Where are the Value Bets in NHL Playoff Games Tonight?

Ain’t That A Shame?

Someone forgot to tell our four-legged parlay that Tampa Bay needed to score a couple of goals – two to be exact. When all else hits and one part fails, it still fails. That is just a part of life. On the bright side, taking down parts of that parlay and betting individually proved to at least be profitable. 

With four more series opening tonight, we take a fast look from first, the Canadian perspective. It is safe to say Edmonton did not have the start it expected. Give Los Angles a ton of credit in Game 1 for utilizing Phillip Danault in a way that just works. Whatever he did in Montreal's last playoffs translated to Los Angeles.

Early numbers are starting to move towards the underdog in Los Angeles. While every other series adjusted positively to the Game 1 loser, the Oilers were the exception. Now, this increment translates to a quarter of the Canadian dollar and that is significant. Does that bounce back closer to game time on Wednesday night? That is the unknown. It is something to keep an eye on.

Let’s Move On To Calgary …

So, the only Canadian team in action tonight is the Calgary Flames. It opens up against the Dallas Stars. Calgary is a team picked by many to be the “second favourite” in the Western Conference behind the Colorado Avalanche. It is easy to see why.

Now, the fun part is trying to figure out where to bet on a series that appears to not have much value for a team like Calgary. Think about it. The Flames’ numbers at home will not be advantageous. They are at Florida’s level, around 1.4 to 1.5 depending on the site. That makes sense given the matchup. Dallas can be a bit dangerous. 

This is because of how they backed into the playoffs last week. While Calgary cruised into the playoffs, Dallas had a confusing week, when it looked OK, bad, and ugly all at the same time. That could not have sat well. It is safe to expect Dallas to at least try and come out better for Game 1.

This increases the concern a bit on making some wilder wagers tonight in Canadian betting circles. 

The Canadian Side For Calgary

So, what do we do for the Ontario and Canadian sports wagerer for Game 1? That has been a burning question for days now. 

Some idea behind this is to dial it back a bit. The plan is to start simple. 

Let’s do a quick two-legged parlay at 2.58 today. 

• Calgary moneyline (1.43)
• Team Over 5.5 goals (1.8)

So, this is a modest approach with a plus-money outcome. Again, with multiple parts hitting in our opening parlay. If we had taken the Toronto Over 3.5 in a later article and pasted that in, the whole thing hits. However, that is a part of life. Lastly, there will be a give and take early on in these series. The key is to weather the swings. 

A Quick Hitter On The Rest Of This Night

This is where it is fun to look at some of the other games on this slate. The nice thing about a four-game schedule is there are still options. 

What we want to do here is bullet some of our more fun bets (even from the show) and make them a bit more digestible for the reader. 

• Rangers moneyline (1.77)
• Rangers and Flames Win Series in Six or Less (5.10)
• Tampa Bay Series (2.75) – fractional wager
• Filip Forsberg anytime goal (2.80) or Matt Duchene (2.80)
• Nashville Over 2.5 goals (1.91)
• 60 Minute Bet – Colorado and Both Teams Scoring (2.3)

Again, the key is to always bet with a level head here early. Smaller, more strategic wagers are better over the long course of the playoffs. The number of games only dwindles from the first round so keep that in mind also.

Good luck tonight and let’s have some fun!