With four huge NHL playoff matchups going down on Tuesday, August 11, it’s time to find out which quartet of title hopefuls are looking good against their NHL odds in their respective playoff openers.
NHL Playoffs Odds & Picks – Highlights, Favorites, Underdogs
Tuesday, August 11 Matches
Columbus (36-23-16) vs Tampa Bay (44-22-6) at 3:00 PM ET
Columbus got past Toronto 3-2 in their five-game series by recording an emphatic 3-0 shutout win on Sunday. Tampa Bay beat Washington and Boston in their first two games of the restart campaign, but the Lightning got completely humbled by red-hot Philadelphia in their 4-1 loss on Saturday. This will be one of the most watched series in the playoffs with Columbus recording a memorable, all-time sweep of the top-seeded Lightning just last season. While the Blue Jackets are 4-1 in the last five meeting, I’m expecting Tampa Bay to get it done in this one!
- Pick: Tampa Bay 3 Columbus 2
- Money Lines: Columbus +145 / Tampa Bay -170
- Total: 5.5
Calgary (39-28-7) vs Dallas (38-26-8) at 5:30 PM ET
Calgary took out Winnipeg in four games and beat the brakes off the Jets over the final two games by posting 10 combined goals and allowing just two. Dallas won their final restart contest by taking out the defending champion Blues 2-1 in a shootout on Sunday after suffering embarrassing losses to Vegas and Colorado in their first two games of the restart. With these two alternating wins and losses over their last four meetings, I’m thinking this series could go the distance – starting with an upset win for Calgary in this affair. The underdog is 6-0 in the last six meetings.
- Pick: Calgary 3 Dallas 2
- Money Lines: Calgary -110 / Dallas -110
- Total: 5
Carolina (41-25-5) vs Boston (44-17-12) at 8:00 PM ET
Carolina swept the New York Rangers in three games while outscoring their conference rivals by identical 4-1 scores over the last two games. Dating back to the regular season, the Hurricanes have won six straight. Boston has the most victories in all of hockey, but you’d never know it since the Bruins dropped all three of their restart games including a narrow 2-1 loss against Washington on Sunday. Boston has not scored over two goals in their last three games and that just doesn’t bode well heading into their series opener against a Carolina squad that has scored four goals or more in four of their last five games. While Boston has won six straight over Carolina, right now, the Canes are flying high and have the look of a team that won’t be easily dispatched – if at all. I’m going with Carolina to get it done in Game 1, by two goals!
- Pick: Carolina 3 Boston 1
- Money Lines: Carolina +115 / Boston -135
- Total: 5.5
Chicago (35-31-8) vs Vegas (42-24-8) at 10:30 PM ET
Chicago got past Edmonton in four games and recorded a narrow 3-2 win on Friday to advance while winning seven of their last 10 dating back to the regular season. No matter, the Blackhawks will have their hands completely full against a Vegas squad that is on fire right now, having won five straight and eight of their last 10 games overall, including a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against Colorado on Saturday. The Knights have put a whopping 23 goals in the back of the net over their last five games. More importantly, the Golden Knights have dominated this rivalry by winning eight of the last nine meetings, including an emphatic 5-1 smackdown win the last time they met back in December. Right now, Vegas has the look of a team that is destined to end up in the Stanley Cup finals at the very least. Sorry Chicago fans, but the Blackhawks are going down in game 1, like really hard!
- Pick: Vegas 4 Chicago 2
- Money Lines: Chicago +165 / Vegas -195
- Total: 6.5
