Sign In $
NHL

NHL Playoff Picks and Predictions for Sunday August 9

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read

Stanley Cup Playoffs NHL Best Bets

Games set for Sunday, August 9, 2020
To be played in Toronto and Edmonton

NHL Favorite Best Bet

Matchup: Columbus vs. Toronto
TV-Time: NBSCN, 8:00 p.m. ET

Toronto -155

Liked the Leafs before the series and even though they were about four minutes away from that final nail, there really isn't a whole lot of reason to go back on that original belief now. Sure, each team has blown three-goal leads and it may be tough to trust the favorite in that regard, but had those leads held, we'd still be at 2-2 in the series anyways.

The biggest mental hurdle this Toronto team has had in postseason play in recent years is simply getting that first series win, and avoiding the usual suspects from within their division here was to be there shot. Talent doesn't always win out in the end, but in this case it should, as the Leafs finally get that “playoff” win this core group of guys needs, and moves on from there.

NHL Underdog Best Bet

Matchup: Dallas vs. St Louis
TV-Time: NBC, 3:00 p.m. ET

Dallas +120

With this being the last day of the round robin games as well, there probably isn't a better time to randomly pick one of the two dogs in those games, and I'll go with the one with the slightly bigger price. The Stars only had one OT win over the Blues in five tries this year, and chances are going through the Blues is something Dallas will eventually have to do if they make a deep run.

Proving to St Louis, and more importantly themselves, that they can beat the Blues would be a nice mental check for the Stars going forward into the next round.

NHL Over-Under Total Best Bet

Matchup: Columbus vs. Toronto
TV-Time: NBSCN, 8:00 p.m. ET

Columbus/Toronto Under 5.5

What a pair of blown three-goal leads the past two games will do for these respective teams is get them to focus on the play in their own end for the full 60 minutes this time. Add in the winner-take-all scenario that this game is, and that in normal seasons these “Game 7” contests do tend to be lower scoring, looking low is the only way to go in my view.

The blown leads are still fresh in everyone's minds, but remember, the first two games of this series were the two teams trading shutout victories with one another. Reverting back to that type of game where it maxes out at 3-2 is where this game should finish.

NHL Prop Best Bet

Matchup: Columbus vs. Toronto
TV-Time: NBSCN, 8:00 p.m. ET

Mitch Marner to score anytime +260

Marner's not the guy on the Leafs you expect to pot many himself as the team's primary set-up man, but he's the only one of their young superstars not to light the lamp yet in this series. If teams fear him letting loose more shots (and connecting), it will only open up that many more passing lanes for Marner to work his usual magic.

In a series that has had a bit of everything, why not add a Marner goal to the tally sheet as well. Toronto was 9-3 SU as a team this year when Marner scored, and that success rate is something I can get behind having already liked the Leafs in the game.

Nhl News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•