With the first night of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in the books, we get to see the Game 1's of the other 4 series. Like Monday night, we'll have 2 from each conference taking center stage on ESPN networks and TBS. Also like last night, the Eastern Conference clashes are expected to be the closer of the matchups. Both are divisional rivalries, which only adds to the excitement. Close contests can make it difficult to predict a w inner, but we've targeted the most value spots to create an NHL mega parlay to provide you with an incredible payout.
Along with our NHL mega parlay, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today's action.
New Jersey Devils 3-way ML (+120) over New York Rangers
First up is indeed the first puck-drop of the night. This Metro Division battle is priced to be the closest series out of the entire first round. While we'd love to enjoy a 7-game series, we'll back the Devils on home ice to open things up. New Jersey has been the surprise story of the NHL with 21-year-old Jack Hughes truly emerging. Now his little brother is even on the team to go along with their acquisition of Timo Meier at the trade deadline.'
That boost in offense is what should make the difference tonight. Both teams are top-tier defensively, but the Devils have the clear advantage when it comes to goal-scoring. The Rangers did add Patrick Kane themselves, but they simply aren't as explosive in terms of finding the back of the net. New Jersey proved that by defeating New York in 3 of their 4 meetings this season, including both of their home games. In fact, one was as recent as just over 2 weeks ago. This play may be the biggest sweat of the night, but we'll trust the Devils' superior offense to be the difference.