Will another higher seed bite the dust Saturday? The Winnipeg Jets are on the brink of elimination as they visit the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series – and if they lose, they'll be the third higher-seeded team to be knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames. Here are the top betting trends to monitor as the second-round playoff field slowly begins to take shape:
DALLAS STARS AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Moneyline Odds: Dallas +125/Nashville -145
Over/Under: 5 goals
Series Price: Dallas +125/Nashville -175
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
Dallas and Nashville are staring at a typically low total for the fifth game of their Western Conference quarterfinal series – but Saturday might be a good day to consider the over, even ignoring the Stars' 5-1 victory in Game 4. Nashville have seen six or more goals scored in six of their nine afternoon games this season, with the other three coming in at exactly five goals; Dallas has gone over the five-goal threshold in five of eight afternoon contests in 2018-19. We like the O5 in this one (+105).
WINNIPEG JETS AT ST. LOUIS BLUES
Moneyline Odds: Winnipeg +125/St. Louis -145
Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Series Price: St. Louis -400/Winnipeg +280
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Every Stanley Cup playoff season, there's one series that bucks the home-ice trend – and it's clear that this Jets-Blues series fits the bill in 2019. The road team has prevailed in all five games so far, which bodes well for the Jets as they look to stay alive in St. Louis. But the more intriguing trend from a betting perspective is the fact that the third period has been the highest-scoring frame in four of five games, producing 13 of the 27 goals in the series. We like that trend to continue Saturday (+230).
If you're looking for a player goal prop, it might be best to ignore the Blues' side of the ice; no St. Louis player has more than two goals in the series, while nine different skaters have converted at least one. But on the Winnipeg side, bettors should consider Kyle Connor, who scored three goals in the two games in St. Louis while firing nine shots on goal in those victories. Connor had 34 goals during the regular season, and might be the Jets' best bet of hitting the scoresheet in Game 5.
CAROLINA HURRICANES AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Moneyline Odds: Carolina +115/Washington -135
Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Series Price: Carolina +125/Washington -175
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Home team dominance has been the order of the series between the Hurricanes and Capitals, with the hosts winning each of the first four games. And the visitors have had a particularly hard time making headway in the opening period, with the home team leading after 20 minutes in every game while outscoring the opposition 7-1 along the way. Taking the host Capitals -0.5 at +175 looks like a strong play given how this series has progressed so far.
