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NHL Playoffs Best Bets, Picks, & Predictions: Wednesday (4/26)

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Take a quick breather as the days of four NHL postseason games per night hit the pause button. But don't get too comfortable because there's still a ton at stake with tonight's two-game slate. The top-ranked Bruins (3-1) are attempting to punch their ticket to the next round while the pesky Kraken (2-2) look to keep making life tough for the defending champion Avalanche. 

It should be an entertaining night on the ice, especially if you ride with me on these two best bets for tonight's action. 

NHL '22-'23 Record: 27-45 (-20.59 Units)

Today's Best NHL Bets

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Florida Panthers (+205) at Boston Bruins (-245) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)

Boston returns home where they'll attempt to close out their series with the Panthers and advance to the second round. These Eastern Conference foes get going tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston, MA. 

I'm going to lay the 1.5 goals in this game and take the Bruins to cover the puck line. All three of their wins thus far have been by at least two goals, including a four-goal slaughter in Sunrise on Sunday (6-2). The power play has been clicking as of late as Boston went 2-4 in the most recent game and currently sits at 4-for-14 (28.6%) in the playoffs. 

Ultimately, it comes down to the netminding and lack of defensive structure for the Panthers. Specifically, now that it seems to be full steam ahead with Sergei Bobrovsky, it opens up a chance for the B's to really do some damage. The 34-year-old goaltender has never been a reliable option in the playoffs considering he has a 3.18 GAA and .900 SV over 53 career playoff games. All things considered, I'm expecting a crisp, clean effort from Boston tonight as they make their way to the second round.

Bet: Boston Bruins -1.5 (+110)

Seattle Kraken (+155) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-180) | O/U 5.5 (-120/+100)

Jordan Eberle was the hero Monday night as he found the back of the net 3:00 into overtime, securing a 3-2 victory for the Kraken and the young franchise’s first-ever home playoff win. They knotted the series at two games apiece and head back to Colorado for a pivotal Game 5. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, CO. 

Three of the four games in this series have stayed under 5.5 goals; however, I think we'll buck this trend tonight and see some more offense in Denver. I know the style of play is different come playoff time, but I can't help but think about how dominant these two offenses were during the regular season. Seattle finished fifth overall offensively (3.5 GPG) while the Avs were 11th overall (3.3 GPG) and sixth on the power play (24.5%).

I think this is a great opportunity to buy back in on the over for this series. Look for the Avalanche to push the pace at home and for the big guns of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to find some success. I'm going to take a shot with the over in Game 5. 

Bet: Over 5.5 (-120)

Check out the rest of Wednesday’s best bets:

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