The best bets on the ice for Monday night as the NHL postseason continues with some pivotal Game 3s.
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes
Moneyline: Capitals +115, Hurricanes -125
Puckline: Capitals +1.5 goals (-230), Hurricanes -1.5 goals (+200)
Betting Total: 6.0 goals (Over EVEN, Under -120)
Time (Eastern), TV: 7 p.m., CNBC
The Washington Capitals will go for their seventh straight win, and more importantly, a 3-0 series lead, when they face the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Monday night.
Capitals forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have pretty much had their way with the Hurricanes’ stoppers, scoring seven points combined while tallying 11 total shots on goal. Petr Mrazek (.843 save percentage) has clearly not been up to snuff between the pipes for Carolina, while Washington netminder Braden Holtby has turned back 52 of the 57 shots he’s faced through two games.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have outclassed the upstart Hurricanes throughout this series. Oddsmakers are expecting Carolina to bounce back and make this quarterfinal competitive, but intelligent bettors shouldn’t count on that happening.
The play: Capitals moneyline
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars
Moneyline: Predators EVEN, Stars -120
Puckline: Predators +1.5 goals (-270), Stars -1.5 goals (+230)
Betting Total: 5.0 goals (Over +110, Under -130)
Time (Eastern), TV: 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
A veteran Nashville Predators squad rebounded from a Game 1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, and now they’ll look to take a 2-1 series lead as the venue shifts to Texas’ American Airlines Center. Predicting a winner appears next to impossible as both squads struggle to score, but that’s what makes an Under play so appealing here despite the significant juice.
Pekka Rinne has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts dating back to the regular season, including his club’s 2-1 victory on Saturday night. His save percentage in that span is .942. Ben Bishop has been arguably even more impressive than Rinne over his last 10 starts, recording five shutouts. His save percentage in those starts is an astonishing .965.
The Predators and Stars were two of the best Under bets in the NHL during the regular season. Nashville’s Over/Under record was 33-47-4, while Dallas’ was 24-51-9. Expect Game 3 of this series to be another low-scoring nail-biter.
The play: Predators vs. Stars Under
Best of the rest (picks in bold)
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs
Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche
