Stanley Cup Playoff Best Bets, May 11

Stanley Cup Playoff Best Bets, May 11

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

NHL Playoffs Picks Tonight

Two big tilts on the slate tonight. We have an elimination game and a tiebreaker. Either way, some serious momentum is going to shift after all is said and done. Let's dive into the best NHL bets for tonight!

Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out DraftKings during the NHL postseason using the DraftKings promo code for $150 in bonus bets. DraftKings is one of the sportsbooks that accept PayPal, and you can check out all of the top-ranked PayPal betting sites at RotoWire.

Best NHL Bets and Props Tonight

Devils vs Hurricanes

The Canes have played like men among boys this series, taking a 3-1 lead home with a chance to seal it in Raleigh tonight. Their three wins in this series have come by a combined score of 17-2, and even in their 8-4 loss in Game 3 they still potted three short-handed markers to make a statement. Jordan Martinook has been a standout for Carolina, posting 10 points in this series alone. Regular-season leading scorer Sebastian Aho has points in three of the four games this round, too, and captain Jordan Staal has six points of his own. Will the up-and-coming overachievers on the Devils' bench, who no one expected to even be in this position this year, be able to rise to the occasion and fend off elimination tonight? That may depend on the offensive contributions of Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Ondrej Palat, who all got on the board in the Game 3 win but have been blanked in all three losses. Jack Hughes was even blanked for Games 1 and 2 before registering five points in the last two games. Goaltending has been shaky for New Jersey, with Akira Schmid being pulled multiple times in favor of Vitek Vanecek. The latter is posting a poultry .821 save percentage through his four appearances this series. There's not much to like about the Devils in this matchup. It's not like they've played the Canes tight like the Islanders did in the first round, only to fall short in one-goal losses. They're getting blown out, overpowered and all-around dominated. Everyone and their mother is taking the Hurricanes tonight, so for that reason, I am defying all logic and rocking with the underdog!

Devils ML +105 

Check out BetMGM using the BetMGM Massachusetts Bonus Code this postseason if you're located in MA now that sports betting is live in the Bay State.

Kraken vs Stars

Tonight could be the turning point in the Kraken's Cinderella story in their franchise's first postseason action if they leave Dallas down 3-2. They out-willed and out-hustled the Avalanche in the first round, and seemed poised to do that in this series with a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 before the Stars dropped a 6-3 win in Seattle on their heads. The Stars have the talent, the depth, and the goaltending to win tonight and to win this series. Most people are expecting that. But the same was said in the first round. Tonight, I am not most people. I love this Kraken team. I love the way they forecheck. I love the way they defend. I love the way they roll every line everyone and anyone. And I love their uniforms. I also love playing as them in NHL 23, where I forecheck like a demon, driving my opponents crazy with my constant poke-checking and counter-attacking that leads to odd-man rushes and back-door goals. I love hearing the hate through my Xbox headset when I outlast a player who's way better than me because I don't waste time doing the video game-style trick moves and just play hard-nosed hockey. And it's with that ethos that I am confidently and proudly taking the underdog Kraken tonight! Well, at least on the puck line to keep it close.  

Kraken PL -155 

Happy hunting, y'all!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grant Leonard
Former Junior B ice hockey player, and current believer that the Washington Capitals' aging core still has another Cup run left in the tank. Writing about hockey and sports betting for RotoWire since 2022.
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