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The First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been exciting again this year, but that is almost always the case. There are four games on the schedule for Thursday night, and four teams will be looking to punch their ticket to the second round.

With so many NHL games set to take place, there are plenty of good betting opportunities on Thursday night as well. Three of the games really stand out in terms of betting, and those are the games that you should focus on Thursday night.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning (-120)

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are one loss away from being eliminated as the Toronto Maple Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay will be at home in Game 6, and killing off a champion is never an easy thing to do.

The Maple Leafs have not been great on the defensive end of the ice in this series, but they just have so many offensive weapons. Toronto has a ton of confidence heading into Game 6, but they will run into a desperate Lightning team.

Tampa Bay might not be able to come all the way back and get past the Maple Leafs, but they aren’t losing this series in six games. Take the Lightning -120 as they beat the Maple Leafs to stay alive.

Minnesota Wild (-115) at St. Louis Blues

The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues are battling it out in the first round, and this has been a terrific series. Minnesota was the slight betting favorite coming in, but St. Louis is a team that knows how to win in the playoffs.

St. Louis has won two straight games in this series, and both of the wins have been by a score of 5-2. The Blues are clicking on the offensive end, and they are also getting some solid goaltending.

Kirill Kaprizov has been terrific for the Wild all series long, but he needs some help at some point. Look for the Wild to be aggressive and desperate in this game, and that will make them dangerous.

Take the Wild -115 over the Blues in Game 6 in St. Louis.

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (+140)

The Edmonton Oilers were big betting favorites to beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, but they now have their backs against the wall. Edmonton must win in Los Angeles to keep their season alive, but that won’t be an easy task.

The Kings now have a ton of confidence on the offensive end of the ice as they have scored nine total goals in the last two games. Los Angeles doesn’t have a true superstar, but the entire roster has been stepping up in a big way.

Edmonton continues to get great performances from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but the rest of the team just hasn’t stepped up. The Oilers have a history of struggling in the playoffs, and they aren’t going to win in Los Angeles.

Take the Kings +140 to pull off the upset in this game and in the series.