Stanley Cup Playoff Best Bets: Key Matchups & Betting Insights

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00:00All right, welcome back in here.

00:01The early line on the Sports Grid Network.

00:04Joe and Ari alongside Tom Vecchio here

00:07as we're getting ready for the Stanley Cup playoffs

00:09to continue tonight.

00:11We just talked, Tom, about Toronto back against the wall

00:15taking on Ottawa here tonight.

00:18There's a few other teams that have their backs

00:21up against the wall tonight.

00:23And let's face it, the Minnesota Wilds,

00:26certainly one of them here.

00:27They were a trendy dog to win this series.

00:31What do we think we're getting here tonight?

00:33So for the Wilds, I got to be honest,

00:35this was a team I did not have a whole lot of faith

00:38in coming into the series.

00:39I viewed Vegas as the better team.

00:41It may not have been easy for Vegas.

00:43I expected six games, which is where we're at now.

00:46But man, Minnesota at home, you're getting plus money

00:48with a team that has, again, been a bit surprising to me.

00:51And with the offense that they have,

00:53and I'm going to say the lack of big-time performances,

00:56this is something, Joe, we talked about,

00:57like we haven't seen a big standout performance

00:59from Jack Eichel on Vegas or, you know,

01:01Mark Snow, we're seeing a few points here or there,

01:03but just the level of consistency

01:04hasn't been there for them.

01:06They're getting depth scoring,

01:07like when Brett Howden is scoring in overtime,

01:09like a fourth liner.

01:10You know, that's great for Vegas overall.

01:12But man, what Minnesota brings, I think,

01:14is so good with some of the young talent that they have

01:16and the top-end talent with Kaprizov.

01:18I see backing Vegas, excuse me,

01:21backing Minnesota over Vegas tonight

01:22is, it seems like the right play

01:24when it's all said and done.

01:26Yeah, well, it's going to be interesting tonight, too,

01:29with Colorado taking on Dallas here at home.

01:33Our big favorite, Colorado.

01:35What are you thinking?

01:37There's no way I can lay minus 182 in the playoffs,

01:41despite the fact that I think the Avs are the better team

01:44and they have showed that first and foremost.

01:45I think going to this game for under one and a half goals

01:49in the first period is really the way to go.

01:51When the Avs are at home and they score first,

01:54their offense is unbelievable.

01:55I'm going to get the crowd behind them,

01:57especially playing at altitude.

01:58Like, we have seen teams really, really struggle.

02:00So if they, if Dallas falls behind early,

02:03that's only going to put them in a tougher, tougher spot

02:05as game goes on for an amazing offense at home

02:07when they're better in the third period

02:09just because of how things play.

02:11So Dallas having to keep this game close the entire time,

02:14I think is the route to them winning.

02:17Kind of crazy.

02:18I mean, everyone stuck a fork in Dallas, didn't they?

02:21When this series started, it wasn't looking good.

02:24The injuries piling up.

02:26And the last game there tonight with Edmonton at home,

02:32taking on the Kings.

02:33Weren't the Kings supposed to win the last game at home?

02:35Isn't that how it works?

02:37Now, can they muster it up here

02:39and get this thing back to LA?

02:40I think so.

02:43I'm going to say that the Kings have played well.

02:46They haven't played amazing.

02:47The issue with the Kings, as I've said time and time again,

02:49is they don't have top-end superstars.

02:50They have a bunch of players that, like,

02:52personally, if we just put in, like, a letter on it,

02:54like, they have a bunch of players that are, like,

02:55B-plus or A-minus players.

02:57The Oilers have all these A-plus players with McDavid

02:59and Dreisaitl and maybe even throw Bouchard in there.

03:01But the Kings just don't have that top-end talent.

03:04So they have a lot of great depth players.

03:05And ultimately, I think the minus-138 on over 5.5 is the right play.

03:10I think there's a chance to find a middle

03:12where we get a live 6.5 at a certain point.

03:15And I think the goals will come early.

03:16But, again, that will tighten up as the game goes on.

03:18So I'm already on over 5.5.

03:20I got a little bit earlier.

03:21It was minus-130 or so.

03:22It wasn't up at minus-138.

03:23But I'm also going to be looking for a live under 6.5.

03:26I know it's a very tight middle,

03:27and some people don't like to do that.

03:29But that's ultimately how I see this playing out.

03:31A couple goals early, and then it really tightens up,

03:32and we still hit under 6.5.

03:34It's not been good for under-betterers here

03:38over the last couple of days in the NHL here.

03:42Am I crazy in thinking?

03:44I could see, what, Toronto and Ottawa staying under?

03:48It is 5.5 maybe.

03:50Is that the game that we should look at for the under?

03:53I really think so.

03:54Again, I think the way the Leafs play this

03:56is that if they let the Senators score first,

03:59it is going to be a major issue for them.

04:01Again, the doubts, the emotion creeping in,

04:04knowing that the Sens are just playing with house money,

04:07and they have to go back to a Game 7

04:08and all the issues that they've had in the first round.

04:10So this game has to be about the under for the Leafs.

04:13If they turn this into a game that ends 4-3,

04:15really on either side,

04:16you have to at least come away with a win,

04:17winning this game 4-3, 6-4, whatever it might be.

04:20That's not the way they want to be playing

04:21going into the next round,

04:22where they're going to face an absolutely difficult matchup

04:24going up against the Panthers.

04:26So this game has to be about the under,

04:27and frankly, under 1.5 in the first period.

04:29And just to look ahead here,

04:33does St. Louis get this to a seventh game?

04:36I think they do.

04:37You know, Hellbuck has been good for the Jets.

04:40He's been really inconsistent, though.

04:42And the fact that Mark Shifley,

04:43the top-line center for the Jets,

04:45got hurt last night,

04:46did not return, at least that I saw,

04:47could put the Jets in a bit of a tough spot.

04:49So a team that's been good

04:51and relied on their defense and goaltending

04:52really hasn't been that.

04:54And when you lose your top-line center,

04:55could be a tough spot for the Jets.

04:57Yeah, very tight.

04:59And Hellbuck on the road has been not good here.

05:03So it should be fun, though.

05:05The Stanley Cup playoffs,

05:06certainly living up to all the hype.

05:08Tom, we appreciate it.

05:10As always, we'll, of course,

05:12see you again here later today.

05:14But don't go anywhere.

05:16More coming your way here

05:17on the Sports Grid Network.

05:18The early line, back again tomorrow.

05:20Good luck.

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