NHL playoff predictions: First-round winners, MVP, Conn Smythe choose

The primary spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is essentially the most fantastic time of the 12 months for hockey followers and bettors.

Spherical 1 at all times guarantees some chaos, and there’s at all times a shocker, that means there’s loads of worth to be discovered on the betting board.

Let’s break it down:

NHL playoff sequence odds and predictions

Collection favourite with worth

Edmonton Oilers -1.5 Video games (-120, Caesars)

The Oilers will go into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as mainly a co-favorite with the Colorado Avalanche, and for good purpose.

The Oilers are 18-2-1 since buying and selling for Mattias Ekholm and can go into the match using a 15-game level streak.

With Connor McDavid rewriting the document books and the staff lastly getting strong goaltending, the Oilers might make fast work of the Kings, who’ve a few key gamers banged up after a formidable common season.

Greatest underdog wager

New York Islanders (+175, Caesars)

The Islanders and Winnipeg Jets are two fashionable underdogs in Spherical 1 for a similar purpose: They each have a giant edge in aim.

Because the Isles are the larger worth in comparison with the Jets, we’ll go together with them.

With Ilya Sorokin in web, the Isles determine to have a puncher’s probability in opposition to any staff in a best-of-seven sequence, however that benefit turns into extra pronounced when you think about the Hurricanes share comparable weaknesses in comparison with the Islanders.

Just like the Isles, the Hurricanes wrestle to attain persistently, and that drawback has reared its head because the staff misplaced first-line winger Andrei Svechnikov in March.

Carolina has gone 9-8-1 with a -2 aim distinction since shedding Svechnikov.

The margins for this sequence determine to be razor-thin, so there’s some worth on the Islanders — because of Sorokin — at a good worth.

Greatest long-shot wager

Calle Jarnkrok most objectives in sequence (46/1, FanDuel)

Jarnkrok has settled right into a spot within the top-six for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so he’ll spend a variety of time taking part in with the likes of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

It’s one of many cushiest gigs within the NHL and offers Jarnkrok a reputable probability to get sizzling sufficient to guide a star-studded sequence in scoring.

Rangers vs. Devils prop

Ondrej Palat most objectives (55/1, DraftKings)

There may be a lot expertise on this sequence that there was certain to be a participant that flies underneath the radar on this market and Palat matches the invoice.

Whereas a lot of the consideration on this market will go to gamers like Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Jack Hughes and Timo Meier, they’re all being supplied at a lot shorter odds than Palat, who has scored 11 objectives in two of the final three postseasons for the Bolts.

Moreover, Palat ought to get ample taking part in time in a top-six that’s loaded with star energy.

Betting on the NHL?

Greatest Conn Smythe Wager

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins (30/1, Caesars)

The Bruins are the clear favorites to win all of it, and Bergeron is their unquestioned chief.

There’s additionally an opportunity that that is Bergeron’s final season, and will the B’s win all of it, seeing their beloved captain get handed the Stanley Cup to skate off into the sundown can be fairly the fairytale second.

It will nearly be not possible for writers who vote on the Conn Smythe to disregard the storyline.

There are many Bruins who might put up the manufacturing to win the Conn Smythe if the B’s do win the Cup.

However Bergeron is named a two-way power, so he doesn’t essentially must set the world on fireplace to be a justifiable choose on this market.