Free NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Picks, Best Bets, and Parlays for 5/7/22

We knew last night was going to be a difficult night of betting the NHL and we feel fortunate to have split the 4 games on the schedule. As the playoffs continue it is going to get harder and harder to get these damn games correct. After today all of the teams will have played three games in the first round and some of these series will be taking shape. This is shaping up as another hit and miss day, so I’m being careful.

We split our Best Bets last night as Edmonton went into LA and slapped the Kings around winning 8-2, but the Maple Leafs beat the Lightning 5-2 in Tampa. Our Best Bet of the Day record is now 51-33 since the All-Star Break.

We went 2-2 betting the MoneyLine and that brings our overall record to 349-194 as the playoffs continue.

The run for the Stanley Cup continues today with 4 more games on the schedule. Let’s see what Vegas is thinking about the two Eastern Conference games and see if we can get lucky.

*PAPA DUDES BEST BET* Florida at Washington: The series is tied at 1-1: In Game 2, the Panthers evened the series after a first game wake-up call. After that opening game loss, they responded with a dominating 5-1 win. Florida scored two early goals and goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots and the Panthers never looked back. Washington goaltender, Vitek Vanecek, gave up 5 goals on 19 shots and he was pulled in the 3rd period. But, the fact remains that the Capitals were able to come back home with the series tied and they are good enough to make this a series. This is a critical game for both teams. If the Panthers can come out and dominate this one, it might deflate the Caps and cause this series to become very one-sided. On the other hand, if the Capitals could win, this one might go the distance. PAPA DUDES BEST BET: Bet the MoneyLine on Florida -200

New York Rangers at Pittsburgh: The series is tied at 1-1: This is a pivotal Game 3 between these two rivals. Pittsburgh gutted out a 3-overtime Game 1 and got the upset win. But the Rangers came back in Game 2 and dominated the Penguins 5-2. For me, this is a difficult game to figure out. I really think that New York is the better team, but the Penguins are at home and they have a ton of talent as well. The deciding factor for me is the goaltending situation for the Penguins. Casey DeSmith had surgery yesterday after an injury in Game 1, and their All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry was already sidelined. That leaves them with 3rd string, Louis Domingue to hold down the fort. He played well in the 2nd and 3rd overtimes of Game 1, but was average in Game 2. Not many teams win playoffs with their 3rd goaltender. I’ll stick with New York but it’s a shaky pick.PAPA DUDES PICK: Bet the MoneyLine on the Rangers -120