There are three different Game 5’s to bet on in the NHL Thursday night. Need some help picking winners? Then read this. We’ve poured through the most current NHL odds and selected three NHL playoff bets worth taking. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s jump right into our betting predictions!
This series is why playoff hockey is the stuff of legends. The Rangers won the opening two games on the road. Then back at home, they proceeded to lose the next two. We mean, that’s something you’ll rarely ever see in other sports. But while that’s fun to watch, it’s not always the easiest to bet on. Enter Game 5, where top NHL betting sites have set the New York-New Jersey moneyline at almost pick ’em. Here are the current odds for each team to win:
Perhaps the only thing that’s stayed consistent most of this series is the staunch defense and goaltending. Get this, the Rangers’ unit has allowed a meager seven goals in four matchups. Just seven! Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been as good as it gets, saving 95 of the 101 shots on the net.
The Devils, on the other hand, didn’t match their rivals on that end until Game 3. That’s when they benched starting goaltender Vitek Vanecek in favor of 22-year-old Akira Schmidt. And oh, boy, has Schmidt delivered and then some. In Game 3, he stopped 35 shots in an overtime win. In the next game, Schmidt saved 22 of 23 shots. Mind you, both of these games were his first-ever starts in the postseason.
We can’t help but feel like New Jersey is a brand-new team with Schmidt minding the net. That, plus the home crowd, will energize them into a Game 5 win. We mean, the road team can’t win again? Right? Our money says no.
Tampa is on the ropes, down 3-1 in the series and in Toronto, a city that’s been starved of a playoff series victory in almost two decades. Though, that’s not to say this hasn’t been a competitive series. The Leafs won both Game 3 and 4 in overtime. The moneyline is too close for us to call, so instead, we’re jumping on the Tampa-Toronto over/under, which is set at 6.5 goals (the highest of the night):
Points have been abundant in the prior four games, which explains why the 6.5 number is so high. The teams have tallied 35 goals in four games — almost nine per contest. Will anything change in a decisive Game 5? Eh, probably not.
The only thing that could change is if Tampa’s goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy somehow rebounds. The former Vezina Trophy winner has been shockingly bad this round. He’s given up 19 goals on 132 shots. Admittedly, we thought Vasilevskiy would be the X-factor in this series before it started. He has, but not for good reasons as we expected, but all the bad.
The Leafs have used a mix-match of screens to confuse Vasilevskiy, and that will continue on their home ice in front of a rowdy fan base. Bet the over here because the Bolts offense won’t go quietly into the night either.
Despite the disparity of being a one and eight-seed matchup, many contemplated a Jets victory. That looked smart after Winnipeg stole Game 1. However, the one-seeded Golden Knights have stormed right back with three wins. Back in front of the Vegas crowd, they can put away the Jets for good in Game 5. Bookies certainly think they will, as the Golden Knights are comfortable moneyline favorites:
It just feels like Winnipeg has zero momentum after dropping both Game 3 and 4 on their own ice. Making matters worse, more injuries have piled up. Forward Mark Scheifele has been ruled out of Game 5. He’s the latest in a rash of injuries for the Jets, including defenseman Josh Morrissey, forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti, and goalie David Rittich.
We think Vegas ends this series on Thursday. For bettors with higher risk tolerance, betting the Golden Knights -1.5 spread (+160) might be worth betting. If you just want a win, then the moneyline is the safer bet, which we recommend at a minimum.
NHL playoff betting doesn’t get much better than one of the bookmakers in the table below. Why? Because any of these sites offers the full gamut of hockey bets under one roof — and at Vegas-like prices too. You don’t have to jump from site to site to get action at the best odds.
In case you’re on the fence about betting online over, say, in-person, then we can assure you these betting sites are as safe as they come. We’ve reviewed each (links are in the table), and each of these five check out in the trustworthiness department.
