Expert NHL Projections on May 9: Forecasts for the Hockey Matches on That Day
Let's dive into tonight's NHL games:
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers (-230, 5.5)
Game Three: Toronto leads series 2-0
7 p.m. ET
The series shifts to South Beach with the Panthers finding themselves in a 2-0 hole, and it's a "make-or-break" game for them tonight, but betting on them as the favorites seems iffy. I'm not expecting the Panthers to lose, but they're not winning either. So, I'd stay away from the side and focus on the Maple Leafs.
Toronto will rely on Joseph Woll, their number two goalie, as their number one netminder, Anthony Stolarz, is still recovering from a puck-to-head incident. Woll might be the second-stringer for the Leafs, but he's the cream of the crop for many teams out there.
Goaltending has been the pain point for the Panthers, with Sergei Bobrovsky struggling in the first two games against Toronto. Both games in this series have surpassed the total of 5.5. The Leafs have a great track record of scoring three or more goals in seven of their playoff games, making the Toronto Team Total Over 2.5 a tempting play.
There's a lot of juicy player props from both sides for tonight's game. Toronto's William Nylander has three goals in the series and has been on a tear, scoring nine goals in his last ten playoff games overall. Max Pacioretty has a goal and four points in the series and seems to be finding his groove, with two goals and six points in his last three games. Matthew Knies, second on the team in playoff goals with four, has some appealing odds for a goal at (+300).
On the Florida side, their third line has been a force, with Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, and Eetu Luostarinen each contributing a goal and an assist. Marchand's playoff scoring history against Toronto is impressive, with 11 goals and 21 assists. One final pick is for the Panthers to score the first goal of the game, as teams comeback from a loss often do, scoring the first goal 28 times in 42 instances.
Predictions for Tonight:
Florida Panthers to score the first goal (-170)Toronto Maple Leafs Team Total Over 2.5 (+105)Toronto Maple Leafs' Money Line (+195)Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 goals (+430)Florida Panthers' empty net goal (+200)Toronto Maple Leafs' empty net goal (+575)Max Pacioretty any time goal (+550)Max Pacioretty Over 1/2 assist (+250)William Nylander any time goal (+195)Matthew Knies any time goal (+300)Brad Marchand any time goal (+280)Brad Marchand Over 1/2 assist (+190)Anton Lundell any time goal (+400)Anton Lundell Over 1/2 assist (+265)
Dallas Stars vs Winnipeg Jets (-135, 5.5)
Game Two (Stars lead series 1-0)
9:30 p.m. ET
The Jets got Mark Scheifele back for game one and are expected to get defenseman Josh Morrissey back tonight. The Jets' odds have slightly increased from (-115) to (-135), but I don't see Morrissey's return making a significant impact here. Dallas' Mikko Rantanen has been a force, scoring in eight of his last four games, with a Stanley Cup Playoffs record of 12 consecutive goal contributions (seven goals, five assists). The Jets' Connor Hellebuyck gave up three goals to Rantanen in game one, but that doesn't change my picks for tonight.
I'm on the Winnipeg Jets to score the first goal tonight, as they've done so in 29 of the 42 instances where they've come off a loss. Mark Scheifele scored in game one and has an impressive playoff goal record for the Jets, with a franchise best 24 goals. Adam Lowry is another player to keep an eye on, as he tends to perform well in the playoffs and can be a good bet for a big plus price.
Predictions for Tonight:
Winnipeg Jets to score the first goal of the game (-115)Dallas Stars Team Total Over 2.5 (-150)Thomas Harley Over 1/2 Assist (+150)Mark Scheifele any time goal (+170)Adam Lowry any time goal (+600)Mikko Rantanen any time goal (+175)Mikko Rantanen 2+ goals (+1200)Mikko Rantanen 3+ goals (+7500)Dallas Stars' empty net goal (+340)Winnipeg Jets' empty net goal (+180)Dallas Stars -1.5 goals (+280)
NHL Playoffs by the Numbers
- First Period Goals: Teams coming off a loss have scored the first goal of the first period 23 times in 19 instances.
- Home Teams: In the NHL playoffs, home teams have won 35 games compared to 19 losses.
- Favorites: Favorites have won 31 games compared to 23 losses overall, with only two victories by two or more goals in Round 2.
The expert picks for tonight's NHL games include 'Toronto Maple Leafs Team Total Over 2.5' and 'Florida Panthers to score the first goal', involving sports such as hockey and the NHL. The advice leans towards the Maple Leafs, with the odds at (+105), as they have a strong record of scoring several goals in their playoff games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are expected to score the first goal due to a pattern observed in teams coming back from a loss, with odds at (-170).
