Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: series, Conn Smythe picks; upsets; X-factors

NHL Fantasy on Ice

Pete and Rob are joined by Michael Leboff of the Action Network to cover all angles of the NHL betting landscape for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are set to begin Saturday. The guys run through each series with potential upsets, Conn Smythe candidates and X-factors. Leboff makes a case for the Stanley Cup futures appeal of the Jets and Islanders and why past playoff performers like Sidney Crosby and Nikita Kucherov bring wagering value with the ceiling of winning the Conn Smythe. The guys talk about strategies like sticking with your preseason picks over recent trends and also following injury developments closely for an edge over the course of the postseason. Players discussed include Charlie McAvoy, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mike Smith, Evgeny Kuznetsov, MacKenzie Weegar, Tyson Barrie, Anthony Cirelli, Jordan Binnington and also the Nathan MacKinnon injury concern. The hosts also give their final four picks from each division.