Night two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs turned out to be just as chaotic and unpredictable as the opener.
The most fascinating thing about Tuesday night’s card was the fact that every game seemed to be a bit different from the other. There was a blowout, an upset, a triple overtime thriller and a nailbiter. Simply put, it was an ideal night for in-game betting.
Looking ahead to Wednesday night’s slate, there’s a quartet of Game 2’s as the Oilers, Lightning, Bruins and Wild look to even up their respective first round series. Another night, another set of prop bets to consider:
PROP 1: William Nylander Anytime Goal (+260)
There’s just something about postseason William Nylander, isn’t there? Even though he was held pointless in Game 1, the 26-year-old still managed to fire off four shots, one of which was point blank on a breakaway — Andrei Vasilevskiy said no. Nylander had a career-high 34 in the regular season, and on top of that, he has seven goals in his past 11 outings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now you know why I wasn’t scared off by this hefty price.
PROP 2: Andrei Vasilevskiy Over 27.5 Saves (-125)
Death, taxes, and Andrei Vasilevskiy bouncing back after a loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the past two postseasons, Tampa’s star goalie is 14-0 with a 0.966 save-percentage and five shutouts following defeat. Even though it’s not a formality by any stretch that the Lightning will return serve in Game 2, it’s certainly fair to expect a much better night for Vasilevskiy. The 27-year-old made 26 saves in Game 1; this one has a 30-plus save signature effort written all over it.
PROP 3: Connor McDavid Over 1.5 Points (-120)
It’s kind of funny, the odds for McDavid to get over a point and a half is routinely lower than it is for most players to notch one point in a game. It just shows you what we’re dealing with here. At any rate, the Oilers captain was solid in Game 1, but with Edmonton in dire need of a victory tonight, would you be shocked at all if he upped his game to an entirely different level? This play doesn’t need much validation, McDavid’s on his own planet. Good luck to the Kings.
PROP 4: Brad Marchand Anytime Goal (+150) or Over 3.5 SOG (+110)
Boston has scored two goals in four games against Carolina this season, it’s time for the big boys to step up. And that includes Marchand, who dating back to the regular season, has just one measly goal in his past 14 outings. Furthermore, the 33-year-old always seems to play his best hockey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs —15 of his 45 career playoff goals have come in the past 25 games. If you’re looking for better odds, you can take Marchand’s shot prop instead.
PROP 5: Kirill Kaprizov Over 0.5 Assists (-110)
Not to bust out the cliches too early, but the Wild need Game 2 badly, especially considering it’s on home ice. Despite registering five shots on goal in Monday’s opener, Kaprizov was held off the scoresheet as St. Louis blanked Minnesota 4-0. Taking that into account, I expect the home team to rise to the occasion tonight and that starts with their superstar, who was held without a point just 18 times in 81 regular season contests.
Betting odds listed above via the Bet365 Sportsbook as of Wednesday afternoon.
