The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue to roll along on Thursday night with a 3-game slate in store. A trio of pivotal Game 3’s are on the docket, as the Hurricanes battle the Senators, the Sabres take on the Bruins, and the Avalanche square up against the Kings. All 3 matchups have changed locations now, meaning there are much different dynamics in play. It should be an entertaining evening of playoff hockey.
If you will be following along and want to have some action, I have picked out my 3 NHL best bets for Thursday with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. In addition, don’t forget to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including all 3 games on today’s schedule.
NHL best bet: Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators Over 5.5 (-122)
The first 2 games between the Hurricanes and Senators have been grind-out-out, defensive, low-scoring games. Both teams are capable of playing that way, but things could open up a bit more in Game 3 as the series shifts to Ottawa. Both goaltenders have been outstanding in this series thus far. But how sustainable are those elite performances? Carolina’s Frederik Andersen had his fair share of struggles this season as he posted an .874 save percentage over 35 games in the regular season. He boasts a save percentage of .967 so far in this series, so I expect some regression to hit at some point. Down 0-2 and returning home, the Senators should test Andersen early and often. As they put the pressure on, he could be vulnerable.
On the other side, Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark has seen his shooting percentage jump from .891 in the regular season to .933 through 2 games in this series. Both of these teams can play a strong defensive style, but don’t forget that Carolina ranked 2nd in the NHL scoring 3.55 goals per game in the regular season, while Ottawa wasn’t far behind ranking 8th scoring 3.35 goals per game. Despite what the first 2 games have shown, both of these teams are capable of finding a groove offensively. With a total of 5.5, the over is the play.
Check out our full predictions for all 3 playoff matchups tonight!
NHL best bet: Boston Bruins ML over Buffalo Sabres (-110)
Although this series is tied up 1-1, the Bruins have been the better team through the first 2 games. In Game 1, Boston held a 2-0 lead late into the 3rd period before Buffalo orchestrated a dramatic comeback. Then in Game 2, the Bruins thoroughly dominated the Sabres from start to finish, cruising to a 4-2 victory that included a 4-0 lead early in the 3rd period. Aside from those chaotic 8 minutes in Game 1, the Bruins have out-played the Sabres in the first 2 games of this series. Now returning to home ice, Boston should enter Game 3 with plenty of confidence.
Buffalo’s goaltending situation has some question marks. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled in Game 2 after allowing 4 goals on 20 shots and replaced by Alex Lyon, who had not been between the pipes since April 4. It remains to be seen who will get the starting nod in Game 3, but either way, David Pastrnak and company should be able to put the pressure on early. Boston’s second line trio of Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson is absolutely buzzing, and their solid contributions in this series make the Bruins extremely dangerous. I expect the Bruins to get the job done in Game 3 and take a 2-1 series lead in front of their home fans.
Read our full Sabres vs Bruins prediction for tonight’s Game 3
NHL best bet: Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings Under 5.5 (-105)
Just 3 total goals have been scored in each of the first 2 games of this series. Somewhat surprisingly, Los Angeles has been able to stymie Colorado’s high-flying offense. The Kings know they likely don’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up with the Avalanche in a barnburner, so they are focusing heavily on limiting chances and making life extremely difficult for Nathan MacKinnon and company. It’s working so far, and now that the series moves to Los Angeles, look for the Kings to keep that same defense-first mentality into Game 3.
Offensively, the Kings haven’t been much to write home about all season long. They ranked 29th in the NHL scoring just 2.68 goals per game throughout the course of the regular season, and that number dipped to 2.59 when playing at home. They’ve potted just 2 goals in 2 games so far in this series, and there isn’t much to suggest that a drastic change in offensive prowess is coming. It’s also worth mentioning that both of these teams ranked in the bottom-6 of the NHL in power play percentage in the regular season, and have combined to go just 2-for-16 so far in this series. Take the under.
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources and never miss a story
