NHL Tuesday night (8/4) Parlay pick

Game 1: Florida Panthers – New York Islanders:
Total goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @ -360
+
Game 2: Columbus Blue Jackets – Toronto Maple Leafs:
Total Goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @ –265
=
Parlay Odds @ Draftkings -132

After an almost five months-long break the teams in this parlay are up for their second game of the best-of-five play-in. A general tendency is that few goals have been scored in the games that have been played so far. There are some exceptions to this but from looking at the first encounters between Florida Panthers and New York Islanders as well as Columbus Blue Jackets – Toronto Maple Leafs one could assume that also the second games will be tight.

12.00 PM ET, Tuesday, August 4

New York Islanders defeated the Panthers 2-1 on Saturday thanks to a very disciplined defensive effort. Scoring goals against the Islanders have been difficult throughout the entire season and that ability will make them a hard nut to crack for any team if reaching the playoffs. Although, they are quite limited when it comes to their offensive edge. 

Florida Panthers have now lost all four games against the Islanders as they also were defeated by their conference rival in three straight games during the regular season. In that sense they are up for a hard task turning this series around.

Conclusions and betting play: Looking at the head to head stats, including the first game of this play-in series, makes the Islanders the favorite in this game but one should forget that all games have been very tight. The results this season between these two sides are 2-1, 3-1, 2-1, and 3-2.  

The Islanders is not a much better team but their winning streak gives them a mental advantage. The Panthers stepped up in the third period of the last game and if they can get off with a good start of this game things might as well start going their way.

What stands out with the New York team is their strong defensive play and will probably have to fight hard to create open chances also in this game. The outcome of this game is not that easy to predict but all facts point in the direction of another low-scoring game.

This game, as well as all games in the Eastern Conference play-in series, will be played in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. 

Betting Play: Total goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @ -360

4.00 PM ET, Tuesday, August 4

Toronto Maple Leafs have the advantage of playing this Stanley Cup qualification series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, but that did not help them in their game. The Maple Leafs were unable to score after a disappointing 2-0 defeat against a very tactically disciplined Columbus Blue Jackets.

With skilled players such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitchell Marner in the team Toronto have been scoring a lot of goals this season but they ended the regular season with a negative trend and they will have to step up tonight.     

Columbus Blue Jackets ended their season on a ninth place in the Eastern Conference which was better than what most people expected from this team before the season. In the first game of this best-of-five series, this underdog once again proved that they are not easy to deal with.

The Blue Jackets does not possess the star quality players that the Maple Leafs do but they are strong as a team and most likely they will stand up very well defensively also in this game.  

Conclusions and betting play: Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorites in this series and if their leading players can start producing they should be better the team.

But Columbus Blue Jackets clearly proved in the first game that they are about to make this task very difficult for the Maple Leafs. Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves for the shutout and the team was overall defensively organized.

Toronto should still be seen as favorites in this game but most likely they will have to fight hard creating their chances. Even though they might be able to win I do believe that quite few goals will be scored also in this second game. 

Betting Play: Total Goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @-265

Game 1: Florida Panthers – New York Islanders:
Total goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @ -360
+
Game 2: Columbus Blue Jackets – Toronto Maple Leafs:
Total Goals – Under 6.5 (60 Mins) @ –265
=
Parlay Odds @ Draftkings -132