NHL Playoffs Player Prop Bets, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (Stars vs. Golden Knights)
We saw a second Game 1 conference final go into overtime. The underlining metrics show that Vegas was the far better team in the previous, but still couldn’t close it out in 60 minutes. We’ll see if the Knights can make a big statement or if the Stars can rebound.
Sunday's Best NHL Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Dallas Stars (+106) at Vegas Golden Knights (-128) | O/U 5.5 (-110/-110)
Not to be outdone by the Panthers and Hurricanes, the Golden Knights and Stars also decided to play some extra hockey, just not to an extreme extent. Brett Howden would be the hero as he grabbed the game-winning goal and gave Vegas their first win against Dallas all season.
In Game 1, the Golden Knights' defense played very well, especially on special teams, by being successful on both penalty kills. A substantial number of Dallas’ shots came further away from the crease, preventing second-chance opportunities. Although Dallas snuck a couple by, there is still a ton of confidence in that blue line for this series.
You have to praise Adin Hill, who, in the carousel of the Vegas goaltenders, has been the right choice between the pipes. In the previous game, he had 1.57 goals saved above expected and saved 3-of-4 high-danger shots and has a .947 save percentage in five games.
Dallas got the first goal of the matchup, but you never felt like they were trying to put this game away. They did not feel a sense of urgency until they saw themselves in a deficit. You saw that they went from one high-danger shot and a 27.99 expected goal percentage in the second period to five and 64.62 in the third. They have skaters that can be difference-makers, and you saw them get more aggressive in their offensive zone later when they were behind.
A big concern should be Jake Oettinger. This was another poor performance after not playing well second round. In the last game, he had just a .882 save percentage and gave up three goals from 10 high-danger shots. Another alarming factor is the blue line allowing ten high-danger shots.
The optimism for the Stars is, after all of that, they still got this game into overtime because this should have been an easy win for Vegas. Dallas has rebounded after losses, and Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson put up goals, so I expect a better effort.
That doesn't mean the Golden Knights will slow down. My best bet is another high-scoring matchup.
Pick: Over 5.5 Goals (-110)
Also make sure to check out our other best bets for Sunday:
- NBA Playoffs Player Prop Odds, Picks & Predictions
- WNBA Best Bets, Picks & Predictions
- NHL Playoffs Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
- MLB Player Prop Bet Odds, Picks & Predictions
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts