The action in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been fast and furious, and things don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Sunday’s slate brings us a quartet of Game 4’s with matchups consisting of Sabres vs Bruins, Avalanche vs Kings, Lightning vs Canadiens, and Oilers vs Ducks. In what should be a tremendous day of playoff hockey, what better way to sweeten the pot than with some betting action. 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 ML over Los Angeles Kings (-170)
The most lop-sided first round matchup on paper has led to the Colorado Avalanche taking a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings have played Colorado tough, but they have not yet been able to get over the hump and find the win column. Now, they are facing elimination in Game 4 on home ice. Los Angeles should come out with an aggressive effort, but Colorado could be too much to handle once again.
The Avalanche have won the first 3 games of this series by a total of 4 goals, with a pair of wins coming in overtime. However, a few different bounces and that looks a lot different. The Avs have out-shot the Kings 94-73 in this series, and they have yet to score a power play goal. The Kings have scored a power play goal in every game, but their 5-on-5 play is worrisome. Los Angeles has potted just a single even strength goal through 3 games. That makes it hard to trust them in this spot, even if they bring their most spirited effort yet. Look for the Avalanche to wrap up this series with a win in Game 4 on Sunday night.
Get all of our NHL picks for today’s action and throughout the entire Stanley Cup playoffs!
NHL best bet: Montreal Canadiens ML over Tampa Bay Lightning (-105)
The Canadiens have taken a 2-1 series lead over the Lightning despite not getting any even strength production from their top line. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky do not have a single point playing 5-on-5 in this series, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes. The trio has been extremely effective on the power play, with Slafkovsky netting a power play hat trick in Game 1 and Caufield and Suzuki both collecting 3 power play assists so far in the series. It’s a great sign that the scoring depth behind them has been solid, which makes the Habs even more dangerous entering Game 4.
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn’t been on his game in this series, as he owns a save percentage of .880 through 3 games. Furthermore, Montreal has the home ice advantage in this pivotal Game 4. The Bell Centre is sure to be rocking once again, which should create a raucous road environment for Tampa Bay. Playing in front of their home fans, look for the Canadiens to find the win column and take a 3-1 series lead.
NHL best bet: Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Over 5.5 (-130)
After Game 1 of the series between the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins went over the total, Games 2 and 3 have stayed under. However, Game 4 could produce a more high-scoring affair. These teams are now plenty familiar with one another, and know what it takes to expose the weaknesses of the opposition. The Buffalo offense has out-shot Boston by a total margin of 103-72, but Boston has now had 3 games to take some notes. Looking to avoid going into a 3-1 hole on their home ice, I expect the Bruins to come out firing and put plenty of pucks on net early and often.
Buffalo’s power play struggles have been well-documented over the last few weeks, but at this point, it’s only a matter of time before they break through. The Bruins keep playing with fire by giving the Sabres 14 power play chances through 3 games in this series, and if Boston continues to be undisciplined and put Buffalo on the man advantage, they are in danger of finally getting burned. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that these afternoon puck drops in the postseason can be tricky. Finding a defensive groove may take some time, which could leave the door open ever so slightly for the opposing offenses to capitalize.
Read our full Sabres vs Bruins prediction for Game 4
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