Top NHL Playoffs Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (4/23)
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue tonight, and we have a trio of games to navigate from a sports better perspective. Below I'll list the odds and give my favorite bets and analysis for each contest tonight. Here are my top NHL bets for Wednesday.
Wednesday's NHL Playoffs Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook)
Montreal Canadiens (+160) at Washington Capitals (-190) | O/U 5.5 (-120/+100)
Let's pick it up in the nation's capital, where the Capitals (1-0) eked out a 3-2 overtime win against the Canadiens (0-1) in Game 1 on Monday. The two sides are back at it tonight, and puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
In terms of expected goals, Game 1 finished with a score of 3.68-3.66 in favor of Washington. This signals that there were many more offensive chances generated compared to what the actual final score represents. I mention this because I expect to see quite a bit more scoring in Game 2. I'm playing the Over 5.5 Goals tonight.
Montreal's defense was a liability all season. They finished the regular season ranked 23rd in GAA (3.01) and 21st in SV% (.890). Meanwhile, Washington's offense was a juggernaut, averaging 3.5 goals per game (second). Montreal was 15th in scoring with 3.0 goals per contest. Being that both teams' strengths are their offense, I think it's best to play the Over at a deflated total of just 5.5 goals.
Bet: Over 5.5 Goals (-120)
Dallas Stars (+160) at Colorado Avalanche (-190) | O/U 6.5 (-105/-115)
The Stars (1-1) knotted up the series with an overtime win on Monday, beating the Avalanche (1-1) 4-3, thanks to a game-winning goal from Colin Blackwell at the 17:46 mark in the extra frame. The series shifts back to Colorado, and tonight's game three gets underway at 9:30 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, CO.
This series has seen the games finish with final scores of 5-1 and 4-3. The oddsmakers have bumped the total for game three up to 6.5 goals, and I think it's time to come in and make a play on the Under. For starters, if Jake Oettinger and the Dallas defense can ever live up to their expectations, then they should find themselves playing in a lot of low-scoring games. Oettinger finished the regular season with a 2.59 GAA (12th) and a .909 SV% (12th).
On the other hand, Colorado's defense was excellent to close out the season, ranking fifth in GAA (2.4) over the final 20 games. And, for as good as Oettinger was this season, Colorado's Mackenzie Blackwood was actually better in both GAA (2.55, ninth) and SV% (.912, seventh). Both penalty-killing units were solid, with Dallas ranking fourth (82.02%) and Colorado coming in at 12th (79.81%). There's just too much potential for good defense in this game, so I'm going to take a flier on the Under.
Bet: Under 6.5 Goals (-115)
Edmonton Oilers (+115) at Los Angeles Kings (-135) | O/U 6.0 (+100/-120)
Monday's Oilers (0-1) vs. Kings (1-0) game was a back-and-forth barnburner, but Los Angeles eventually prevailed in a 6-5 affair to earn the series-opening win. Game two is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET from crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA.
This is a massive game tonight, and if the Kings are going to knock off "big brother" in the Pacific for once, then they must secure a win tonight. Luckily, Los Angeles will be playing at home, where it was a phenomenal 31-6-4 this season. Including their Game 1 win, the Kings have a home winning percentage of 76.2% this year. I'll back them on the moneyline tonight.
Mostly, I have a ton of question marks surrounding Edmonton's defense and goaltending. We all know the offensive firepower they possess up front, but the Oilers are very weak on the backend. They're still without Mattias Ekholm (9G, 24A, 22:11 TOI/G) in a defenseman role, and he's a true shutdown d-man.
Additionally, Stuart Skinner continues to be a liability. He logged a 2.81 GAA (31st) and a .896 SV% (35th) during the regular season, before getting lit up for six goals on 30 shots (.800 SV%) in Game 1. Los Angeles finally has some scoring depth to expose Edmonton's defense faults, and they're primed to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this series. Give me the Kings tonight.
Bet: Kings Moneyline (-135)