We’re in the middle of the NHL playoffs first round but it’s not too late to throw bets on the series outcomes. Allow us to give you three winning picks for the first round of the NHL postseason.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Pick
Let’s start out West where Kings and Oilers just finished a Game 2 classic. Edmonton stormed back from two different deficits, but in the end, Los Angeles stole home-ice advantage with a 5-4 victory in overtime. The series is now 1-1 as it shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 3.
There are a lot of ways to bet this one, but we’re most interested in the exact series score. This bet isn’t for the faint of heart, but the plus-money odds across the board caught our attention. This bet is about picking who wins and in how many games exactly. Here’s how the betting lines are shaking out at top NHL betting sites:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton 4-1 | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Edmonton 4-2 | +330 | +330 | +330 |
| Edmonton 4-3 | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| LA Kings 4-1 | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| LA Kings 4-2 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| LA Kings 4-3 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
We’re not panicking if we’re Edmonton, who are still -180 favorites to advance in the series. Yes, they’ve allowed nine goals to sneak past goalkeeper Stuart Skinner, but if we’re being honest, some of that’s just been bad luck, especially in Game 1. We’d expect Skinner to tighten up — and when he does, the Oilers will reseize control.
Why? Because they’re playing well elsewhere besides at the net. To no one’s surprise, Connor McDavid is up to six points in two games. Leon Draisaitl was a menace in Game 1 and Dylan Holloway is still uptrending.
We’re putting money on the Oiler to win the series 4-2. They’re the better team in almost all aspects. Once they get Skinner playing just average, they’ll cruise to victory in this series.
Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks Pick
This might be the hardest pick to make in the first round of the NHL playoffs, and that’s reflected in the betting odds. The series winner bet between Nashville and Vancouver is at near pick ‘em:
| Team | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Nashville | -105 | -105 | -105 |
Here again, we have a series knotted up at one game a piece. Vancouver surprisingly won the Pacific Division, but that hasn’t stopped many fans and bettors alike from calling them “pretenders.” A 4-1 defeat on their home ice in Game 2 only made that chatter louder.
But here’s the big story after two games: the loss of Thatcher Demko for the Canucks. The goalie started Game 1, but missed Game 2 and is now listed as week-to-week. It’s not a small loss considering Demko was a monster during the regular season. He went 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, and five shutouts in 51 games. His loss has shorted the odds for the Canucks, but we’re backing them to advance regardless.
Vancouver is still good enough to win this series minus their starting goalkeeper. More than anything else, the Canucks have a deeper core than the Preds do. Between Ryan O’Reilly, Colton Sissons, Tommy Novak and Michael McCarron, Nashville’s centers lag considerably. That means they won’t take advantage of Demko’s absence as much as possible. Take Vancouver to advance here.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Winnipeg Jets Pick
Another 1-1 series between these two Western Conference foes. When it comes to betting on the Avs and Jets, we’re putting money on how many games is played in the series. Here’s the list of betting options:
| Outcome | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Games | +260 | +260 | +260 |
| 6 Games | +155 | +155 | +155 |
| 7 Games | +160 | +160 | +160 |
We’re taking this special bet because honestly, we’re not sure which team is winning outright. Most bettors are mostly on the Avs who finished No. 3 out West. They remain -160 favorites to win the series. Us though? We’re not that confident in Colorado.
We all know the importance of goaltending this time of the year, but our hopes for the Avs in this area are all but shot. In Game 1, they allowed a stunning seven goals on its home ice. Seven! There was speculation that starter Alexandar Georgiev would be pulled but it was not to be. He did rebound by only allowing two goals in a Game 2 victory, but we’re still not sold he can play week the rest of the way.
Our prediction is this series goes the full seven games. Colorado probably does prevail, but we’re not confident enough to bet on it. That’s why we’ll just take the seven-game bet and let the better team win out — it makes no difference to us as long as we see a Game 7.
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