The second round of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals is heavy on betting opportunities. However, we’ve hand-picked our best NHL bets, and they’re yours if you keep reading this article. Here are four bets across three different games you should take along with us!
Moneyline: Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
This game is almost at pick ‘em across the major online sportsbooks. However, the home-ice Rangers have become the slight betting favorites on the moneyline. New York needs to win Game 4 or risk falling down going 3-1 with the series returning to Carolina.
The biggest unknown going into this game is what lineup New York coach Gerard Gallant will send to the ice. Gallant completely revamped the rotation in Game 3, which resulted in a 3-1 victory for his side. One would think he’d stick to what worked, but it’s no guarantee. This is something you want to keep tabs on from now until Tuesday’s start time.
But here’s something that’s not unknown: the Canes are seemingly allergic to winning on the road in the postseason. After losing all three first-road games at Boston, Carolina is now 0-4 in playoff matchups away from home. And conversely, New York has only dropped one game at The Garden in the postseason. We’re riding that trend and picking the Rangers to tie the series 2-2!
For bettors feeling risky, consider taking the New York spread (currently at +230 for -1.5 goals). Not only are the Canes winless on the road so far, but they've lost each game by at least two goals. We're telling you, those road issues for Carolina are the real thing!
Over/Under 5.5 Goals: Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
After three games in this series, not once have we had an over. A total of nine goals have been scored between both sides thus far. We imagine a similar low-scoring affair is in store for Game 4, which is why we’re hammering the under in the Carolina-New York meeting.
If anything, this might be the most physical game these two will play. That’s because there’s no shortage of bad blood brewing, given how Game 3 ended. As time expired, Carolina forwards Max Domi cross-checked Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, which led to a scuffle between both teams all over the ice. In the post-game presser, Gallant called the fiasco “bullshit that they initiated.”
Expect an even chippier game come Tuesday. These two teams were already league leaders in defense, and now that’ll be upped another notch due to the heated tensions. Taking the under here is our most confident bet of the whole night.
Moneyline: Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers
Here’s another Game 4 meeting that’s a virtual toss-up at popular hockey betting sites. Edmonton is being pegged as the betting favorites, but at plus money, Calgary is right on their tail. So which of these Canadian teams is the better bet to grab the victory Tuesday?
For us, that’s the Oilers. Simply put, this offense is damn near unstoppable. They’ve tallied 15 goals in three games this series with a barrage of players stepping up. There’s Evander Kane, who pulled off a natural hat trick in Game 3. Then there’s Leon Draisaitl, who has two goals and 10 points this series. And of course, Connor McDavid, who’s having as good of a postseason as anyone we’ve seen in a long time (two goals and nine points this series).
If you listen to post-game interviews, Calgary can’t stop praising McDavid’s heroics. “We let one guy beat us,” said goalie Rasmus Andersson. Welp, we wouldn’t be so sure. Sure, Edmonton is being led by McDavid, but the rest of this offense is capitalizing on opportunities set up by their leader. We sense that’ll continue in Game 4, hence our wager on the Oilers.
Against The Spread: St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche
Tampa Bay has already booked its spot in the Conference Finals. The second NHL team to follow them will be Colorado on Wednesday. They're up 3-1 on St. Louis with a decisive Game 5 back at home. It's setting up not just to be an Avs victory, but a blowout one — which would cover the 1.5-goal spread.
You just have to believe the Blues are demoralized after dropping both games on its home-ice floor. Worse, neither game was overly competitive as St. Louis lost each by multiple goals. Colorado just seems to have this team's number, winning five of the previous six games dating back to the regular season. Take them to win with ease come Game 5!
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