The Stanley Cup Final is finally here.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes begin their quest for hockey's ultimate prize when they meet in Game 1 tonight at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.
With both teams just four wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup, puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET as our Covers experts break down their top NHL picks and predictions for the series opener.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes expert picks tonight
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
Todd Cordell:  Pavel Dorofeyev over 0.5 points |
-120 |
Todd Cordell:  Jackson Blake over 0.5 points |
-135 |
| Quinn Allen: Logan Stankoven anytime goal |
+220 |
Odds courtesy of BET99.
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(not available in Ontario)
Todd Cordell's expert pick: Pavel Dorofeyev Over 0.5 points
Price: -120 at BET99
Pavel Dorofeyev has taken off since being promoted to the top line alongside Jack Eichel. He has averaged an ultra-efficient 3.53 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play while generating expected goals at an elite clip.
Dorofeyev is also a big threat on the man advantage, where he leads the Vegas Golden Knights in goals and shots during the playoffs.
He is an exceptional shooter and generates plenty of looks. He will really test Frederik Andersen, who is riding a high now but posted a highly underwhelming .874 save percentage during the regular season.
Expect Dorofeyev to hit the scoresheet in Game 1.
Betable to -130.
Todd Cordell's expert pick: Jackson Blake Over 0.5 points
Price: -135 at BET99
The Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson pairing has lost their 5-on-5 minutes on the scoreboard and controlled just 41.20% of the expected goals share, ranking them 16th out of 17 pairings to log 100+ minutes in the playoffs.
John Tortorella is giving them a lot of defensive zone starts, which doesn’t make life easy, but they’re still struggling to limit chances and keep the puck out.
Jackson Blake leads the Carolina Hurricanes in offensive zone start percentage (89.57%), expected goals, and time on ice at 5-on-5. He is the most likely candidate to take advantage. Play to -150.
Quinn Allen's expert pick: Logan Stankoven to score
Price: +220 at BET99
Logan Stankoven is flourishing in these playoffs with nine goals in just 13 games, but the underlying metrics suggest the production is no fluke.
His 4.1 individual expected goals rank third on the Carolina Hurricanes behind only Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake, while he also sits third on the team in high-danger chances created per 60 minutes (17.98).
Carolina is also controlling 67.8% of shots on goal with Stankoven on the ice at 5-on-5, highlighting his ability to drive offensive-zone pressure. He registered 11 shots across the final two games of the Eastern Conference Final and scored in both contests.
I'll play this pick to +180.
More Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes Game 1 picks
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- Free NHL picks
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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