Best NHL Bets: Stanley Cup Playoffs Picks for Thursday, May 1

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on May 1, 2025

More Home Runs. Fewer Strikeouts.

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The National Hockey League has a total of four games scheduled for Thursday night, perhaps the final full slate of the season, barring a spate of Game 7 matchups tentatively scheduled for Saturday. We'll dive right in, previewing each of the Game 6 games on the slate, preparing as best as possible for the betting action.

Our crazy 6-way parlay (+314) came through on Wednesday night, so let's do another one of those again, and win some bread together. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks for
Thursday, May 1

For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators Betting Predictions

When it comes to the Maple Leafs and the first round of the playoffs, I think of Bradley Cooper making the call in 2011's The Hangover II..."It happened again."

Toronto held a 3-0 series lead, and it looked like things were FINALLY going to be different. The high-priced, high-octane offense was performing, and this surely wouldn't be a first-round failure like most of the past two decades, right? RIGHT?

Well, the Maple Leafs might have saved their most epic failure for last. Hey, they've never blown a 3-0 series lead before. And, they are the only team to ever erase a 3-0 series deficit in a Stanley Cup Final, with the Edmonton Oilers nearly joining that club last season against the Florida Panthers.

Anyway, the Leafs' history in the postseason is atrocious lately. They're 1-13 in the past 14 series-clinching games. They're 0-6 in the past six game-clinching games on home ice, and the 4-0 shutout loss against the Senators in Game 5 last time out was their first shutout setback on home ice since 1950. Toronto is finding new ways to one-up itself in futility.

And let's be realistic. The Senators were down 3-0 in the series, but two of the losses were in overtime, and it easily could have been 2-1 in their favor with a bounce or two in the other direction. It didn't go that way, but credit Ottawa for plugging away and continuing to play its game. Eventually, you do the right thing, and it is all going to work out.

Based on Toronto's absolutely disgusting history in the first round over the past two decades, you can't throw good money on it, right? Back the Sens, and look for a chippy, defensive battle, too.

Senators ML (-118 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (-120 at Fanatics Sportsbook)

Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild Match Analysis

The Golden Knights head to the Twin Cities looking to close out the Wild in Game 6. It's a series of missed opportunities for Minnesota. It had a 2-1 series lead after Game 3, and lost on home ice in Game 4 in overtime. The Wild forced overtime in Game 5, but the Golden Knights found a way to win.

We all know the big names. Kirill Kaprizov, a.k.a. Kirill the Thrill, had a power-play goal in Game 5. But, it was Matt Boldy with the equalizer in the third period that casual fans might not be familiar with. He shone in the 4 Nations Face-off Tournament for Team USA, and he has 5 goals and 7 points in this series. And, we all know about Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, etc. for VGK. But Brett Howden had the OTW in Game 5, and he has three goals in this series, including the ugly bad beat ENG in Game 1.

Let's back the Wild as a solid value on home ice in an elimination game. They've played well enough to win each of the past two outings, coming up just short. And, we'll go low. We should have more desperation, more selling out, more hitting, and less scoring here.

Wild ML (+140 at Bet365 Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (+100 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)

Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche Game 6 Insights

The Dallas Stars didn't look like they'd be in this position after Game 1. The Colorado Avalanche routed the Stars 5-1 at American Airlines Arena, and they had Dallas on the ropes in Game 2 before a comeback win by the home side in OT, a.k.a. the Colin Blackwell game.

Dallas plugged away and earned a hard-fought 2-1 OTW in Game 3 on the road, seizing back home-ice advantage. Mackenzie Blackwood pitched a shutout in Game 4, leading the Avs to a 4-0 win and a pivotal Game 5, tied 2-2 in the series.

In Dallas, the Stars romped Monday. It won 6-2, leading wire to wire. WyJo came alive, too, as Wyatt Johnston opened the scoring just nine seconds into the game, the first of two goals, his first two of the series. He now has five points in the first five games. Mikko Rantanen stuck it to his old team to make it 3-0 early in the second period, and that stood up as the game-winning goal. Rants also added two assists, too.

Blackwood coughed up five goals on 18 shots, and he was pulled after two periods, as Scott Wedgewood cleaned up with eight saves and a clean sheet, as the Roope Hintz ENG wasn't credited to Wedge's ledger.

While the Avs had their worst game of the series, being back on home ice should be an advantage. It comes down to whether Blackwood's confidence is shaken or not. Going into this series, I loved Dallas because of Jake Oettinger, as I thought he was heads and tails better than the Colorado tendies. After Game 1, I didn't feel good about that, but now, it looks like sound thinking.

I think the Avs get it done at home, also Dallas on the puck line as underdogs are my play, but Oettinger and the Stars are the play in a low-scoring Game 7, if it gets that far.

Stars +1.5 (-155 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
Under 6.5 Goals (-117 at BetRivers Sportsbook)

Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers Playoff Showdown

Whether this series ends tonight or in a Game 7 in Los Angeles, I am going to miss these two teams playing each other. What an entertaining series this has been.

L.A. leads 2-0 in this series after averaging 6.0 goals per game (GPG) in the first two games, including that crazy Game 1 comeback by the Oilers. Philipp Danault helped the Kings escape, but the Oilers proved no lead is safe.

In Edmonton, we had a 7-4 win in Game 3 for the home side, and the epic 4-3 OT win in Game 4. Since shifting to Calvin Pickard in the net, the Oilers have won three straight in this series, although L.A. is still lighting the lamp. However, Pickard had his best showing in Game 5, as the Oilers won a low-scoring 3-1 game. Darcy Kuemper did all he could, too, making some ridiculous saves, but it just wasn't enough.

It seems ever since coach Jim Hiller's challenge of an Evander Kane goal in Game 3, it has been all downhill for the Kings, right or wrong. That decision stunk, and it's like the hockey gods have switched allegiances to the Oilers since that time.

The Oilers on home ice are going to be fierce, and the Kings are going to be left scratching their heads, wondering how they lost to the Oilers in a first-round matchup yet again.