Well, our NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs didn’t start out on the best of feet on Monday night as we went a measly 2-4 on our opening picks. Disappointing, certainly, but let’s look at this like a seven-game series and assume a bounceback is right around the corner.
Four more Game 1’s are on the schedule for Tuesday night with two of the NHL’s very best teams — the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche — beginning their quest for a Stanley Cup while the big-market Rangers and Penguins meet in every national broadcasters’ dream series.
While the competition ramps up, the games get harder to bet on as parity in the NHL is incomparable to other postseasons — so if you have a real gut feeling when betting, go with it.
Remember, you don’t HAVE to bet on each game. We are giving you our best bets for every game, but if our analysis isn’t landing with you or you just don’t feel like a bet stands out, it’s fine to give that game a pass. There will always be more games to bet on.
New to betting? Read our Beginner’s Guide to Betting with a glossary of terms.
Check out all of our NHL playoff previews here.
NHL Odds and Schedule, May 3
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET
- Game 1
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
The brash Blueshirts are back in the postseason and have a core of young talent — headlined by Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox — supplemented by the superstar prowess of 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider and star playmaker Artemi Panarin. The largely inexperienced side will meet the battle-tested Pittsburgh Penguins, who enter the series as underdogs — but it will be difficult to count out the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin altogether.
The Pick:
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Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers, 7:30 p.m.
- Game 1
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
The Panthers haven’t won a playoff series since 1996 and if there was ever a year to break that drought, it’s now. Florida was the best team in hockey with 120 points, possessing an overwhelming arsenal of scoring that has given the NHL fits all season. They meet a top-heavy Capitals side that has a ton of question marks entering this series, which could be a recipe for disaster for Peter Laviolette and Alex Ovechkin.
The Pick:
Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 1
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
The Avalanche were the overwhelming majority pick for the 2022 Stanley Cup winner heading into this season and they didn’t disappoint. The only team that’s comparable to the Panthers, Colorado owns an embarrassment of attacking riches whether up front or on the blue line. But the Predators have played the Avs tough this season, winning three of four games this season.
The Pick:
Dallas Stars at Calgary Flames, 10 p.m.
- Game 1
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
The Flames will be keen on proving that they should be in the conversation as a legitimate threat to come out of the Western Conference. And they should be.
Three 40-goal scorers headline the sixth-best offense in the league, but it’s their defense that has held it down this season. Against a weak Stars side, this should be a quick series.
The Pick:
