And then there were four! Welcome to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoff everyone, and let me tell you, I could not be more excited for these matchups between the Stars, Oilers, Rangers and Panthers! 

Expect these series to be extremely tight throughout as both could go the distance to seven games, but worry not, as I will be wagering with you the entire way with my NHL bets and props.

 

 

 

NHL Picks, Predictions, & Best Bets: Conference Finals Game 1

Today, I have a pair of wagers for these Game 1s to kick off the Conference Finals for you to consider, including some picks for tomorrow’s action as well! If you agree with the rationale, feel free to tail and enjoy the games!

Let us now jump into my expert NHL best bets today!

  • Stanley Cup Playoff Record: 22-10-0
  • Bankroll: +7.4 Units

*Follow me on twitter @jwaggs10 after you read my NHL predictions for the two Game 1s!

 

 

 

Panthers vs. Rangers Prediction: Game 1, 5/22

This series is going to be a toss-up in my mind and after several days of thinking it over, I have the angles to wager on throughout this series! While I am picking the Panthers to win and move onto the Stanley Cup, I have a game total in mind for my NHL picks for Game 1 and it might not be what you’re thinking. 

The Panthers hold the highest score in Expected Goals For of every team that has played in these playoffs at 3.61 and they have scored 3.55 goals per game overall. Their offense is humming along right now and while Igor Shesterkin will be a bump in the road, the Rangers defense overall has not impressed me much as Shania Twain would say. 

In their series against Carolina, they gave up 19 goals over 6 games for 3.16 goals per game. Seeing as the Panthers are much better offensively, I expect to see some goals on this side of the matchup. On the Rangers end, offensively, they’ve scored 3.5 goals per game over 10 games these playoffs and they are getting production from everywhere in the lineup which is critical. 

The matchup against the Panthers defense isn’t a great one as they allow 2.46 goals per game these playoffs, but they do have lapses – 6 of their 12 playoff games have gone over. Sergei Bobrovsky has also not been tested much these playoffs and I wonder about his overall play, so all of these things added together, I will be taking the over tonight with the total at 5.5 goals. 

 

 

 

Oilers vs. Stars Prediction: Game 1, 5/23

This series is going to be determined on a razor's edge for me, but I do think the Stars are the better team at this juncture. The Oilers do have Connor McDavid, so that really evens the playing field in this series. Let’s dive into the matchup from an NHL predictions standpoint though and see how it shakes out. 

The Oilers have a very top-heavy team with over 65% of the total offense coming from 4 players in McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard. No knock on them but it could be bad if they have an off night at the top of the lineup. The goaltending also presents an issue as Stuart Skinner, after a great regular season, is up to his bad postseason play again with a 2.87 GAA and .881 SV%. 

Luckily for him, the Oilers should control the majority of possession in the series as their Corsi For metrics rank 2nd of the remaining teams, but he gives up goals he shouldn’t and that can become a problem. On the Stars side, they are a deeper team with veterans and some up and coming youngsters and for sure the better goaltender in Jake Oettinger, who has a 2.09 GAA coming into this series. 

The Stars are battle tested at this point taking down the last two Stanley Cup winners in the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche in back-to-back series – what a run! I very much like the Stars to win the series, but in Game 1, since history repeats itself, I am going to take the Oilers on the moneyline as the Stars have lost Game 1 in six straight attempts dating back to 2021, and the Oilers will be coming in locked in after a huge Game 7 victory in the previous round.