The Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway, and Saturday brought us 3 great games of action. Things get even better on Sunday as 4 games are on the docket. The fun gets started with Kings at Avalanche in the afternoon and wraps up with a late-night puck drop for Mammoth at Golden Knights. If you will be following along and want to have some action, I have picked out my 3 NHL best bets for Sunday with odds and lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Furthermore, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the playoffs, including all 4 matchups today.
NHL best bet: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 over Los Angeles Kings (-112)
There is no first-round matchup more lopsided than the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Los Angeles Kings. Colorado has been a force to be reckoned with all season long, so they would be a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams out there — especially for a Los Angeles squad that barely snuck into the playoffs with 90 points and just 22 regulation wins. That is almost unheard of for a playoff team. Compare that with Colorado’s league-leading 121 points and 48 regulation wins, as well as an NHL-best goal differential of +99, and the Avalanche enter this series looking to roll.
The Avs have also made light work of the Kings in their 3 matchups during the regular season. Colorado went 3-0 against Los Angeles winning by scores of 4-1, 5-2, and 4-2. The Avalanche have been lethal at home, owning a 26-9-6 record at Ball Arena. Looking to make a statement in Game 1, look for the Avs to cruise in this series-opening matchup.
Read our full Avalanche vs Kings prediction for today’s Game 1
NHL best bet: Buffalo Sabres ML over Boston Bruins (-160)
The city of Buffalo has waited a long time for playoff hockey to be back in town. The Sabres are in the postseason for the first time since 2010-11, snapping the league’s longest payoff drought. That means the barn is going to be rocking on Sunday night when the Sabres host the Bruins in Game 1 of the first round in the Eastern Conference. It will be a special night at KeyBank Center, and I expect the Sabres to deliver a victory playing in front of their home fans.
Buffalo ended the regular season ranking 5th in goals per game (3.45), but what makes them dangerous in the playoffs is their penalty kill. The Sabres ranked 4th in the NHL with a penalty kill percentage of 81.9%, and that is very valuable this time of year. Plus, the Boston power play has scored just 1 goal over its last 7 games to close the regular season. That could spell bad news for David Pastrnak and company. The Sabres are capable of playing with pace and generating scoring chances, and they can lock things down defensively as well. Playing in a raucous environment, look for the Sabres to claim a Game 1 victory.
Read our full Bruins vs Sabres prediction for Game 1
NHL best bet: Mammoth vs Golden Knights Under 6.5 (-135)
Generally speaking, playoff hockey tends to involve more spirited defensive efforts, limited ice space to operate for skill players and solid penalty killing. Both the Mammoth and Golden Knights love to play that style of hockey, as they play a stout defensive structure that limits Grade A opportunities for the opposition. In the regular season, Vegas was 2nd in the NHL allowing just 24.4 shots on goal per game, while Utah wasn’t far behind in 6th while allowing 26.1 shots on goal per game.
The Mammoth and Golden Knights met 3 times throughout the course of the regular season and no more than 6 goals were scored in each of those contests. Vegas’ goaltending situation has been in flux, but interim head coach John Tortorella has instilled a great defensive game plan to put less pressure on his netminders. On the other side, Utah’s strong defensive play all season long has helped Karel Vejmelka enjoy a breakout campaign between the pipes. Look for this Game 1 matchup to produce a low-scoring game. The under is the play.
Read our full Mammoth vs Golden Knights prediction for tonight’s Game 1
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