NHL Playoff Hockey Betting - Kings And Rangers Get Important Wins This Weekend

East Finals, Game 3: New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils - Saturday, May 19

Online betting experts are going to kick around this particular contest because they can see that the Rangers and Devils are two fairly even teams. New York leans a little more on its defense and goaltending, while New Jersey is more of an offensive team with quick-strike snipers. New York did a terrific job of blocking shots in its Game 1 victory, but in Game 2, New Jersey was able to screen New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist and create some deflections for goals. In Game 3, the Rangers will push hard on defense, and they're likely to rebound with a victory. The Rangers have been resilient throughout the playoffs; they won't relent at this point. They'll go into Newark, N.J., and defeat the Devils.

NHL Betting Pick: New York Rangers

West Finals, Game 4: Phoenix Coyotes @ Los Angeles Kings - Sunday, May 20

As hockey pundits attempt to break down this game, set for a 3:20 p.m. Eastern time start on Sunday, you will not read a whole lot of numbers that offer encouragement to Phoenix fans. You will fail if you try to unearth lines of analysis and reasoning that support the Coyotes' prospects at any of the best sports betting sites you can find. This is simply the Kings' series. If they're going to lose to the Coyotes, they're going to have to play extremely poorly. They'll have to forfeit the psychological stranglehold they have in this series. They'll have to get distracted, which is really hard for a team that is 7-0 on the road in the playoffs.

The Kings have been, by far, the best team in the NHL playoffs to this point in time. Los Angeles knocked off the President's Trophy winner, the Vancouver Canucks, in round one. They did so in five games. They then swept a team that won 109 points in the regular season, the St. Louis Blues. Los Angeles has not gotten a lucky draw in the playoffs; anything but. The Kings are taking on the best teams in the league and are wiping the floor with them. The New York Rangers are also playing well in the playoffs, but they're beating the lowest seeds in their conference. The Kings are beating the top seeds in their neck of the woods, a testament to their comprehensive excellence this spring.

If you are going to make a play on this game at an online sportsbook, you don't have to clutter your mind with a lot of worries or clashing thoughts. The Kings are a much better team than the Coyotes. They're doing everything right and have shaken the Coyotes' will. Phoenix won three overtime games in the first round of the playoffs and then upset Nashville in five games in the second round, giving the Coyotes the belief that they could create a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals. The decisiveness with which Los Angeles has knocked back Phoenix should show how formidable the Kings really are. They should win this game on Sunday.

NHL Betting Pick: Los Angeles