NHL Playoffs Betting Picks for Round 1 Matches

It’s a good time of year to be a sport’s fan, as we have not one but two different sets of playoffs on the go. The NBA is heading into the second round, while the NHL will see the quest for the Stanley Cup begin on Monday night. The action will be coming thick and fast in the world of hockey, with 8 different series to pay attention to in the opening round. Making parlay picks can be tough when you have so many teams evenly matched, so we are going to make our NHL Playoffs Betting picks for the opening two nights and then allow you to mix and match as you like. You may want to play all 4 games on each night, or perhaps cherry pick the games you want over both nights to create several tickets. Either way, let’s get to the selections.

Parlay Picks to Wager On From May 2nd to 3rd | NHL Playoffs Betting

NHL Parlay – Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Wild, Oilers – Monday

While strange things can certainly happen in the playoffs, we can still look at the regular season series between postseason opponents to see how things might go. The Carolina Hurricanes totally dominated Boston in the regular season, winning all 3 games and outscoring the Bruins 16-1. That is about as lopsided as things get and suggests that the Hurricanes are a good pick for Game 1.

One series that might not be quite so easy to predict is the one that sees the Toronto Maple Leafs open up against the 2-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. These two teams split their regular season series 2-2, with each team winning at home and on the road. The Maple Leafs finished the season strong, and I like them to take Game 1 on home ice.

Sometimes, when it comes to wagering on the playoffs, you have to discard what the regular season series tells you. That is what I am doing with the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild in Game 1. The Blues won all 3 regular season games versus the Wild, but they were all close. The Wild were on fire to close the season, going 8-1-1 in their last 10. I think they get the win at home.

It’s a Pacific Division matchup to close out night one of the playoffs, with the LA Kings on the road to face the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings won the first meeting of the regular season, but the Oilers followed that up with 3 straight wins over their division rivals. I think Edmonton has too much firepower.

NHL Parlay – Rangers, Panthers, Avalanche, Flames – Tuesday

There are a handful of divisional matchups in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which includes the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins squaring off. The Rangers took a late run at the division title, but they came up just short. They were good down the stretch, and I like them in Game 1.

There are a lot of hockey fans out there who like the Florida Panthers to go all the way this season. The big question is whether their all-out offense will carry over into the postseason, when defenses tend to take over. They had 3 very close games with the Capitals in the regular season, but I like them to get the win to start the series.

If the Panthers are the team to beat in the East, then it is the Colorado Avalanche who are the favorites in the West. They actually lost 3 of 4 to the Nashville Predators in the regular season, so might we see an upset here? We’ll get into that series in a separate piece, but for now, let’s take the Avs in Game 1.

The Calgary Flames have had some disappointing playoff appearances in the last few seasons, but this year feels a little different. They will have a tough series against the Dallas Stars, a team they beat in 2 of 3 games this season, but I think they build some confidence with a Game 1 win.

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I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?