Check out our NHL Game 3 best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Sunday, May 7.
The 2022-23 NHL postseason continues today with a tripleheader on TBS beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, and we've got picks for all three games.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks for today's NHL playoff games, including Hurricanes vs. Devils, Maple Leafs vs. Panthers, and Stars vs. Kraken.
Hurricanes vs. Devils Bet Type
Tony Sartori: After two convincing wins on home ice, the Carolina Hurricanes travel to New Jersey in an attempt to take a 3-0 series lead over the Devils. Carolina has now won seven of the last nine meetings between these two clubs, a trend likely to continue on Sunday afternoon.
The Canes finally turned to goaltender Frederik Andersen in Game 6 of the first round against the New York Islanders. This decision surely did not disappoint as Andersen is now 3-0 with an absurd .963 save percentage (SV%) and 0.97 goals against average (GAA).
Andersen's strong play in the crease should continue against New Jersey, a team he has notoriously dominated over the years. Through 11 career starts against the Devils, he is 9-2 with a stellar .938 SV% and 1.91 GAA.
Making Andersen's job easier is the fact that Carolina is perhaps the best two-way team in the league. At 5-on-5 since the Christmas break, the Canes rank first in the league in both expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
Over that same stretch, they rank four and eight spots higher, respectively, than New Jersey in those two key metrics. Regardless of whether the Devils go with Vitek Vanecek or Akira Schmid between the pipes, Carolina is stronger in every aspect of this game other than the fact that it is a road game, which is not enough to justify its +115 price in my opinion.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Bets
Ryan Dadoun: The Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen behind 2-0 against the Florida Panthers with their second-round series heading to Florida. At least Toronto is 3-0 so far in the state during the 2023 playoffs.
The Maple Leafs badly need a win, and I think there’s a good chance they’ll get it today. They’ve shown an ability to overcome adversity this year with their overtime and come-from-behind victories over Tampa Bay, and both Game 1 and Game 2 with Florida were close. However, taking Toronto on the moneyline doesn’t come with a great potential return, so instead I’ll recommend something bolder and predict a player I think will come through for the Maple Leafs on Sunday: William Nylander.
Nylander set a career-high during the regular season with 40 goals, but he’s managed just two through eight playoff contests, and he’s on a six-game goal-scoring drought. To put that into context, Nylander’s longest goal slump in the 2022-23 campaign was six contests.
His recent drought has persisted despite Nylander firing a team-leading 36 shots in the playoffs. In terms of postseason Goals Above Expected, Nylander stands at -2.4 markers, per MoneyPuck, which is the third worst in that category. In other words, an argument can be made that Nylander is due, and with the urgency the Leafs’ are facing, he’s likely to continue playing aggressively, giving him plenty of opportunities to finally break through.
Pick: William Nylander anytime goalscorer (+156) |
Stars vs. Kraken Player Prop
Greg Liodice: To the delight of Dallas Stars fans, Tyler Seguin has been on a tear this postseason. After a handful of relatively disappointing seasons, he’s averaging a point per game in the playoffs. He’s also been one of Dallas’ more efficient and effective options on the scoring sheet.
Seguin has definitely garnered a ton of opportunities. While teams will typically hone in on guys like Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, they leave guys like Seguin out to take advantage – and it’s worked. He leads all forwards in expected goals, scoring chances, and high-danger chances.
While his scoring touch hasn’t been as prevalent in past seasons, he hasn’t lost it. He’s also tied for most goals with five, and he's tied for most shots per game with 3.4. Which is why I’m surprised FanDuel is bearish on him reaching three shots in tonight’s game. Throughout the postseason, the only times he’s reached under 2.5 shots were Game 6 against Minnesota and Game 1 against Seattle.
I highly recommend taking advantage of what FanDuel is offering. At +104, there’s a real good chance that Seguin can notch at least three shots tonight.
Pick: Tyler Seguin over 2.5 shots on goal (+104) |
