NHL Top Betting Odds & Picks for Saturday, May 14
The first round of the 2022 NHL playoffs has been spectacular. We’ve been blessed with five of the opening eight series requiring a seventh game.
Three of those Game 7s take place Saturday night. So let’s get straight to it. Here’s a brief overview of how I’ll be betting Saturday’s winner-take-all contests.
Compare odds from all major sportsbooks for today’s games >>
Are Game 7 Unders Worth a Play?
High scoring has been one of the most fascinating trends of the first round. But with seasons on the line, it’s worth wondering whether teams will play tighter in Game 7. History also backs up this notion, as Game 7 unders are 43-28-13 since 1996.
There are two games I’ll be targeting the under on Saturday night. The first is Boston-Carolina. The home team has completely dominated this series, but a tighter style of play in Game 7 definitely favors the Bruins. Boston prefers to play a more structured system, while Carolina thrives on fast-paced action.
The other game I’m eyeing is Los Angeles-Edmonton. The Oilers come into this game with all the pressure on their backs at home ice. Meanwhile, the Kings came into this series with little expectations and have shown an ability to suppress Edmonton’s high-powered offense. Los Angeles also benefits from having Jonathan Quick’s Stanley Cup-winning experience in net. I’d expect a vintage performance from Quick against Connor McDavid and Edmonton’s attack.
Bruins-Hurricanes Game 7 Betting Preview
Matchups have mattered in this series more than any other. The home team has won every game by at least two goals. For that reason, I’m a little hesitant to make a play on the moneyline in this game. The underdog Bruins possess plenty of value, but I’m concerned that Carolina will once again overwhelm Boston by getting their star players on the ice against Boston’s less capable defensemen.
For that reason, I’ll be sticking to the under 6 in this game, with a slight lean to Boston.
The pick: Under 6 (-125 at Caesar’s), lean Boston +120 or better
Lightning-Maple Leafs Game 7 Betting Preview
The Lightning deserve full credit for rallying back to take this series to a seventh game. The defending champs will be an insanely hard out Saturday night. And let’s not forget that Toronto hasn’t been out of the first round since 2004 and is 0-9 in series-clinching games. The pressure is all on the Leafs.
Yet, I just think Toronto is the more talented and deeper team. They controlled play in the third period and overtime periods of Game 6. And they have the high-end talent to end the franchise’s playoff misery. The X-factor will be the goaltending matchup between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jack Campbell. To this point, Campbell and Vasilevskiy have been pretty even. But Vasilevskiy made some dazzling saves in Game 6 to keep Tampa alive, and he might be finding his elite form just in time.
All that being said, I’m going to back the Leafs to break through and unseat the defending champs.
The pick: Toronto -125 (DraftKings)
Kings-Oilers Game 7 Betting Preview
This is admittedly a series I haven’t had a great feel for. This series felt destined for five or six games, max. Yet, the Kings have leveraged their playoff experience to make this a very competitive series.
On paper, the Oilers have more talent. And we saw Connor McDavid flex his muscles early in Edmonton’s Game 6 win. However, trusting Mike Smith to win a series-clinching game is a scary proposition. I’d much rather have Quick in net than Smith in this spot. The value is clearly on Los Angeles, who shouldn’t be this big of an underdog even on the road.
The picks: Under 6.5 -118 (FanDuel), Los Angeles +180 (BetRivers)
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