Can the Carolina Hurricanes hold off the Florida Panthers and defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for first place in the Central Division standings? Could prohibitive favorite Colorado catch and surpass the Vegas Golden Knights for division supremacy out west?
Last, but not least, can Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals hold off Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the East Division crown? With just a handful of games left on the 2020-21 NHL regular season docket, it’s time to find out which teams are in action this coming week and which matchups have the look of must-see, must-bet pairings. Let’s jump right into action so you can bet against their NHL odds.
Top NHL Games to Watch and Bet On This Week (May 4th – May 8th)
NY Islanders at Buffalo at 7:00 PM ET
- When: Tuesday, May 4
The Islanders (31-15-5) are in third place in the East Division standings, three points behind co-leading Washington and Pittsburgh. New York has gone 4-5-1 over its last 10 games, but the Islanders are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a road favorite and 21-10 in their last 31 overall. Conversely, Buffalo (14-32-7) is 6-20 in their last 26 games as a home underdog. The Isles are 19-7 in the last 26 meetings and the favorite is 7-1 in the last eight meetings. New York cruises to pick up some momentum prior to the playoffs.
Colorado at San Jose at 9:30 PM ET
- When: Wednesday, May 5
Colorado (34-12-4) has won three straight and seven of 10 and sits two points behind Vegas in the West Division standings with six games remaining. San Jose (20-26-6) is in seventh place in the division and has gone 2-6-2 over its last 10 games. The Avalanche have won four straight and a dominant nine of the last 10 meetings against the Sharks. Colorado is first in scoring (3.5 GPG) and sixth in goals allowed (2.5 GPG). This one should be over by the end of the first intermission.
Chicago at Carolina at 7:00 PM ET
- When: Thursday, May 6
Central Division-leading Carolina (35-10-7) doesn’t have a bunch of big name players, but the Hurricanes are riding the wave of four-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s action. Chicago (22-24-6) is in sixth place in the division standings and has lost five consecutive games heading into Tuesday night. Carolina has gone a stupendous 19-3-4 at home this season while Chicago has gone 10-13-3 on the road.
Philadelphia at Washington at 7:00 PM ET
- When: Friday, May 7
Washington has gone 6-3-1 over its last 10 games and is tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the East Division standings. The Capitals rank a stupendous second in scoring (3.4 GPG), but discouraging 20th in goals allowed (2.9 GPG). Philadelphia is dead last in the NHL in defense, allowing a whopping 3.5 goals per contest. The Caps are 15-7-3 at home this season while Philly has gone 12-11-3 on the road.
St. Louis at Vegas at 10:00 PM ET
- When: Saturday, May 8
St. Louis is in fourth place in the West Division standings and has won six of 10 to pick up some momentum prior to the playoffs. Vegas (36-12-2) has won eight of 10 and heads into Tuesday night with a league-high 36 victories.
Vegas is fifth in scoring (3.3 GPG) and second in goals allowed (2.2 GPG).
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