NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Sunday, April 27:
Here are Sunday’s NHL predictions.
Washington Capitals (-130, 6.5) at Montreal Canadiens
Game Four (Capitals lead series 2-1)
7 p.m. ET
The big story for tonight’s Game Four: Will this be a battle of the backup goalies or will Logan Thompson, who was in the starter’s net for Washington at their morning skate earlier today, be good to go for tonight? Thompson was forced to leave Game Three on Friday night with less than seven minutes left in the game following a collision with teammate, Dylan Strome.
We do know that Montreal will turn to Jakub Dobes tonight in goal as number one goalie, Samuel Montembeault, was also forced to leave Game Three with a lower body injury. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis announced earlier on Sunday that Montembeault is day-to-day. With Dobes getting the start, I am targeting the Capitals to score the first goal of the game. In 13 of Dobes’ 15 starts, the opposition scored the first goal of the game. In this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team coming off a loss has scored the first goal of the game 14 of the 19 times, and 12 times the goal was scored in the opening 20 minutes.
As I did in Game Three on Friday, I will ladder Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield shots on goal props. Slafkovsky has 14 shots on goal in the three games (5, 5, 4), and Cole Caufield has 19 shots on goal (11, 3, 5).
Game Four Predictions:
Capitals to score the first goal of the 1st period (+120) – .50 units
Capitals to score the first goal of the game (-120) – .50 units
Juraj Slafkovsky Over 1.5 shots on goal in regulation (-175) – 1 unit
Juraj Slafkovsky Over 2.5 shots on goal in regulation (+182) – 1 unit
Juraj Slafkovsky Over 3.5 shots on goal (+425) – .25 units
Juraj Slafkovsky Over 4.5 shots on goal (+1000) – .10 units
Cole Caufield Over 2.5 shots on goal in regulation (-160) – 1 unit
Cole Caufield Over 3.5 shots on goal in regulation (+158) – .50 units
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers (-140, 6.5)
Game Four (Kings lead series 2-1)
9:30 p.m. ET
If you like lots of goals, then this is the series for you. We have had no fewer than eight goals in any of the three games in this series. With that, gone are full game totals of 5.5 and 6 as Sportsbooks have opened tonight’s Game Four at 6.5.
Ten of the last 11 meetings between these two teams in the playoffs have had a combined seven goals or more. If you’re concerned about this game landing on six you could always split your wager and play the Over 6.5 and hope we don’t get an early goal and wait for the total to drop to six. The Oilers have put up a five spot on Darcy Kuemper twice in the series, and while Calvin Pickard got the win in Game Three, the Kings still found the back of the net four times.
Game Three was the first time this season the Kings lost a game in regulation when scoring three or more goals (42-1-2). With the Kings losing Game Three, I will be on the Kings to score the first goal of the game and split it up between the first period and the full game. I will also be on the Kings team total Over 2.5 goals. It’s juicy, but I just don’t see Edmonton being able to limit the Kings to less than three goals.
Onto the prop plays. Adrian Kempe has scored 13 goals in the last 14 playoff games against the Oilers and has registered at least three shots on goal over that same span. I had success with my Oilers parlay point prop in Game Three, with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman all to record at least one point. At plus money, I will be on that again tonight.
Game Four Predictions:
Los Angeles Kings team total Over 2.5 (-160) – 1 unit
Kings/Oilers Over 6.5 (+105) – 1 unit
Adrian Kempe anytime goal (+180) – .25 units
Adrian Kempe Over 2.5 SOG in regulation (-165) – 1 unit
Adrian Kempe Over 3.5 SOG (+145) – .25 units
McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman all Over ½ pt (+130) – 1 unit
