NHL Best Bets for Wednesday: Expert Hockey Playoffs Predictions for Today's Games - Flyers close out the Penguins

Connor Grootenhuis

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Connor has been covering the sports betting industry in a wide variety of roles for almost five years, and most enjoys writing about MLB, NHL, and college football. He is an avid supporter of #MACtion, and his favorite professional teams are the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. When it comes to his sports bets, Connor is a firm believer that every loss is a bad beat and every win is easy money.

NHL best bet: Philadelphia Flyers ML over Pittsburgh Penguins (-122)

The Flyers were able to race out to a 3-0 lead in this series, but the Penguins have stormed back to force a Game 6 on Wednesday night in Philly. However, Pittsburgh needed one of the most fortunate bounces you will ever see to secure a Game 5 win on Monday night. A long-range shot from Kris Letang went hard off the back boards and pinballed off the legs of Philadelphia goaltender Dan Vladar before barely trickling over the goal line. That goal proved to be the game-winner. Sometimes you need a little luck in the playoffs, but I am not banking on the Penguins being that fortunate in Game 5.

The Flyers have been great at bouncing back after losses all season long. Philadelphia owned a record of 23-8-6 after a loss during the regular season, which included an impressive 7-1-0 mark following the Olympic break in February. They are coming off back-to-back losses, but they now have the home ice advantage. Playing in front of their home fans, look for the Flyers to wrap this series up.

Check out all of our NHL predictions for tonight’s games!

NHL best bet: Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Under 5.5 (-102)

The first 4 games of the series between the Canadiens and Lightning have been nothing short of thrilling. This series has had a little bit of everything so far, and each game has been decided by a single goal with 3 requiring overtime. It’s clear that putting forth strong defensive efforts is a priority for both teams, as only one game has seen more than 5 total goals. I expect the trend of low-scoring games to continue in Game 5.

Both sides putting forth strong defensive efforts has resulted in exceptional 5-on-5 defense. Thus, both offenses have been extremely reliant on the power play so far in this series. Montreal has potted 5 power play goals through 4 games while Tampa Bay has scored 4 times on the man advantage. That means that over 40% of the goals scored in this series have come of the power play variety. Knowing that, look for both teams to be more disciplined defensively and force the other to score at even strength. That style of play tends to lean to a lower-scoring contest. With a total of 5.5, look to the under.

Check out our full Canadiens vs Lightning prediction for tonight’s Game 5 on ESPN2!

NHL best bet: Vegas Golden Knights ML over Utah Mammoth (-160)

Game 4 between the Golden Knights and Mammoth was a roller coaster for both sides. Vegas jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see Utah lead 4-3 in the 3rd period. However, Vegas rallied to tie things up and then Shea Theodore potted the game-winning goal in overtime. Now all of the momentum in this series is on Vegas’ side as Game 6 at T-Mobile Arena awaits on Wednesday night.

Vegas continues to put the pressure on, as the Golden Knights have out-shot the Mammoth 68-43 over the last 2 games. Utah is normally a stout defensive team that doesn’t allow a ton of shots on goal, but it’s clear that Vegas is having now trouble generating scoring chances. That puts plenty of pressure on Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka, who is not accustomed to seeing 30+ shots per game. Vejmelka has been able to hang in there, but the Mammoth may be playing with fire. Back on home ice, I expect Vegas to find the win column in this one and take a 3-2 series lead.

Read our full Avalanche vs Kings Game 3 prediction for tonight’s matchup on TNT