NHL Wednesday best bets: Wild, Oilers to rebound at home
A pair of teams gave away home-ice advantages with disappointing losses in Monday's opening night of the playoffs.
I see value in backing both of them as we look to get back on track with our best bets.
Blues (+115) @ Wild (-140)
The St. Louis Blues borderline embarrassed the Minnesota Wild in Game 1. The Wild lost 4-0 at home, mainly due to putrid special teams.
Minnesota struggled mightily to slow David Perron and Co. while shorthanded. The team was equally ineffective on the power play, squandering six opportunities.
However, the Wild showed some encouraging signs at five-on-five. Minnesota won the shot attempt battle 44-17 in 35 minutes of play at full strength. It also posted a plus-eight in high-danger chances and controlled nearly 62% of the expected goals.
The Wild trailed for a good portion of the game, but they produced excellent underlying metrics, even accounting for score effects.
I think refs have used Game 1's league-wide to set the tone for the playoffs. Teams now know officials won't hesitate to blow the whistles early and often. They know what's allowed and what isn't. I expect more five-on-five play moving forward, and Minnesota showed it could tilt the ice at full strength.
With an apparent edge at five-on-five, home ice, and the desperation that comes from dropping the opener in their own building, I expect the Wild to rebound with a much better performance.
Bet: Wild (-140)
Kings (+165) @ Oilers (-200)
The Los Angeles Kings played very well in the series opener. They pressured the bottom half of the Edmonton Oilers' roster, and their top pivots did a great job of limiting what Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could create offensively at five-on-five. The two superstars combined for only three scoring chances (one high-danger) at full strength.
The Oilers have now seen how the Kings want to play them and can make necessary adjustments to get their best players in more favorable situations. Don't get me wrong, Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault won't magically lose their defensive prowess and turn into pumpkins overnight. But I think Edmonton will alter its approach to put its stars in a better position to succeed. Perhaps that means less time against those two.
I also think it's fair to expect a natural breakthrough. It's downright impossible to slow McDavid or Draisaitl, let alone both, over a sustained period. They'll take a mile if you give them an inch. Much like Minnesota, Edmonton should start Game 2 with a determined approach to get the win and even things up as the series shifts to Los Angeles.
Let's hope Mike Smith doesn't take it upon himself to throw a muffin up the middle and hand over another win. That should be out of his system for a few games.
Bet: Oilers in regulation (-130)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.