The Nashville Predators sealed the final ticket for the Second Round of the NHL Playoffs and sports betting now directs its attention to what’s next. Granted with the League’s bizarre schedule last night the West was defining the final ticket, while the East had the first game of the second round. Crazy start, but now we can get all in the same page and see who will make it to the Conference Finals. Here are our online betting predictions of who will move on, with the current series prices.
Dallas Stars +105 vs St. Louis Blues -125
This matchup will be, perhaps one of the most contested of the entire series, mainly after how the Blues were able to get some retribution against the now former Stanley Cup Champs Blackhawks. The Blues come to the series with momentum and the knowledge that they dominated Dallas 4-1 in the regular season. Dallas had struggled in the first round and minus Tyler Seguin, they feel a bit shaky. Sports betting fans are picking the Blues to beat them, but despite the common believe, this series will go to 6 games, the Blues might want to keep focus during the first games of the series.
San Jose Sharks -175 vs Nashville Predators +155
After tasting sweet revenge versus the LA Kings, they move on to face the highly motivated Predators. Right off the gate, the Sharks have a slight advantage of having disposed of the Kings in 5 games, so they will hit the ice much more rested than Nashville. The Predators and Ducks gave the fans a large exciting series that culminated in a great game seven. However, sadly for the Preds, their season will not see past this series. The Sharks are a better team and they appear to have all they need to perhaps reach the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.
Washington Capitals -120 vs Pittsburgh Penguins EV
At the start of the NHL Playoffs the Capitals were the top team in the league. The move pass the Flyers, but not with the ease that was expected of them. The Flyers, despite not being a much stronger team, was able to get 2 wins out of this Capitals team. They open up as favorites in the second round versus the Penguins, who have been great offensively in the first NHL round. This is series will truly test how good the Capitals can be, and we are possibly looking at a series that will go to a full seven games. It is very early to call the out come of that fateful final game, but considering how things are right now, the sports betting pick would go to the Penguins to edge it out in dramatic fashion.
New York Islanders -160 vs Tampa Bay Lightning +140 (NY leads 1-0)
Well this game comes with an asterisk of one game in New York’s favor after taking game one. So venturing on a prediction can be slightly tricky. Several sports betting insiders still think that the Lightning have the chance to bounce back and take the series in six games. It will, however, be important to see if Kucherov and Johnson will continue to keep the form they ha on round one for Tampa Bay. It remains to be seen, This series is also going to seven games with the Lightning coming from behind and winning it.