NHL Best Bets 5/01/2025

It may be elimination night, as every game as elimination implications tonight. Every. Single. Game. That means we will have desperate players and teams fighting for their lives, which means extra value. Let’s find some amazing discounts on player props when everything is on the line.  We are 60-54 record over the last 36 articles of my Betting News NHL best bet articles with a positive unit size due to plenty of plus money plays cashing. Now it’s time to bring it to the playoffs.

We will be breaking down NHL best bets here at Betting News all playoffs long! Each article will look for VALUE, as in straights you can take to build up your bankroll or pieces you can use to beef up your parlays. All bets will be -135 or better odds. And while we will focus on NHL player props, there are times we will take sides and totals. So keep your eyes peeled here as we will drop these throughout the week.

And if you haven’t already be sure to check out some of my favorite futures and awards. So time to lace them up and get ready to ride with Betzky for my favorite NHL Playoff Series best bet.

1. Chris Tanev o2.5 Blocked Shots +110 on BetOnline:

Chris Tanev is a gritty, shutdown defenseman who is not afraid to take puck to the body. That is exactly why this playoff warrior was brought in by the Toronto Maple Leafs and he has been living up to this expectation. The Maple Leafs, however, have looked to have taken the Ottawa Senators too lightly after taking a 3-0 series lead and have let the Senators come back. Facing elimination at home, we may see an Ottawa team throwing everything they can at the net, which means Toronto better be willing to sacrifice their bodies in order to keep pucks out of net.

Bring in Tanev. After only having four blocked shots in the first three games of the series, he hit his blocked shot line in back to back games with 8 blocks. He played over 24.6 minutes two games ago and should play big minutes as long as this game stays close. We are getting a great price on this prop as he had missed this line six games in a row. But last year he hit his blocked shot line in 70% of his long playoff run to the western conference finals.

The game script leans into Ottawa shooting, and Tanev knows the assignment. This is a great discount on one of the most reliable playoff props we had last season. Add it all up and it’s easy to see why Tanev 2.5 Blocked Shots at +110 is an NHL best bet.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

2. William Karlsson Point +110 on BetOnline:

After a HUGE overtime win the Vegas Golden Knights will go back to Minnesota for game six. Unfortunately they will be without one of their best forwards, Dorofeyev. But this will lead to gritty center William Karlsson opportunity to play on the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. And that means we are getting a MAJOR discount on his point prop.

Throughout the season the Eichel/Stone combo dominated. In the first 25 games of the season the duo had a point in 19 games. The third forward on this line was always a beneficiary, whether that was Barbashev or Dorofeyev. Now it’s Karlsson’s time to shine, and this known playoff performer plays big in big moments. In 105 playoff games Karlsson has 31 goals and 39 assists, and is a +40. This is the exact type of play the Knights could use on their top line.

Karlsson got on the scoreboard last game when he was shifted to the top line. And Eichel looks to have woken up after three bad game. He now has three points in the last two games with 11 shots on goal. Add all this up and you can see why this playoff warrior is an NHL best bet at a discount.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

3. Nathan MacKinnon o4.5 SOG +130 on BetOnline:

Was there really any other option for my third pick? Nathan MacKinnon, up against a wall, at home against the Dallas Stars who have his old linemate Mikko Rantanen. There will be shots. This year MacKinnon wasn’t ripping puck at the same rate he has in the past, but near the end of the season it clicked. Out of the last 10 games he has played he has hit his 4.5 SOG prop 6 times and is averaging an insane 9 shot attempts.

In the postseason, the MacKdaddy becomes a complete animal. He has two games with 12 shot attempts, and has 7+ shots on goals in three of the five games this series. The Dallas Stars were much leakier to shots this season than in years past. Over the course of the season they allowed the 9th most shots against (29 SA/GP) and led the league for shots against over the last 10 games (35/4 SA/GP).

This play has carried over into the post season, where the Stars have allowed the 4th most SA/GP. They are averaging 33.2 shots against in the five games. Shockingly they are only allowing the 10th most penalties, which means they are giving up plenty of shots in even strength. In a do-or-die situation you have to think MacKinnon will come out firing, and it’s why I think his 4.5 SOG prop is an NHL best bet tonight.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

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• NHL Betting Guide
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• NHL Futures Best Bets – Metro Division
• NHL Awards – Hart Trophy
• NHL Awards – Norris Trophy
• NHL Awards – Vezina Trophy