Top 2 NHL Betting Picks for Thursday, September 3 (2020)
With both the Islanders and Golden Knights failing to close out their series on Tuesday, we now get a set of Game 6 elimination games today, as both squads look to advance to the next round.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. You can also check out our daily consensus odds for the NHL here.
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Philadelphia Flyers (-104) vs. New York Islanders (-112)
In Game 5, Philadelphia squeaked out yet another overtime win after blowing a late 3-1 lead — a nearly identical scenario to the result of Game 2. Claude Giroux scored for the first time in 15 playoff games, and goaltender Carter Hart was excellent yet again with 32 saves.
While the Islanders battled back to tie the game late in their typical resilient fashion, they ultimately fell short in their first elimination game of a series yet again. They failed to eliminate the Florida Panthers in their first opportunity in the qualifying round, and they similarly failed against the Washington Capitals in Round 1. However, they succeeded in their next try, which is a trend I like here.
Note: Centers Sean Couturier and Mathew Barzal both left Game 5 and did not return due to injury. These are two impact players whose status is worth monitoring for Game 6.
Pick: Islanders (-112)
Vancouver Canucks (+200) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-240)
With their backs against the wall, the Canucks squeaked out a 2-1 victory in Game 5 despite getting outshot 43-17. Even more surprising, though, was backup goaltender Thatcher Demko, who only allowed one goal while filling in for the injured Jacob Markstrom. The usual suspects, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson scored for Vancouver en route to the victory.
Shea Theodore continued his torrid scoring streak, as he scored his fifth goal of the playoffs. Goaltender Robin Lehner was solid despite only facing 17 shots. The Knights played well as a whole, dominating the pace, but they couldn’t break through Demko.
Vancouver is giving up 2.02 goals against per 60 minutes. However, the advanced stats say that number should actually be 3.02. While they’ve been getting great goaltending, that number is not sustainable over time.
Look for Vegas to close this one out in dominant fashion — especially if Markstrom can’t go yet again.
Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 (+120)
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