Bold 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Predictions

Fifteen of the 16 playoff slots in the National Hockey League have been filled, and Carolina and Montreal are going down to the last game of the season for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. While most of the ordering is set, three different teams (Winnipeg, Nashville and St. Louis) could end up winning the Central Division, with Dallas, in fourth place, taking the first wild card in the West and likely to face whichever team ends up winning that division. Hockey can be one of the most difficult playoff sports to handicap, because momentum can shift quickly in a series and a couple of bad bounces can turn a heavy favorite into a loser. We have several 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs betting predictions for this year’s NHL postseason.

Bold 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Predictions

I’m kind of a big deal… #StanleyCup#StanleyCup#StanleyCup #StanleyCup #StanleyCup#StanleyCup#StanleyCup #StanleyCup #StanleyCup#StanleyCup

— The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) 29 de marzo de 2019

Dallas will deliver an upset as a wild card in the first round

Dallas could face Winnipeg, St. Louis or Nashville in the opening round. Dallas has won two of those games and lost three, but two of those decisions came in overtime. Their record against Winnipeg (three wins, one loss) and St. Louis (four wins, two losses) is significantly better. One thing that has changed for Dallas this year is their performance against the top teams in the league. If they played that well against the lower teams, they would have won the Central. Their recent commitment to defense pushed them into the playoffs, and I like them to make at least to the second round.

Tampa Bay will not win the Stanley Cup

The Lightning have clinched the President’s Trophy for the best regular season record. It’s been six years since that correlated to a Stanley Cup, and that was in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, when Chicago won the President’s Trophy and then beat Boston for the Stanley Cup. Since then, no President’s Trophy winner has even made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The last time a team won the President’s Trophy over a full season and then won the Stanley Cup was way back in 2007-08, when Detroit beat the Pittsburgh Penguins to hoist the trophy.

Pittsburgh will eliminate the New York Islanders in the first round

Few goalies get as hot in the playoffs as Matt Murray, and few offenses are as scary as the Penguins’ unit this year. Pittsburgh has suffered from considerable defensive inconsistency this season, but they appear to have turned that around since the All-Star break, and they have climbed the standings as a result. The Islanders have a sound system and solid talent, but they don’t have the star power on offense.

Washington will make the Stanley Cup Finals

The Capitals started 2018-19 with an intense Stanley Cup hangover; they charged out of the gate well but then fell off the table, sliding down the standings. A renewed commitment after the calendar turned to 2019 allowed Washington to come back up the standings, and they should win the Metropolitan Division. A balanced, talented offense and a stingy defense and netminder make a powerful combination; when the whole team is hungry, that makes it even better.

Youth will not be served in Toronto

Mike Babcock’s young squad is down to fumes heading into the postseason. The Maple Leafs had sat in second place in the Atlantic Division for most of the season, but late struggles have pushed them down into third, eight points behind Boston. The Bruins are playing defense this year, so given the fact that they already had a dynamic offense, this was going to be a fun series for any observer. The Leafs will fight hard, but they won’t make the second round

Don’t take your eyes off the Golden Knights

Vegas also started the season with a heavy Stanley Cup hangover, not uncommon after a loss in the championship round. However, they came on strong in December and kept fighting the rest of the way, and they will likely play San Jose in the opening round. The Sharks have struggled down the stretch, watching Calgary run away with the Pacific Division title, and it would not surprise me to see Vegas open the postseason with a series win…or two or three.