Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 1 Prediction, Player Props & Odds

• The Vegas Golden Knights are -165 home favorites in Game 1 of their Round 2 series vs the Anaheim Ducks
• Anaheim won all three regular season matchups, all by the same 4-3 score
• See my Ducks vs Golden Knights prediction, prop picks and updated odds for Game 1

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There will be a new West representative in the Stanley Cup Final, courtesy of the Anaheim Ducks, who dispatched of the back-to-back finalist Edmonton Oilers in six games.

Anaheim starts Round 2 on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights, who knocked off the Utah Mammoth in six games, and are the home favorites to take Game 1, according to the NHL odds.

Puck drop is set for Friday night at 9:30pm ET from T-Mobile Arena in Sin City, with ESPN providing the broadcast coverage.

Read below as I share my prediction, player props and updated Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 1 odds.

Ducks vs Golden Knights Prediction

• Pick: Golden Knights ML (-166 at DraftKings)

The Ducks have shown undeniable grit recently, hitting a 4-1 (.800) mark as an underdog over their last five games.

At first glance, the Ducks appear to hold the offensive advantage, buzzing with an impressive 4.33 goals and 32.3 shots per game. However, this production is heavily inflated by a scorching, and likely unsustainable, 50% success rate on the power play.

However, stepping into T-Mobile Arena to face a dialed-in Vegas squad is a different beast. The Golden Knights are a stellar 6-1 (.857) at home as a favorite over their last seven games, and they boast an impressive 11-3 (.786) overall record across their last 14 matchups.

Vegas seems built for the grind of playoff hockey. Defensively, they yield just 3.0 goals per game, and are significantly more physical than the Ducks, as they rack up an imposing 40.2 hits. They have also clogged shooting lanes, averaging a healthy 17.2 blocked shots per game.

The Ducks have not lost to Vegas this year, winning all three regular season matchups, all by a final score of 4-3. The first two matchups went to OT, with Anaheim emerging as a winner despite playing as an underdog.

Since dropping the series opener to Edmonton, the Ducks have won four of five, and scored at least four goals in each of those wins. After falling behind 2-1 in their series to Utah, the Golden Knights have won three straight, potting five goals every game.

But a massive separator in this series will be special teams execution.

Through the playoffs, the Knights have built a fortress on the penalty kill, suffocating opponents at a ridiculous 93.7% success rate, while allowing just one goal on 16 shorthanded opportunities. We will soon see if Anaheim can click at the same rate they did against the Oilers.

In contrast, Anaheim’s postseason penalty kill has looked vulnerable, operating at just 71.4%, yielding four goals on 14 opportunities.

That’s enough to have me leaning Vegas in Game 1.

Ducks vs Golden Knights Player Prop Picks

• John Carlson –Over 0.5 Points (-115 at DraftKings): John Carlson remains a constant offensive engine from the blueline against Vegas, recording a point in four straight games against the Golden Knights. He has also registered a point in three of his last four overall outings.

• Reilly Smith – Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (+130 at bet365): Finding plus-money value on a low-total shot prop for a top-six forward is rare, but the data screams for a play on Reilly Smith here. He has exceeded 1.5 shots on goal in four of his last five games at home. Not only is he clearing this 1.5 line at an 80% clip in his own building, but he has averaged a robust 3.2 shots on goal per game during that home stretch.

Ducks vs Golden Knights Odds

The interactive widget above will update automatically throughout the day.

Vegas checks in as the betting favorite, getting -165 odds to win outright, while the Ducks are +140 on the moneyline, with both odds coming from bet365.

On the spread, the Ducks keeping the game within a goal difference pays out at -170 odds from FanDuel, while Vegas winning by at least two goals brings +155 juice from bet365. The Golden Knights have won just four of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, but three of those wins have been by at least two goals.

Over bettors should head to Caesars, where the line is set at 6.0 goals, while Under bettors should flock go DraftKings, where the total is set at 6.5 goals.