This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The National Hockey League has two more postseason games on tap for Saturday night. The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes reconvene at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. for Game 3 of their best-of-seven series, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers tangle in Game 3 north of the border. We'll put together some parlay possibilities to try and build some bankroll for the rest of the playoffs. Let's get started.
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NHL Playoffs Saturday: Capitals vs. Hurricanes & Golden Knights vs. Oilers Betting Preview
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Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 3 Predictions and Betting Tips
The Capitals and Hurricanes split a pair of low-scoring games in the nation's capitals to open the series.
Carolina picked up the 2-1 OT win in the series opener as a moderate favorite (-135) as the Under (5.5) cashed, while Washington rebounded with a 3-1 win as moderate 'dogs (+140) as the Under (6) again came through.
The fact the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference was an underdog in Game 2 made absolutely no sense. When the line came out, I had to double- and triple-check that Alexander Ovechkin or Tom Wilson did not suffer some sort of undisclosed or underreported injury. It was a curious overcorrection by the sportsbooks, and I hope you took advantage.
After a scoreless first period, Connor McMichael scored an unassisted goal at 2:16 of the second, his fourth postseason goal. John Carlson opened the third-period scoring with a power-play goal, while Shayne Gostisbehere notched a power-play goal at 9:26 to make things interesting. However, Logan Thompson bowed his back and didn't allow anything the rest of the way, and Wilson deposited one into the empty net to cap the scoring.
Thompson was good for 27 saves on 28 shots, while Frederik Andersen turned aside 18 of the 20 shots he faced.
In Game 2, Carolina outshot Washington at a 28-to-21 margin, with the Canes posting one more hit than the Caps. Faceoffs were dead-even at 28 apiece, while both teams were 1-for-3 on the man advantage. The difference was the Caps eating 33 pucks, while the Canes had just 10 blocked shots. However, Washington did have 21 giveaways, to just 10 for Carolina. That's an area the Caps will really want to work on.
Carolina is 3-0 at home in these playoffs, outscoring New Jersey 12-6 in those outings, with the Under going 2-1. The Under is 5-2 in the postseason so far. The Canes are 15-4 in the past 19 playoff games at Lenovo Center (former PNC Arena). The Under has a slight 12-11-1 advantage in the past 24 playoff home outings, so not much to glean there.
Washington has hit the Under in five of seven postseason games, including each of the past three contests, although the Over is 2-0 in its two road playoff outings so far.
We'd back the Canes on home ice, but straight up with set you back around two times your potential return. Instead, let's take the Caps plus the goal and a half, while going high on the total.
- Capitals +1.5 (-150 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 Goals (-109 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers Game 3 Odds and Winning Strategies
The Golden Knights head to the Great White North, staring into the abyss. Vegas could go down 0-3 in the series with a loss, after blowing both games at home.
I have to admit, I was on Interstate 40 driving home from my hockey game in Hillsborough, N.C. on Thursday night. It's VERY difficult to drive and catch hockey on YouTubeTV at the same time. You've seen people distracted by their phones, but trying to watch overtime playoff hockey is even harder to concentrate on driving.
It started off fine for VGK, as Victor Olofsson had a power-play goal in the first period. However, Jake Walman and Vasily Podkolzin each scored their first goals of the playoffs, while Darnell Nurse had his second, and it was 3-1 at 17:17 of the second. "Cowboy" William Karlsson sliced the lead to 3-2 before heading to the room after 40.
Evander Kane had a goal at 1:52 of the third period, while Olofsson added a second power-play goal and Alex Pietrangelo scored at even strength. After 60 minutes, it was 4-4, and overtime was needed. VGK could have gained the home split, but it allowed Leon Draisaitl to score his second-career playoff overtime winner, both coming in these playoffs, as Edmonton now has six playoff wins in a row.
Ever since changing from Stuart Skinner to Calvin Pickard, the Oilers have won six straight games. Vegas did a decent job in the faceoff circle, winning 56.6 percent at the dot. VGK was 2-for-4 on the man advantage, too, both coming off the stick of Olofsson. The Oil blocked 29 shots, to just 24 for VGK. The difference in hits was negligible, too, with the Golden Knights leading 30-to-26.
The road team is a perfect 2-0 in this series, and we're going to go with the Golden Knights to keep up the good work. Just when they look to be on the ropes, Vegas seems to come alive.
We'll also go with the Over, as there is just too much firepower on both sides.
- Golden Knights ML (+110 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Over 6.5 Goals (-125 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Top NHL Parlay Opportunities and Best Bets for Saturday
4-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+1299 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Capitals +1.5 (-150) at Hurricanes
- Over 5.5 (-115) - Capitals at Hurricanes
- Golden Knights ML (+110) at Oilers
- Over 6.5 (-125) - Golden Knights at Oilers
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+250 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Capitals +1.5 (-150) at Hurricanes
- Golden Knights ML (+110) at Oilers
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+237 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 (-115) - Capitals at Hurricanes
- Over 6.5 (-125) - Golden Knights at Oilers
- * Never risk so much on a singular bet, only as part of a Same-Game (SGP) or multi-leg parlay, especially with promos or boosts.
