NHL Picks: Best Bets for Thursday's Game 2s
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At Gambling.com, we have been amazed and stunned by the first few nights of the NHL Playoffs. Six-plus months, a grueling 82-game schedule, and lots of chaos later have been nothing compared to some of these early results. Now begins another look into more Game 2’s of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To help prepare you for your Stanley Cup playoff betting, here are more quick takeaways on what expects to be another crazy night in the NHL.
Schedule Breakdown
Here is tonight’s breakdown of games.
- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs - 7 p.m. ET
- New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils - 7:30 p.m. ET
- Seattle Kraken at Colorado Avalanche - 9:30 p.m. ET
- Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights – 10 p.m. ET
The good news is that the schedule is easier to follow. Games are staggered enough to help viewers and bettors alike.
Also, with a few more overtime games under our belt, live betting becomes more and more viable. Our recommendation is taking tiny wagers on some extra props in-game can be worth it.
Injury Reports Rolling In
Victor Hedman is a game-time decision for Tampa Bay. Erik Cernak (head) is out for the Lightning. Keep an eye on Colorado’s J.T. Compher. The Colorado forward could be out for Thursday night.
Few expected Patrice Bergeron to be out two games with an illness, but here we are. Even Sam Bennett was thought to be close to returning. Now, the Minnesota Wild seem to be the greatest beneficiary. Minnesota might get back Joel Eriksson-Ek by Friday and John Klingberg by the weekend. It looks like Ryan Hartman may be ready for Game 3.
Watching games becomes different this time of year. A bettor and fan become more aware of what is happening on and off the ice. Picking up on players who appear less than 100% is more critical wagering-wise this time of year than any other. Now, this is the NHL Playoffs!
ESPN And TBS Take The Puck Tonight
Thursday gives us ESPN for the 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. games. Then, the 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. contests are on TBS. Keep in mind overtime will cause games to go on overflow channels. Check locally to see if your team is playing first. For example, in the NYC Metro Area, Rangers coverage will be on MSG while the Devils are on MSGSN.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs
Can the Toronto Maple Leafs rebound after what happened in Game 1? Allowing seven goals at home versus Tampa Bay is one thing. However, Tampa will miss Erik Cernak and may have a less than 100% Victor Hedman. It may be now if there is a time to take advantage with Toronto.
How does Ilya Samsonov rebound? That’s a big question too. Could the Over connect again? That becomes an increasing possibility, given the defenses. Sheldon Keefe did not want to make too many changes either. Can Toronto’s big four even the score?
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils
New Jersey forgot the memo that the playoffs started. Give New York credit as the Rangers took full advantage in an easy 5-1 road win. The Devils offered little resistance and played much like the team we saw in the first week of the regular season. There were nerves and much worse.
If New Jersey keeps playing tentative, this series becomes shorter by the night. New York is content to funnel the Devils into bad situations. New Jersey must show glimpses of the final 20 minutes more often. It’s that simple, along with stop taking bad penalties.
Seattle Kraken at Colorado Avalanche
One of the closer series arguably is Seattle and Colorado. The NHL betting sites have Colorado as a -135 betting favorite to win the series (it was -300). Could this be a more extended series now? Game 2 will tell us a lot about how this may go.
Alexandar Georgiev must play better in the key moments. Three goals on 31 shots is not horrible, but at least one of the three goals was preventable. Again, this is more about Colorado converting scoring chances. Does Seattle continue to frustrate, or does the Avalanche figure out how to get to Philipp Grubauer?
Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights
Can Vegas show up at home, or will Connor Hellebuyck steal another game on Thursday night? There is this thought that the Golden Knights will hit their shot props, at the least. Expect more chances from the Golden Knights.
Winnipeg has a plan against Vegas. Can they execute it once more in Game 2? That becomes a more and more compelling question.
Some Wagers To Consider Placing for Game 2s
- Jack Hughes to score two or more points at +125 is simple enough. Timo Meier Over 3.5 shots (-105), and anytime goal are at +150.
- The Over sees 69% of the money bet in Colorado for Game 2. Why not look to those shot props for Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen instead?
- Connor Hellebuyck save prop go take the Over. The same for Igor Shesterkin.
- Edmonton and those McDavid and Draisaitl power play props are in play.
- Look at more individual player props again. Watch for late injury news, too.
- The crazy bets are coming soon, but safe to say a road grand slam is not happening on Thursday night.
Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will carry some more plays on social media as conditions warrant.
Thanks to BetMGM Sportsbook for their help.
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