NHL Hockey 3 Days

Last updated: May 8, 2026, 5:30 AM ET

NHL Playoff Betting & Projections

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs progressed through the middle of the week, betting markets focused heavily on player performance props and series momentum, with analysts providing guidance across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday matchups. For Wednesday’s slate, Sports Line analyst Scott Erskine identified Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield as a prime target for wagers, while Tuesday’s action saw projections centering on players like Wild left wing Matt Boldy. Furthermore, promotional offers, such as Draft Kings providing $100 in bonus bets for first-time users wagering on Wednesday's NHL and NBA contests, indicated high engagement levels across the sporting calendar.

The Eastern Conference semifinal between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Philadelphia Flyers drew specific attention heading into Thursday, where Game 3 represented what some analysts viewed as Philadelphia's final realistic opportunity to make the series competitive against the Hurricanes. In the Western Conference on Tuesday, the betting model looked ahead to the 2026 playoff bracket, revealing its picks for the Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild second-round Game, anticipating another Avalanche victory though forecasting far fewer than the 15 total goals scored in the previous contest.

Futures Market & Draft Lottery Fallout

The results of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery dominated offseason news, with the Toronto Maple Leafs securing the highly coveted No. 1 overall pick following the drawing held in New Jersey. This outcome immediately shifted the focus to prospects like Penn State star forward Gavin McKenna, widely considered the premier talent available in the 2026 selection process. to simulated second-round matchups, analysts were already laying out the landscape for the 2026 postseason, with one projection citing the Buffalo Sabres battling the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference bracket.

Wider Sports Betting Context

While NHL betting remained a focus for mid-week wagering models, the overall sports betting environment on Wednesday and Thursday was heavily influenced by NBA playoff action, particularly the high-stakes second-round matchups. Thursday’s betting slate featured recommendations for key NBA games, including the Pistons vs. Cavaliers and Thunder vs. Lakers Game 2s, mirroring the attention given to Wednesday’s NBA contests such as the 76ers vs. This cross-sport activity, which saw the Thunder & Pistons taking 1-0 leads in their respective NBA series, drove significant proprietary model activity across various sportsbooks.