This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
Best NHL Bets Tonight: Expert Picks for Wednesday, May 1st
Two big games out West for us to sink our teeth into tonight. The Stars rallied after losing Games 1 & 2 to tie the series with two huge wins in Vegas. The series shifts back to Dallas where the Stars will look to continue their momentum. It will be interesting to see if Vegas turns to Adin Hill in net after dropping the last two games.
Then we've got a decisive Game 5 out in Edmonton where the Oilers hope to clinch the series while the Kings look to stave off elimination. The Kings completely outplayed the Oilers in Game 4, outshooting them 33-13 but still lost 1-0.
It's hard to imagine the Oilers slinking through a second straight game with their high-powered talent, and I expect the Kings to empty the tank to win this one so we should have a great game on our hands. All that said, let's take a look at the best NHL bets and player props tonight, with so much action we gotta get some skin in the game!
BetMGM has wall-to-wall action for the NHL postseason. Check out what BetMGM has to offer with the BetMGM bonus code for a first bet offer worth up to $1,500.
Best NHL Bets Tonight
Golden Knights, Stars over 5.5 (-122 on FanDuel)
It looks like the Stars have really settled into this series after coming out slow in the first two games. They scored seven goals combined in Games 3 & 4 after only potting four total in Games 1 & 2.
Jake Oettinger has looked solid between the pipes and the Stars have been able to fend off counterpunch attempts from a talented Golden Knights team. Vegas isn't dead in the water by any means though. They managed seven goals combined in Games 1 & 2 on their own, and still found a way to get 30+ shots on goal in Games 3 & 4.
I think the defending Cup champs mount a considerable response in this one, but the Stars are also ready to keep building on the momentum they gained from back-to-back road wins. Six total goals seems very reasonable tonight.
Kings, Oilers over 6.5 (+110 on DraftKings)
Three of the four games have hit over 6.5 so far this series. The Kings have only scored one goal in the last two games, but managed 11 through Games 1 & 2 combined. The Oilers only needed one goal to win Game 4, but scored 17 in the three games prior. I doubt Connor McDavid and company scrape out another clunky 1-0 win with only 13 shots like they did in Game 4, especially since this is in their home barn where they're notoriously prolific.
The Kings still fired 33 shots on goal in Game 4 and got outstanding goaltending from David Rittich. I expect the offense to throw everything it's got at Stuart Skinner tonight, but I don't trust whoever takes the net for LA to have another exceptional performance. I think this is a 4-3 in overtime kinda matchup.
The FanDuel promo code gets new players a Bet $5, Get $150 offer.
Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Stuart Skinner over 26.5 saves (-110 on DraftKings)
I just mentioned that I expect the Kings to throw everything they've got at Skinner tonight, so if the Oilers are going to wrap up the series, they need a big performance from their goaltender. The Kings' shot tallies are as follows too: 37, 26, 28, 33. Skinner's recorded 27+ saves in each game already, so we're betting on his streak to continue with this prop.
Wyatt Johnston over 0.5 points (-145 on DraftKings)
Let's ride the hot hand! Johnston leads the Stars with four points, and while that number doesn't pop off the screen at you, it's the way he got those points that matters. After his team dropped both games at home to start the series, Johnston scored the first goal of Game 3 in Vegas and then nabbed the overtime game-winner.
His goal in Game 4 tied the game at 2-2 and helped propel the Stars to a second consecutive victory to tie the series. Now the Stars head back to Dallas, and Johnston's unofficial coming out party as one of the league's bright young stars will continue with another big performance tonight.
