While most of the ink spilled about Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes will be about a disallowed goal with five minutes to go, it’s not all that relevant to handicapping the next contest, which comes Saturday night in Nevada.
What is relevant is that oddsmakers at bet365 Sportsbook have set the line as a pick’em, and the Hurricanes are now a -140 favorite to lift the Stanley Cup after tying the series with an overtime winner in Game 2 on Thursday.
Are the bookmakers right in calling Saturday’s Game 3 a coin flip?
Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes: Game 3 odds, picks
You can get a pretty good idea of what each team is trying to do in this series by looking at the shot and scoring chance numbers at 5-on-5.
At first glance, it looks like Carolina is dominating the run of play with 50 more shot attempts (119 to 69) through two games at even strength. However, the expected goals are nearly even (4.5 to 4.2) and the Hurricanes have generated just one more high-danger scoring chance (18-17).
As expected, Rod Brind’Amour’s Canes are going for quantity, while John Tortorella’s Golden Knights are happy to sacrifice possession for counter-attacking opportunities.
Both strategies have paid off to the tune of one win, so neither side will be looking to overhaul their Plan A as we head into the meat of the series. It’s going to be a strength-on-strength battle, which means the Stanley Cup will be won on the margins.
That puts a major emphasis on goaltending.
Frederik Andersen did what he needed to do to get Carolina the win in Game 2, but overall, the Dane looks the shakier of the two netminders in this series.
Had the controversial no-goal call Thursday night gone the other way, there would be plenty of discourse about Andersen’s reputation of coming unglued in the business end of the playoffs. Instead, Andersen has largely escaped scrutiny.
Betting on the NHL?
Hart, too, has had his issues, but he seems more comfortable with his assignment. He’s facing plenty of rubber, but for the most part they are coming from low-percentage areas. That trend is likely to continue, as Vegas is the league’s best team at protecting the middle of the ice, and that strength should shine through more at home, where Tortorella has the last change.
In a game, and series, that projects to be razor tight, the slight goaltending edge that Hart gives the Knights is enough to tilt the scales.
The Play: Golden Knights moneyline (-110, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
