Bet on a strong game from Igor Shesterkin in Rangers’ Game 3 matchup with Hurricanes

Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Thursday night with a game in each conference.

The Carolina Hurricanes will host the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their best-of-7 series at 7 p.m. ET and the Colorado Avalanche will take on the the Dallas Stars at 9:30 p.m.

Let’s take a look at both matchups and pick out some bets with upside.

My initial thoughts on these prices are that the Hurricanes are getting hit with a pretty big “must-win tax.”

Carolina is down 0-2 in a series that it was the favorite to win, so bettors will naturally lean towards the Canes in a game that simply can’t afford to lose. If you’re betting the Hurricanes, you’re going to pay a premium in this spot. That means the Rangers are naturally the better value if you’re looking for a play on the moneyline.

And it’s not just the market effects that make this a good bet. The Blueshirts have a significant edge in goal, their special teams have been elite and their play at 5-on-5 has been better than expected.

In addition to backing the Rangers on the moneyline, I will also play Igor Shesterkin to record 40+ saves at +800. The Hurricanes are known for their philosophy of throwing everything they can at the opposing net -- especially at home -- and with their backs against the wall, it wouldn’t shock me to see the Canes post a gaudy shot total on Thursday night.

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It looked like the Dallas Stars were going to take control of this series from the jump. Dallas ran out to a 3-0 lead against Colorado in Game 1, but the Avs, as they’re want to do, erased that lead and then silenced the crowd with an overtime winner.

Now, the Stars will need a win on Thursday in order to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole for the second consecutive series in which they had home-ice advantage.

For Dallas to accomplish that, it will need to play a buttoned-up defensive game. Most teams can’t win by trading chances with the high-flying Avs, so I’d expect the Stars to look to set the tone early with their structure and look to limit space and speed for Colorado.

With that being the case, I think this game could take a while to get going and like a bet on the first period to end scoreless at +440.

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