NHL Playoffs: Betting Playbook For Tuesday, May 17

NHL Betting Playbook for Tuesday

Tuesday's NHL trends are collected and ready to go to get started on Round 2. Let's take a look at what you should know before betting the NHL playoff games. 

One trend to note is that the BetQL NHL model has gone 164-124 (56%) on all NHL picks in the past 14 days for a total return of  $1,017 on $100 bets, so you'll definitely want to know who the model is picking in these awesome second-round matchups. BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets, including player props, with star ratings for every game!

Florida vs. Tampa Bay. The state must be ready to tear itself apart in this second-round matchup between two teams that reside within the same borders. An all-Florida round two series is just fine with me, because these are two of the best teams in hockey, and they tied the regular-season series with one another 2-2. Each team went 1-1 against the other on their home ice. The two teams also met last year during the 2021 postseason, where Tampa Bay knocked off Florida in six games. 

Tampa Bay grabbed an impressive series victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1. Toronto was one of the better teams in hockey this season, but they seem to always choke in the first round. Sorry Leaf fans, but you know it to be true. It was a fairly even series, but it was the defending champions that came out on top. One thing to note is that Braydon Point left Game 7 with some sort of leg injury, and while he attempted to come back in the game, he was clearly in pain and had to leave again. It isn't known yet what his status is for this series.

One thing we do know is that goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy MUST play better. He won the Conn Smythe last year, recording a shutout in every series-clinching win, and never lost back-to-back games. This post-season, it's been a very different story. Before his Game 7 performance, he had a 3.37 GAA and a .885 SV%, allowing at least three goals in each of Games 1 through 6. 

Florida beat the Washington Capitals in six games in their opening series, which was a tougher one than perhaps the Presidents Trophy winners thought it would be. Florida looked overmatched at times in the series, and their potent offense really took a step back. Carter Verhaeghe had 12 points in six games for Florida, including a five-point performance in Game 5 and an OT winner in Game 6. The problem is that he isn't one of the star players that carried them all year. They need their stars to step up in a big way if they want to defeat the Lightning.

The Blues get the wonderful honor of taking on the Avalanche in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and even though they may be underdogs, they should be thrilled with the opportunity. Colorado is a huge favorite to win the Cup this season, and you get bet that every team wants to be the one that knocks them out. The Avalanche have had a tough time in recent years getting past the second round, falling just last year to the Vegas Golden Knights. However, they did that shortly after whipping St Louis in the minimum four games last season.

Colorado predictably is a massive favorite in this series, -400 to eliminate the Blues. The Avalanche just dispatched the Nashville Predators with ease in Round 1, sweeping them in four games. They haven't had much trouble with the Blues lately either. The Avs are 14-4 straight up in their last 18 games against the Blues, and they’re 9-9 on the puckline over that 18-game stretch. They've won eight of nine playoff games they have had over the them, and are 6-3 on the puckline over that span. Playing in Colorado, St. Louis is 0-5 SU in the postseason. The Avs outscored the Blues 20-7 in last season's series, and covered the puckline in all four games of the sweep.

St. Louis took down the favored Minnesota Wild in Round 1, which was an impressive feat to accomplish, but Colorado is a different monster, and one that they just can't seem to defeat. The Blues are 2-9 SU and 5-6 on the puckline in their last 11 vists to play the Avs on the road, so Game 1 isn't promising. St Louis is 1-5 straight up over the last six games against Colorado.

Another interesting note on the total: Each of the last six games between the two teams has gone over.