NHL Betting Picks for Wednesday 4/24/24: Bruins, Maple Leafs Collide in Game 3

The Stanley Cup Playoffs bring us three important games to make some picks from tonight.

Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.

NHL Best Bets

Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs

Over 5.5 Goals (-124)

The Boston Bruins head up north to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 1-1 series.

Toronto has to be feeling great right now after Auston Matthews sealed Game 2 with a breakaway score to give them a 3-2 win. With the series heading to Toronto, I expect the Maple Leafs to control the pacing of the game, and with that comes Over 5.5 Goals (-124). There should be plenty of scoring tonight.

Toronto did a lot of good things at home this year -- most importantly, score a lot. The Maple Leafs averaged 3.61 goals for per 60 minutes (GF/60) with an expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) rate of 3.41. Both marks ranked as the fifth-best in the NHL. When the Bruins are on the road, they're averaging 3.04 GF/60 even with an expected average of 2.82 xGF/60.

The good news for hitting the over tonight is that the Maple Leafs struggled all season to keep the puck out of their own net. Toronto allowed 3.35 goals against per 60 minutes (GA/60), ranking 28th in the NHL. That's music to our ears as the lower-scoring team of the two, Boston, should be able to take advantage to help the game hit the over.

The Bruins were lucky with 2.66 GA/60 because their number inflated all the way to 3.24 expected goal against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).

There's a real chance for both squads to have their way tonight.

Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers

Oilers ML (-184)

The Los Angeles Kings are looking to tie up the series against the Edmonton Oilers tonight. Based on Game 1, however, the Oilers' domination at home should be respected.

Edmonton won the game by a score of 7-4 with Connor McDavid totaling a stunning five assists in the contest and Zach Hyman scoring a hat trick. It was clear that the Kings didn't have an answer, so why should I expect them to have answers tonight in enemy territory? The Oilers had a 4-0 lead at one stage in the game, and it's that play that they're going to try and find again.

The Oilers are one of hockey's best on offense, that's well-known. They ranked top-five in GF/60 (3.53), xGF/60 (3.68), Corsi for per 60 minutes (CF/60) (64.89), and shots for per 60 minutes (SF/60) (33.40). Los Angeles, despite their efforts two nights ago, doesn't have the same success but has still been strong this season with 3.06 GF/60 and 3.14 xGF/60.

On the defensive end, both teams are similar. The Oilers hold opponents to 2.85 GA/60 while the Kings hold opponents to 2.53 GA/60. Edmonton did have the advantage expected-wise, though, totaling 2.81 xGA/60 compared to the Kings' 2.84 xGA/60.

It comes down to the offense at the end of the night, and that's where the Oilers dominate compared to the Kings. Take them to win and go up 2-0.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.