It's a four-pack on the ice with a quartet of elimination games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the reigning champion Colorado Avalanche are on the ropes against the Seattle Kraken in the nightcap. Sportsbook Review betting analyst Neil Parker has surveyed the markets and shares his top NHL picks based on the odds from our best NHL betting sites.
Starting at the top of the docket, let's peek at the top stories across Friday's four games.
Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen could start in goal against the New York Islanders. The veteran Dane hasn't played since the season finale, and he's coming off an underwhelming year with a lackluster .903 save percentage.
The Florida Panthers host the Boston Bruins in Game 6, and the Cats need a win on home ice to extend the series against the Stanley Cup betting favorit e. Bruins veteran center David Krejci hasn't been ruled out for Game 6, either.
Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski is a game-time decision Friday. He's missed the past four games after sustaining a concussion during Game 1. The Minnesota Wild will need to rebound from Tuesday's 4-0 loss to force a Game 7 in Dallas.
The slate wraps up with the Avs on the brink of elimination against the Kraken. Colorado is a road favorite and boasts championship pedigree, but do they have the depth to hold off Seattle?
Here are our best NHL picks (odds via FanDuel and BetMGM; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Friday's NHL schedule and odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+100) vs. New York Islanders (-120)
- Boston Bruins (-175) vs. Florida Panthers (+150)
- Dallas Stars (-105) vs. Minnesota Wild (-115)
- Colorado Avalanche (-155) vs. Seattle Kraken (+135)
Friday's NHL best bets
- Player prop: Brent Burns Over 3.5 shots (-102 via FanDuel) vs. Islanders ???
- Moneyline: Kraken (+135 via BetMGM) vs. Avalanche ??
Not intended for use in MA
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Friday's NHL player prop picks
Burns paces the Hurricanes in shots (22) and attempts (45) during the playoffs, and he respectively ranks sixth and second in the league in the two stats.
With Carolina's injuries up front, the bearded blue-liner has shown an uptick in shot volume with his 8.0 shots and 17.5 attempts per 60 minutes during the regular season skyrocketing to 11.4 and 23.2 marks, respectively, through the first five games against the Islanders.
Additionally, there's even wiggle room for negative regression and Burns can still clear this total. He's averaging 23:15 minutes per game during the series and is the go-to shooter on the No. 1 power-play unit.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -115 | -102 ?? | -115 | -121 | -125 ?? |
The -102 odds through FanDuel are gift wrapped. There isn't a gigantic edge over the -115 number, but it still checks out as a positive expected value of 6% and the difference of an added $1.11 on a winning $10 wager.
Friday's NHL game picks
Here we go again.
The Avalanche receive a huge boost on the blue line with Cale Makar returning from his one-game sentence in the press box, but I don't think it gives Colorado enough of an edge to be a road favorite in Game 6.
Seattle has driven possession (53.0 Corsi For percentage) and been more dangerous (54.1 expected goals for percentage) at five-on-five when adjusted by score and venue. Netminder Philipp Grubauer has also been as cool as a cucumber with a tidy .918 save percentage and 2.1 goals-saved above average.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +135 | +130 | +135 | +130 | +135 |
There isn't a huge difference in the prices available across our best NHL betting sites, but as the day progresses there could be line movement. Make sure to double-check and secure the best Kraken number.
NHL best bets made 4/28/2023 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Here are our best NHL betting sites:
- FanDuel: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Read our FanDuel Review
- Caesars: Earn Up to a $1,250 Bet Credit | Read our Caesars Review
- DraftKings: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five Second-Chance Bets Up to $50 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a Bonus Bet of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
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* Bonuses not applic able in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)