46-26.
The question is the status of goalie Sam Montembeault. He left the game in the second period, and rookie Jakub Dobes stepped in and allowed no goals.
This was one of those cases where the Canadiens caught Lightning in a bottle and everything went right for them, while it was the opposite for the Capitals. Washington will play a cleaner game and get the chance to play an elimination game.
Pick: Capitals Moneyline (-118)
Carolina Hurricanes (-180) at New Jersey Devils (+150) | O/U 5.5 (+114/-135)
The Devils and Hurricanes continued the trend of the home team winning, which has been the case for every game between these two this season. It isn't surprising because the Hurricanes are two opposite teams when they're at home compared to on the road. During the regular season, they were 21st in goals scored per game (2.71) on the road compared to third (3.78) at home. This shows in their record, with them going 31-9-1 at home and 16-21-4 on the road.
New Jersey has been physical throughout this series, and the Hurricanes have had difficulty adjusting, which could benefit them in making this a best-of-5 series.
Pick: Devils Moneyline (+150)
Los Angeles Kings (+120) at Edmonton Oilers (-142) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)
The Oilers needed the third period they had in Game 3 because they had not looked good in the previous two games. Game 3 was tight with the Kings holding a one-goal lead and the Oilers on the verge of going down 0-3, until the third period when Edmonton scored four unanswered goals and got the 7-4 win. They had gotten through the Kings’ defense in the first game with five goals, but had all been at even strength. Until this game, they were 0-for-5 on the power play, but finally got through by going 2-for-2.
The offense cannot do it all, and the goaltending needs to be better. They sat Stuart Skinner after allowing 11 goals in the first two games, so they went with Calvin Pickard. He wasn't much better, allowing four goals and a .857 save percentage. We’re seeing a lot of scoring, which has been the trend for these two in their previous playoff series, and we could continue to see that.
Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+100)