The Vegas Golden Knights now know who they are going up against in the Western Conference finals after the Winnipeg Jets sent the Nashville Preds packing for vacation on Thursday. Will the well-rested Golden Knights take Game 1? Or will the home team prevail? At press, the sportsbook likes the Winnipeg Jets to take the first game by a goal and a half. Read on for a preview of Game 1 of the series along with this writer’s prediction.
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Betting Preview for the Vegas Golden Knights vs Winnipeg Jets NHL West Conference Finals Game 1 on May 12, 2018
When: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
When: Saturday, May 12, 7:00 PM EST
Line: Vegas Golden Knights (point spread) vs Winnipeg Jets (point spread) vs – view all NHL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC, TVA
Betting on the Vegas Golden Knights (+1.5)
At this point, whatever you believe in seems what it seems to be. Because how else can you explain the Golden Knights reaching this far in the playoffs in their first year in the league? Well, how about defense? The Knights have been exceptional stifling their opponents’ attacks in these playoffs wherein they lead all teams with a fantastic 1.70 goals allowed per game. Marc-Andre Fleury has been playing like the Stanley Cup winning-goalie that he is, as he enters the conference finals carrying an 8-2 record along with a 1.53 GAA and .951 saves percentage. Vegas’ penalty killing has been terrific, too, with an 85.0 success rate against the man advantage in the postseason.
Vegas is 4-1 in tis last five road games overall and 4-1 also in its last five games as road underdogs.
Betting on the Winnipeg Jets (-1.5)
There will be a new Western Conference champion this season as the Jets eliminated the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Game 7 of their second-round series, 5-1. The Jet are going to be a handful even for the tough-defending Vegas. Winnipeg finished the regular season second in the NHL with 3.3 goals per game. They lost twice in three meetings with Vegas in the regular season, but the lone win in the matchup was a 7-4 victory on the road. Winnipeg entered Game 7 of the Nashville series fourth in the playoffs with 3.45 goals per game, which sound even more exceptional considering they ran against Pekka Rinne and the deep blueline of the Preds.
Winnipeg is 8-2 in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction:
Vegas wins, 2-1.
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