NHL Playoffs Best Bets for May 7

NHL Playoffs Best Bets for May 7

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

We've got a triple-header of NHL playoff action on this fine Sunday! Let's take a look at the best NHL bets for today. 

Best NHL Bets Today

Hurricanes vs Devils

This series hasn't even been close through its first two games. The Hurricanes have won both contests by a combined score of 11-1, eerily reminiscent of the Devils' first-round matchup against the Rangers where they lost both Games 1 & 2 by 5-1 tallies. The Canes have dominated play at all ends of the ice, and have chased Devils netminder Akira Schmid in both games. The best part is, they're beating the Devils at their own game. The Devils are supposed to be a fast-skating, tightly-structured, win-with-depth kind of team. But the Canes are all of that and are just doing it better. Way better. Captain Jordan Staal has one goal and two assists and a +4 rating while shutting down Jack Hughes and company. Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Ondrej Palat have all been held scoreless through two games. Will things change now that the series shifts back to New Jersey? It did in the first round for the Devils, even though they lost Games 1 & 2 on home ice before winning Games 3 & 4 on the road. I don't think the Devils get swept, and I don't think they lose three straight, so I'm riding them tonight in what is essentially a must-win game. 

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Devils ML -135

Nico Hischier (NJ) over 0.5 points -165

Timo Meier (NJ) over 3.5 shots on goal +105

Maple Leafs vs Panthers

These Panthers, though… Are they going to pull a 2014 Kings, barely sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed, steamrolling their conference opponents on the way to a Cup win? There's a major argument to be made for that. Matthew Tkachuk is having a Conn Smythe performance. Sam Bennett is a one-man wrecking crew a la Dustin Brown of the Kings' past. Brandon Montour is playing at an elite level on the back end. And Sergei Bobrovsky has surged in net. A 2-0 series lead for them is strong, but a 3-0 series lead would all but seal it, so this is a must-win for the Leafs. But the Leafs were buzzing in Game 2 and even jumped out to a 2-0 lead before surrendering three unanswered goals to lose. They've been surprisingly bad on home ice in these playoffs, too, but managed to win three games on the road against the Lightning in the first round. Road teams in these playoffs have been exceptional overall, so home-ice advantage may not be what it once was. I am taking the road team in this one. 

Maple Leafs ML -130

Ryan O'Reilly (TOR) over 0.5 points -135

Auston Matthews (TOR) over 4.5 shots on goal -130

Check out BetMGM using the BetMGM Massachusetts Bonus Code this postseason if you're located in MA now that sports betting is live in the Bay State.

Stars vs Kraken

This series is knotted up at 1-1, with the Kraken winning Game 1 in overtime and the Stars winning 4-2 in Game 2. The Kraken pounced on the Stars in Game 1 with a four-goal first period, with three of those coming all in one minute late in the frame. Joe Pavelski's return to the lineup has been a major boost for the Stars, as he already has five goals in these two games. It'll be interesting to see who scores first in this one. Dallas is the only team to spend more time leading games than Seattle has, so getting out in front is a major indicator for either team's success. This matchup also pits two hot goaltenders against one another with Philipp Grubauer and Jake Oettinger. Both teams fire a lot of pucks on net, so who can steal a game tonight? I think Grubauer does on home ice. 

Kraken ML +120

Oliver Bjorkstrand (SEA) over 2.5 shots on goal -130

Jaden Schwartz (SEA) over 0.5 points +100

Happy hunting, y'all!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grant Leonard
Former Junior B ice hockey player, and current believer that the Washington Capitals' aging core still has another Cup run left in the tank. Writing about hockey and sports betting for RotoWire since 2022.
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