Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Hurricanes vs. Canadiens Game 3)

The Carolina Hurricanes were on the verge of losing both games at home to start their Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens, but they managed to squeak out a win in overtime and will now head to Montreal with the series tied 1-1.

Let's dive into my best bets for tonight's pivotal game.

Best NHL Bets Tonight

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Hurricanes -140 vs. Canadiens
Hurricanes vs. Canadiens UNDER 6 (-115)
Logan Stankoven OVER 0.5 Points (+105)

Hurricanes -140 vs. Canadiens

In today's edition of Betting $100 Every Day for a Year, I wrote about why I'm betting on the Hurricanes for the first time this series:

The Canadiens upset the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, and then Carolina barely squeaked by Montreal in Game 2, winning in overtime. Based on those two results, you'd think the underlying numbers would be close, but that hasn't been the case. The Hurricanes have an expected goal differential of +0.63 per 60 minutes of play. That number improves to +0.73 when looking at 5-on-5 numbers.

The Canadiens have struggled to win on their home ice in the playoffs, so the fact that tonight's Game 3 is in Montreal doesn't concern me. Let's back the Hurricanes as road favorites.

Hurricanes vs. Canadiens UNDER 6 (-115)

We've seen both teams in this series play a relatively defense-first style of hockey, including the Hurricanes keeping the Canadiens to only 12 shots on goal in Game 2. As a whole, they've combined for only 5.61 expected goals per 60 minutes, which is below the set total of 6 for tonight's Game 2. Let's bet on this being a low-scoring affair.

Logan Stankoven OVER 0.5 Points (+105)

If you want to bet on a player prop for tonight, I wrote about why I have $20 on Logan Stankoven to record a point:

Logan Stankoven leads the Hurricanes in expected goals so far this postseason at 5. He's also leading them in actual goals with 7. 20.3% of his shift starts are in the offensive zone, which is good for second on the team and first amongst forwards. He's their second-line center and plays center on their second power-play unit as well.

With all of that in mind, I'm a bit surprised we can get plus-money on him to record a point tonight.

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