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The opening round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs are heated up and four Game 3 are on the schedule on Friday. The lower ranked teams are now the ones to host the game which makes this games even tougher to predict. However, we have our game breakdowns and NHL betting trends for four of the Playoff games on Friday night.
The Washington Capitals barely made it to the playoffs and will have to pull out a miracle and stay in the series against the New York Rangers. The Vancouver Canucks were on top of the Western Conference most of the season, but after slipping for a couple of spots, they ended up playing the Predators and are now heading to Nashville in hope of regaining the home ice advantage. The Winnipeg Jets and the Colorado Avalanche also split the first pair of games, and now it’s on the Avs to make things happen on their home ice. The Edmonton Oilers looked unbeatable in the opening game of the series, but the Kings stepped up in the second, and now the series goes to Los Angeles with a tied score.
Now, let’s take a deeper look at the NHL betting trends for these four games.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals
The New York Rangers came into the playoffs as the President Trophy winners, and they have high hopes for the rest of the season. After a comfortable 4-1 win to open up the series, the Rangers had a much more difficult task in the second one but still won, this time by 4-3. They scored a couple of goals in the first two periods after allowing one, but they basically had control for the entire game. Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Jack Roslovic, and K’Andre Miller scored for the Rangers.
The Washington Capitals had a tough time making it to the playoffs, but once they got there, the real challenge was awaiting. They had no choice but to go against the best team in the league, and despite their solid play, the Capitals find themselves in a 2-0 hole. Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome scored in the opening minutes of the first and second periods, but the Capitals could not hold on defensively. Tom Wilson scored on power play near the middle of the third quarter to give the Capitals a chance, but they just fell short at the end.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals: NHL betting trends
The Rangers have won 4 of the last 5 games against the Capitals but has lost 5 of the last 6 played in Washington DC. New York is 12-3 SU in the last 15 games overall and 4-1 SU in the last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are 4-9 SU in the last 13 games overall and 1-4 SU in the last 5 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The New York Rangers played just as hard as they needed to take a 2-0 lead in the series against the Capitals. They look like a real contender this season, hoping to win their first Stanley Cup in 30 years. The Capitals kept the pace as much as they could, and one of the reasons they fell short is veteran Alex Ovechkin, who had a total of one shot on goal in the first two games. The Capitals will be way more aggressive at home, but that will make no difference as the Rangers will take a 3-0 lead.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators
The Vancouver Canucks had a strong start to the series against the Predators with a 4-2 win in the opening game. They looked like a much better team in the series but were already 3-0 down at the midpoint of Game 2. Nikita Zadorov cut the deficit with a late goal in the second period, but the Canucks were outplayed in Game 2. The Canucks had four power play situations in the game but failed to convert in any of them.
The Nashville Predators had many ups and downs during the regular season but picked up their form just in time to make it to the playoffs. They reacted well in Game 2 after losing the opening one and turned things in their direction from the very start of the game. Anthony Beauvillier scored just over a minute into the game, and Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons put the Predators 3-0 up in the second period. Kiefer Sherwood sealed the deal with an empty-net goal two minutes before the end of the game.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: NHL betting trends
Seven of the last nine games between these two teams have gone over the total goal line and seven of the last ten played in Nashville. The Predators have gone over it in four of their last five games overall.
Prediction and Conclusion
Things will heat up in this series as the Predators make things even in Game 2. The Canucks are one of the top-scoring teams in the league, but they simply had a night off in the second game on home ice. Game 3 may prove to be the turning point of the series, as whoever wins this one will have a big advantage as the series moves forward. We already saw that the series can go in either direction after two completely different games. None of the teams will wait for the other to punch first, so we will see an intense battle that will go over 5.5 goals in total.
Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche
The Winnipeg Jets came into the series as the best defensive team in the league, but that did not transfer to this series. They somehow survived, allowing six goals in the opener, but then lost 5-2 in the following game. They took a 1-0 lead with David Gustafsson’s goal three minutes into the game, but they allowed four goals in the second period, three of which came in the last six minutes. Mark Scheifele also scored, but the Jets were not even close to the win.
The Colorado Avalanche had just an average regular season, but they have stepped up in the playoffs. After a 7-6 loss in the opener, they bounced back in the second one. Five different players scored for the Jets, who went on a scoring spree in the second period. Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves for Colorado, a bounce-back effort after allowing seven goals on 23 shots in the series opener.
Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche: NHL betting trends
Winnipeg has won 4 of the last 5 games against Colorado. The Jets are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games overall, 4-1 SU in the last 5 road games and 5-1 SU in the last 6 games against teams from the Central Division. The Avalanche are 14-6 SU in the last 20 games against teams from the Western Conference and 12-4 SU in the last 16 games against teams from the Central Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Winnipeg Jets have had their best season in the past decade, and they are still the favorites to advance to the next round, even though they lost the second home game in the series. However, the Avalacnhe proved that they play their best hockey when it matters the most, and nobody can be confident enough to win at Mile High City. This Avalanche team knows how to play under pressure and will take over the lead in the series with a Game 3 win.
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings
The Edmonton Oilers are a team that lives and dies with their offense, and the first two games of the series against the Kings proved that. They scored seven goals to blow out the Kings in the opener, but then their defense was a weak link in the 5-4 Game 2 loss to the Kings. The Oilers allowed three goals in the opening period but managed to make things even at the end of the regulation.
That’s when Anze Kopitar scored his first goal of the series and gave Los Angeles the much-needed win. Adrian Kempe was the key player for Los Angeles, as he scored twice in the first period to put the Kings up by two goals.
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings: NHL betting trends
The Oilers have won 7 of the last 9 games overall against the Kings and 9 of the last 13 played in Los Angeles. Edmonton is 2-5 SU in the last 7 games overall and 8-2 SU in the last 10 games against teams from the Central Division. Los Angeles is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games overall and 9-1 SU in the last 10 home games.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Edmonton Oilers are tough to predict this season, but one thing is for sure: the effort they will put in to regain the lead in the series. The Kings are the third-best defensive team in the league, but it will be hard for them to hold off Connor McDavid and Leon Drainsaitl for the second consecutive game. The Oilers will go at full speed since tip-off and will cruise to the win to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
