The Ducks continue to turn heads in this postseason. They upset the back to back defending Western Conference champion Oilers in the first round. Now, after splitting the first 2 games in Vegas, the Ducks have claimed home-ice advantage in a remaining best of 5. The rest of this series should bring plenty of fireworks as Vegas looks to flex their pedigree on this young Anaheim team that is keen on continuing to surprise.
If you will be tuning in and want to have some action, I have picked out my 2 NHL best bets for the playoff slate on Friday, May 8. You can also get our expert NHL predictions for both games tonight and EVERY matchup throughout the playoffs.
NHL best bet: Canadiens vs Sabres over 5.5 (-122)
The 4-2 final in game 1 was ironically the 4th final of that same score in 5 matchups between the Canadiens and Sabres this year. The other game between these teams ended in a final score of 5-3. That makes the average game total between these teams 6.40 goals this year between the regular season and playoffs. In those 5 matchups, the Sabres won 3 games and the Canadiens won twice. This year, it has not mattered who wins or where the game is played. When the Canadiens and Sabres meet, totals climb and wins are by more than a goal.
Could those trends be bucked on Friday? Sure, they could. But there has not been much indication of a reversal of those trends. The Sabres have either scored or allowed 4+ goals in 5 out of their 7 playoff games played, and in 13 out of their last 15 overall. Their average game total this year was 6.38 goals, primarily thanks to their league-5th ranked goals scored per game. The Canadiens’ average game total this year was 6.46 goals, also thanks to solid goal scoring and average goal prevention. The pure matchup, recent trends, and team strengths give the over appeal.
NHL best bet: Ducks vs Golden Knights over and Jack Eichel 1+ points (-105)
This is another game that could have a total of 6.0, maybe even 6.5 and still have appeal depending on the odds. The Golden Knights just played a series in which they scored 5 goals in 3 consecutive games, and the average game total was 6.83 goals. The Ducks just played a series in which they either scored or allowed 4+ goals in all 6 games, and the average game total was 7.83 goals. Both teams are loaded with offensively productive players and at least the Ducks have struggled with goal prevention all year. The 3-1 final scores in this series are the outliers. A 5.5 game total has appeal for the over with such a loaded matchup and recent results.
To give better-value odds to a second over in as many games is a player prop. Jack Eichel to log a point has been all but a formality, and should be again on Friday. Eichel led the Pacific division-winning Golden Knights in points during the regular season with 90 in 74 games, along with a +23 rating in 21:12 of average ice-time. Not much has changed in the playoffs. He leads the team with 10 points and 23:17 of ice-time in 8 games played in this postseason. That gives Eichel 53 points in 48 career playoff games played, including a Stanley Cup. This is a guy that is heavily relied on and has the pedigree to carry a team. Look for Eichel to continue producing on a big stage.
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