The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup playoff series, setting up a crucial Game 2 on Thursday night. Five different Golden Knights scored in the victory, with Vegas proving their offensive depth against the Hurricanes' typically stingy defense. The win gives Vegas momentum as they look to extend their series lead.

Vegas enters Thursday's matchup riding a seven-game winning streak, including four straight victories on the road. Their recent sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals demonstrated they won't be satisfied with just stealing home-ice advantage. The Golden Knights now face a Hurricanes team that has allowed more than two goals only twice in 14 playoff games, suggesting Thursday could be a tighter contest.

On the MLB diamond, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks meet with both starting pitchers showing inconsistency. Ryne Nelson (4.82 ERA) starts for Arizona while Justin Wrobleski has alternated strong and poor outings for Los Angeles. The SportsLine Projection Model projects the Over 9.5 total runs to hit in 57.3% of simulations.

SportsLine's Thomas Casale expects a lower-scoring Game 2 between two elite defenses, citing Carolina's strong playoff defensive record and goaltender Frederik Andersen's track record. A parlay combining the Golden Knights moneyline, under 6 goals, and Over 9.5 runs would pay approximately +746 odds.