This has been one of the most even opening rounds of the playoffs that the NHL has ever seen, as six of the eight first-round series have reached four games with the series deadlocked at two games apiece.
Usually, you see three or four series that are already finished or set to be wrapped up in the next game after four games, but this year, the NHL has created some tight matchups across the board.
That’s made it rather difficult to get a read on these teams, as we’ve seen all of them at their best and at their worst. Each team has taken turns looking like contenders as well as looking completely finished, and now we head into the critical fifth game for half of the NHL’s first-round playoff series.
Here are the lines for May 10’s action.
NHL Playoffs Odds & Lines For May 10
Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Spread: BOS +1.5 (-200) | CAR -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline: BOS +125 | CAR -150
Total: 6 (-115)
Bruins vs. Hurricanes Game Time: Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
Bruins vs. Hurricanes Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Spread: TB +1.5 (-200) | TOR -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline: TB +115 | TOR -140
Total: 6.5 (-115)
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Game Time: Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild
Spread: STL +1.5 (-200) | MIN -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline: STL +120| MIN -145
Total: 6.5 (-115)
Blues vs. Wild Game Time: Monday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
Blues vs. Wild Location: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minn.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
Spread: LAK +1.5 (-140) | EDM -1.5 (+115)
Moneyline: LAK +180 | EDM -225
Total: 6.5 (-115)
Kings vs. Oilers Game Time: Friday, 10 p.m. EST
Kings vs. Oilers Location: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
NHL Playoffs Odds & Lines For May 10
This is where the pressure really amps up, as the winner of each game will be able to wrap up their series on Wednesday night. Here are my NHL best bets for May 10.
NHL Best Bet May 10: Carolina Hurricanes ML (-150) vs. Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
The Hurricanes have looked like world-beaters in Raleigh while looking a step behind in Boston, and I think they will figure this out coming back to North Carolina. Boston still hasn’t managed to win anything in Raleigh this season and has been outscored 10-3 in two playoff games at PNC Arena, which should help blunt some of the momentum the Bruins picked up in Massachusetts.
Remember, a higher seed isn’t in trouble until it loses a game on home ice. I’m a little more worried about the Hurricanes than I was a few days ago, but I still think they are the better team and can win two out of three against the Bruins with two of those games taking place on home ice.
NHL Best Bet May 10: Tampa Bay Lightning-Toronto Maple Leafs Over 6.5 Goals (-110), 7:30 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
Momentum suggests that Toronto will be the team to bounce back here and pick up a win, but this series has been completely goaltending-optional, as we’ve seen 30 goals scored in four games. Because of that, I want to play the over in this situation rather than try to figure out who’s going to get a handle on the series.
The winning team hasn’t scored fewer than five goals in any of the four games in this series, and I think that trend continues here, which would mean we only need two goals to come from the losing side. I think that’s very much within reach.
NHL Best Bet May 10: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+115) vs. Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. EST, available at BetMGM
I don’t think the Oilers will be feeling the pressure just yet in this game, even after Jonathan Quick stonewalled them in Game 4. Like Toronto, Edmonton scares me in a potential seventh game because the Oilers have just one playoff series win since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, but Quick’s shutout feels more like a last gasp than it was the Kings taking control of the series.
Edmonton has been the better team by a mile in the two games it won, and as long as Quick doesn’t stand on his head again, the Oilers should be able to get back on track at home.
