Friday NHL Best Bets: Top Picks for Hurricanes vs. Islanders, Oilers vs. Kings (Friday, April 21)
Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers
Check out our NHL Game 3 best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Friday, April 21.
The 2022-23 NHL postseason continues with crucial third games for the first-round matchups.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks, including Hurricanes vs. Islanders and Oilers vs. Kings, for the playoff games.
Hurricanes vs. Islanders Moneyline
Nicholas Martin: It's essentially do or die tonight for the Islanders, and I think there is a strong case that they will make it a series.
As Game 2 went on, it was relatively clear that the Isles had picked up their gam, and were playing the better hockey prior to Jasper Fast's overtime winner.
A split in Carolina would have been a fair road result for the Islanders. Through two games, the expected goals in this series rated almost dead-even with the Hurricanes, sitting at 50.2%. I think the "eye test" matches that number.
So here are the reasons we still like this at -115, despite the prior argument that the first two games have been close to a coinflip.
Ilya Sorokin offers a significant edge in goal over Antti Raanta. If the Isles continue to hold a fairly even share of the chances, that edge in goal will pay off.
New York has proven to have a legitimate home ice advantage, which is not typically something I typically will move my numbers much over. It's realistic they can own a little more of the play tonight as a result.
Teuvo Teravainen is also a notable loss to a Carolina offense that's already thin on scoring talent.
I'll ride with my colleague Carol Schram, who also chose New York in her Hurricanes vs. Islanders Game 3 guide, for tonight's matchup.
Oilers vs. Kings Player Prop
Greg Liodice: Connor McDavid was truly a marvel to watch all season long. He was the first player to hit 150 points since 1996, and he won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leading goal scorer, as well. However, in these playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings did a decent job of shutting down McDavid. Sure, he made some nifty plays (like beating three defenders at once), but he’s been credited with only one point.
Before McDavid set the league on fire with his goal-scoring ability, he was the premier playmaker in the game, and it hasn’t stopped. His Oilers linemates in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman all averaged more than a point per game, and running mate Leon Draisaitl benefits from his looks on the power play.
FanDuel has McDavid for over 1.5 assists at +168 which is very tempting. He’s had games with multiple assists in 21 games, and is currently due for one (last was March 28). Not only that, but no team has had a more dominant power play since the 70s, and he has benefitted from it. Of his 153 points last season, 71 of them occurred on the power play.
It also goes without saying that he’s second on his team with a 64.86 SCF% (scoring chances for), and has generated 12 high danger chances this postseason. The opportunities have been there for McDavid and he can certainly obtain two or more assists tonight.
Pick: Connor McDavid o1.5 assists (+168) |
Oilers vs. Kings Player Prop
Grant White: Things couldn't have gone better for the Los Angeles Kings through the opening games of their Pacific Division series against the Edmonton Oilers. LA earned a split of the series and pushed the Oilers to the brink on Wednesday night. The ice tilts in their favor with the series heading to the Staples Center on Friday night.
Masterfully, the Kings have stymied the Oilers' leading man, Connor McDavid, holding him to a line assist through two games. That advantage could be even more pronounced with LA getting last change at home, neutralizing the Oilers best player.
For Edmonton to be successful, they will need to lean into their depth scoring and that could mean a big performance from an unsuspecting player — Warren Foegele.
Foegele has been part of the Oilers' high energy third line. Coach Jay Woodcraft deploys Foegele, Ryan McLeod, and Nick Bjugstad after Kings goals to try and recapture momentum. Foegele has delivered when called upon, recording three shots on target and spending the bulk of his time in the attacking zone.
As we saw on Derek Ryan's goal in Game 2, Woodcroft intermingles his best players on the third and fourth lines to amplify production. That strategy could be deployed more frequently on the road, in an attempt to get McDavid and Leon Draisaitl more opportune match ups. We're betting Foegele is the beneficiary and he finds the back of the net on Friday.
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