What Thursday’s NHL playoff slate lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. The Wild and Ducks would love nothing more than a series clinching win in front of the home crowd. Minnesota has not won a series in 11 years, and Anaheim has not won a series in 9 years. Meanwhile, Edmonton and Dallas would not mind pushing for a 3rd consecutive Conference Final matchup. These games will be appointment television.
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 Thursday, April 30, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Also, be sure to check out our NHL predictions for both games tonight and throughout the playoffs.
NHL best bet: Wild ML (-122) over Stars
It feels like this is finally the Wild’s time. More than that, they pass the eye test too. This version of the Wild team just plain looks different than what their fans have become accustomed to. They have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game which is more than their regular season average of 3.27. Minnesota has also allowed 2.6 goals per game which is less than their regular season average of 2.87. The Wild are turning things on when it matters, and are doing so against one of the best teams in hockey all year.
With their game 5 win, Minnesota is now 5-3-1 against Dallas this year. They have outscored the Stars by 5 and outshot them by 38. The Wild have had the better of the Stars this year which is something not many other teams in hockey can say. Minnesota also enters this game having won 5 out of their last 6 games played at home as part of a 24-10-9 home record on the year. The Stars are a solid road team, and are obviously an excellent, experienced team in general. They will not make it easy. But the Wild will get a jolt from their home crowd in a big game, and they are already the younger, faster team. Game 6 sets up well for a Wild clinch.
Read our full Stars vs Wild Game 6 prediction
NHL best bet: Over 6.5 and Cutter Gauthier over 0.5 points (+106)
This series was widely expected to be all but a formality for the Oilers. That is far from how things have gone. However, what does still feel like a formality is a high total. The game 5 final of 4-1 was the lowest game total of this series and the only under to hit thus far. The average game total in this series is 8.0 goals. The high scores of this series have reinforced season-long trends. Both teams have solid goal scoring but weak goal prevention. Their combined over under record between these teams was 100-68-6. The over always has a great look in Oilers and Ducks games, let alone in Oilers vs Ducks games.
The over alone does not have much value, but pairing a player prop with it gives a nice same-game parlay. In a matchup that bodes well for offense, Cutter Gauthier has as good of a chance as anyone to get on the score sheet. He has 3 goals and 2 assists in the 5 games played in this series, is on the top line, power play, and has already made a significant impact on this series. That all follows a regular season in which Gauthier scored 41 goals and had 69 points, both of which led the Ducks. This guy is a certified goalscorer and playmaker. Regardless of the winner of this game, Gauthier will have plenty of opportunities to tally another point, contributing to this nice plus-money same-game parlay.
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