Saturday is another exciting day of NHL action as we’ll see four different first-round matchups. Two of the teams out West – the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights – could wind up taking dominant 3-0 leads in their respective series while another four teams in the East will look to break the 1-1 tie. This is going to be a great day of hockey, with a lot on the line, so buckle up for another day of excitement.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the odds and best value plays we can find from all NHL games. All of these lines are according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes (series tied 1-1)
12:00 p.m. EST | Watch: NBC
Total: 5.5 goals | Over: +114 | Under: -137
BOS | Moneyline: -129 | Puck Line -1.5: +210
CAR | Moneyline: +110 | Puck Line +1.5: -265
Where’s the Money Going? (as of 10:15 a.m. EST)
Moneyline: BOS, 58% of bets made | BOS, 65% of money wagered
Puck Line: BOS, 59% of bets made | CAR, 74% of money wagered
Total: Under, 56% of bets made | Over, 59% of money wagered
Betting Pick: Hurricanes Moneyline (+110)
The sudden news of Tuukka Rask opting out of the NHL playoffs will certainly send shockwaves throughout the team. Carolina has been very solid since entering the bubble, quickly disposing of the New York Rangers and now tying Boston at 1-1 in the series. Look for the Hurricanes to take advantage of a very confused Bruins team.
Colorado Avalanche at Arizona Coyotes (COL leads 2-0)
3:00 p.m. EST | Watch: CNBC
Total: 5.5 goals | Over: +112 | Under: -136
COL | Moneyline: -182 | Puck Line -1.5: +148
ARZ | Moneyline: +155 | Puck Line +1.5: -180
Where’s the Money Going? (as of 10:15 a.m. EST)
Moneyline: ARZ, 51% of bets made | COL, 67% of money wagered
Puck Line: COL, 74% of bets made | COL, 53% of money wagered
Total: Under, 56% of bets made | Under, 55% of money wagered
Betting Pick: Avalanche Moneyline (-182)
Took an absolutely awful bad beat yesterday in this game with the Avalanche puck line. Two players missed open nets during the final two minutes, giving me the loss in that one. I really can’t believe that more bets aren’t on Colorado in this situation, considering it is the much better team. It will be interesting to see how Arizona rebounds on just one day off, but I fully believe Colorado is too much for this team right now.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets (series tied 1-1)
7:30 p.m. EST | Watch: NBCSN
Total: 5 goals | Over: -137 | Under: +114
TB | Moneyline: -177 | Puck Line -1.5: +155
CBJ | Moneyline: +150 | Puck Line +1.5: -186
Where’s the Money Going? (as of 10:15 a.m. EST)
Moneyline: CBJ, 59% of bets made | CBJ, 76% of money wagered
Puck Line: 73% of bets made | CBJ, 92% of money wagered
Total: Over, 64% of bets made | Over, 80% of money wagered
Betting Pick: Blue Jackets Moneyline (+150)
The amount of money coming in on the Blue Jackets is quite overwhelming, and even a Lightning fan like myself has to take notice. This Columbus team is one that constantly frustrates you if you’re cheering for the opposition. Joonas Korpisalo has looked fantastic in this series, even setting an NHL record for saves in Game 1. The Blue Jackets should be tired from all of the games they’ve played recently; this would be their sixth in nine days. However, all of these games seem to be making them better, so we’ll follow the money here and roll with Columbus.
Vegas Golden Knights at Chicago Blackhawks (VGK leads 2-0)
8:00 p.m. EST | Watch: NBC
Total: 6 goals | Over: -121 | Under: +100
VGK | Moneyline: -200 | Puck Line -1.5: +132
CHI | Moneyline: +175 | Puck Line +1.5: -157
Where’s the Money Going? (as of 10:15 a.m. EST)
Moneyline: CHI, 52% of bets made | VGK, 74% of money wagered
Puck Line: VGK, 80% of bets made | VGK, 62% of money wagered
Total: Over, 69% of bets made | Under, 61% of money wagered
Betting Pick: Over 6 goals (-121)
We saw a high-scoring game in this series, and tonight could very well be another one. The Blackhawks got trounced in Game 1 but finally looked to be comfortable on offense in Game 2 against a well-rounded Golden Knights team. Vegas has scored four goals in each of the first two games and Chicago is about to put up some of their own tonight – the equation looks right to me. We’re taking the over!