The second round of the NHL playoffs rages on with a pair of games on Wednesday night. As such, there are plenty of betting opportunities for you to score some extra scratch. Here are our NHL best bets for Wednesday based on the best NHL odds.
The New Jersey Devils march into the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2011-12 following a thrilling seven-game series triumph over the New York Rangers. Erik Haula led the team with four goals and six points.
Awaiting the Devils are the Carolina Hurricanes. Finishing just one point ahead of New Jersey in the Metropolitan standings, Carolina booked their ticket to the second round with a 4-2 series victory over the New York Islanders.
Over in the Western Conference bracket, the Edmonton Oilers are set to battle the Vegas Golden Knights. Bolstered by seven goals and 11 points from Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers needed six games to knock off the plucky Los Angeles Kings in the opening round. Mark Stone racked up eight points in the first round as the Golden Knights handily dispatched the Winnipeg Jets in five games.
With the matchups set, here are our best NHL bets (odds via DraftKings and Bet365; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Wednesday's NHL schedule and odds
(Odds via DraftKings)
- New Jersey Devils (+100) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-120)
- Edmonton Oilers (-120) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (+100)
Wednesday's NHL best bets
- Player prop: Leon Draisaitl Over 3.5 shots (+110 via DraftKings) ????
- Player prop: Ryan Graves Over 2.5 blocked shots (+110 via DraftKings) ????
- Player prop: Darnell Nurse Over 2.5 blocked shots (+120 via Bet365) ??? ?
- Total: Oilers vs. Golden Knights Over 6.5 goals (-115 via DraftKings) ????
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Wednesday's NHL player prop picks
The playoff leader in goals with seven, Draisaitl has consistently put the puck on net thus far, averaging nearly 4.2 shots per game in the opening round against the Kings. On top of that, he topped the four-shot plateau three times in six games, and never had his shot totals dip under three.
The Golden Knights surrendered 31 shots per game in their series with the Jets, and that number should jump significantly against the high-powered Oilers. This will benefit Draisaitl who plays heavy minutes on the Oilers top line and No. 1 power play.
This bet hovers between +100 and +110 at the best sportsbooks, with your best value coming at DraftKings (+110)
As expected, defensemen are flinging themselves in front of frozen rubber in their quest to raise Lord Stanley's mug. Graves is no exception. The Devils' rearguard blocked 20 shots in seven games against the Rangers, good for 2.86 blocks per game, including three games with three-plus blocks. Playing on the team's No. 1 penalty kill against a Hurricanes squad who averaged 35 shots per game during their opening series, Graves will have plenty of opportunities to throw himself into harm's way.
As blocked shots aren't available with all the best NHL betting sites, your best bet is to snatch this up with DraftKings.
Much like Graves, Nurse consistently sacrificed his body in the opening round, averaging 3.5 blocks per game in six games again st the Kings. He blocked 21 shots during that stretch, topping three-plus blocks three times, including a pair of five block efforts and a six block game.
Again, with blocked shots unavailable at some of the best sports betting sites, gobble up the +120 listing with Bet365.
Check out our Stanley Cup odds and Conn Smythe Trophy odds.
Wednesday's NHL game picks
The highest scoring team in the regular season, Edmonton averaged nearly 4.2 goals per game in the opening round, and combined with the Kings to score seven-plus goals four times in six games (including three straight games to close the series). The Golden Knights averaged 3.8 goals per game against Winnipeg, with the two teams combining to top the seven-goal mark twice in five games.
The goal total is set at 6.5 at virtually every sportsbook, and the od ds are listed anywhere between -115 and -125. Your best value can be found with DraftKings (-115).
NHL picks made 05/03/2023 at Noon ET.
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