This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The National Hockey League has a pair of elimination playoff games on tap for Thursday night. The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals shift back to D.C. for Game 5, with the Canes holding a 3-1 series advantage. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV/Max. At 9:30 p.m. ET, the Dallas Stars are looking to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals, holding a 3-1 series advantage heading into Game 5 at Canada Life Centre. We'll put together some parlay possibilities to try and build some bankroll for the rest of the playoffs. Let's get started.
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NHL Playoffs Showdown: Hurricanes & Stars Aim to Close Out Series in Game 5
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Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals Game 5 Betting Preview
The Hurricanes held serve in both games on home ice, after gaining the road split at Capital One Arena. Just like that, Carolina has pushed Washington to the brink heading into Game 5, with three chances to advance.
Carolina opened a 1-0 lead with a goal from Shayne Gostisbehere, as the rearguard delivered his third goal of the playoffs midway through the first period. At 1:05 of the second, Seth Jarvis scored his third goal of the postseason, and that's how things stayed until a wild third period.
Under bettors probably didn't enjoy the final 20 minutes, as Jakob Chychrun and Taylor Hall exchanged goals in the first eight-plus minutes. Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play at 12:14 of the third period, tightening things up in Raleigh. However, Sean Walker made everyone breathe a sigh of relief at 16:45 of the third period, although Under bettors were muttering a few bad words. Andrei Svechnikov had an empty-net goal for insurance, too, killing those who might have bet Under on the alternate goal total, too.
Carolina struggled on the road in the regular season, going just 16-21-4 in the regular season away from the Triangle. But, that ineptitude hasn't reared its ugly head in these playoffs, as Carolina is a respectable 2-2 in the postseason on the road, with a road split in this series, and the double-overtime setback in New Jersey in the first round.
Still, Washington is a proud bunch, and it's hard to envision the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference going out with a whimper. The Caps are rather moderate underdogs on home ice in an elimination game, too. That's stunning. Go rather aggressively, as Washington is too proud to get bumped off without a fight. We should see plenty of defense, too, so go low on the total.
- Capitals ML (+145 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 Goals (-120 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
NHL Playoffs Betting Tips: Stars vs. Jets Game 5
Like the other conference No. 1 seed, the Winnipeg Jets have their backs against the wall, down 3-1 in their best-of-seven series against the Dallas Stars.
The Presidents' Trophy hasn't done teams many favors in recent seasons, with the Chicago Blackhawks serving as the last team to win the Stanley Cup (2013) after having the most points in the regular season.
On home ice in Game 4, Dallas picked up the 3-1 victory over Winnipeg, pushing the No. 1 overall seed to the brink of elimination.
And, in Dallas Stars franchise history, Game 4 will be forever known as the "Mikael Granlund game". He scored all three goals for the Stars, including a pair of power-play goals, while only Nikolaj Ehlers could respond for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck wasn't terrible, stopping 21 of 24 shots, while only allowing a single even-strength goal, but it was yet another road loss.
On the flip side, Jake Oettinger was good for 31 saves on 32 goals. Dallas looks to get back to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season. Dallas was bumped off by Vegas in 2023 in six games in the WCF, while losing to Edmonton in six last season. Can the Stars get over the hump? They must get past the Jets first.
Winnipeg actually outshot Dallas at a 32-to-24 margin, while winning 51.1 percent of the faceoffs. Dallas was 2-for-4 on the power play, though, or Granlund was, and the Stars blocked 18 shots to just 10 for the Jets. Winnipeg delivered 43 hits, too, while Dallas had only 30.
The Jets aren't going to be an easy out, especially at home in front of "The Whiteout". While I am not a fan of the latter, it can be intimidating to visitors, even though the visitors now wear white, while the home team wears dark sweaters. It makes no sense anymore, but I digress.
Hellebuyck will keep the Jets in this one, and help get the series back to the Metroplex, although you can expect sweat out a low-scoring game, perhaps into overtime or two.
- Jets ML (-114 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 6.5 Goals (-105 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Expert NHL Picks for Thursday's Playoff Games
4-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+1259 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Capitals ML (-140) vs. Hurricanes
- Under 5.5 (-122) - Caps vs. Canes
- Under 5.5 (-108) - Jets vs. Stars
- Jets ML (-114) vs. Stars
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+350 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Capitals ML (-140) vs. Hurricanes
- Jets ML (-114) vs. Stars
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+255 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 (-122) - Caps vs. Canes
- Under 5.5 (-108) - Jets vs. Stars
*Never risk so much on a singular bet, only as part of a Same-Game (SGP) or multi-leg parlay, especially with promos or boosts.
