Check out our NHL Game 7 best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Sunday, April 30.
The 2022-23 NHL postseason rolls on with two Game 7 matchups. Two teams will advance to the second round, and the other two will be eliminated and sent packing.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks, including bets on Panthers vs. Bruins and Kraken vs. Avalanche.
Panthers vs. Bruins Total
Ryan Dadoun: If you predicted that at least seven goals would be scored between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers, you would have been right for each of their past three meetings. I think that trend will continue Sunday.
Going into the series, I might have been more hesitant. Boston had the second-best offense in the regular season with 3.67 goals per game
while Florida ranked 21st defensively by surrendering 3.32 goals per contest. So it’s not surprising that the Bruins have managed to score at least three goals in each game of this series. What has been unexpected is how well the Panthers have responded.
After all, Linus Ullmark is a serious contender for the Vezina Trophy after posting a 40-6-1 record, 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage in 49 contests in 2022-23. However, Florida hasn’t had any difficulty scoring on him, especially recently, which has led to him surrendering 10 goals on 57 shots over his last two outings.
At this point, Boston might turn to Jeremy Swayman in net, but that’s not certain to slow down the Panthers. Boston’s expected goals allowed through six playoff outings stands at 24.38, per MoneyPuck, which suggests that the Bruins’ problem has been their defense as much as Ullmark, so a goaltending change wouldn’t fully patch the issue.
The Bruins might be able to win Game 7 regardless, but between their recent defensive shortcomings and the skilled forwards on these two teams, it’s likely to be another high-scoring affair.
Pick: Panthers vs. Bruins over 6.5 (+102) |
Panthers vs. Bruins Player Prop
Greg Liodice: Pavel Zacha has had a big impact on this series – just not on the scoresheet.
After a first few years in the NHL of underperforming, Zacha has become a staple on this Boston Bruins roster. He posted 21 goals this year, but he's had none this series.
The chances have been there, though. Zacha leads the Bruins in expected goals with a 66.60 xGF%, fourth in scoring chances with a 59.49 SCF%, and fifth in high-danger chances.
Yet, somehow out of the eight Bruins who have scored, Zacha isn’t one of them. Being on a line with David Pastrnak is a good reason, thoug. Pastrnak is a high-volume shooter with 61 goals during the season.
Zacha, though, has been very efficient. He’s been held shotless in two games, but in Games 2-5, he averaged nearly four shots per game. It just seems like Zacha’s turn is coming.
Boston had the best regular season in NHL history, and it’ll need all hands on deck to push this season at least one more series forward. That’s where Pavel Zacha comes in and nets the first goal of his postseason career.
Pick: Pavel Zacha anytime goalscorer (+420) |
Kraken vs. Avalanche Total
Tony Sartori: A decisive Game 7 caps off Sunday's NHL slate with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Seattle Kraken. There have now been five or fewer total goals scored in nine of the past 10 meetings between these two clubs, a trend likely to continue on Sunday.
While Colorado's speed and playmaking often create an allure of an offensive powerhouse, its true specialty over the past couple of seasons under head coach Jared Bednar has been its ability to prevent high-danger scoring chances at an elite level. This season, the Avs finished third in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at five-on-five.
Meanwhile, the Kraken's depth and ability to roll all four offensive lines and three defensive pairings is the reason they are heading to a Game 7 against the defending Cup champions. Possessing perhaps one of the deeper blue lines in the league, Seattle throws out six guys who all play their roles well.
This season, all six defensemen finished with an on-ice expected goals percentage of 50% or higher. Since the Christmas break, the Kraken rank second in the league in xGA/60 at 5-on-5.
However, over that same stretch, Seattle ranks just 21st in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at five-on-five. Both goaltenders have also been incredibly sharp in this opening round, with each guy posting a save percentage north of .912 through the first six games.
In a pivotal Game 7 in which nobody wants to be the guy to make a season-ending mistake, look for a conservatively played game with tight checking that results in yet another "under" to cash in this series, and we'll take the u6 at -120.
