Today’s props for NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Jake Guentzel among best bets for Monday

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs resume with a pair of games on Monday, as the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at two wins apiece when they visit the reigning champion Florida Panthers, and the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche for Game 5 of their Western Conference matchup, which is tied at 2-2.

Tampa Bay lost the first two contests of the “Battle of Florida” at home before rolling to a 5-1 victory on the road in Game 3 on Saturday. Nick Paul snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period, and the Lightning scored three times in the third to pull away and avoid a 3-0 series deficit.

The Avalanche lost a pair of overtime decisions after routing the Stars in Dallas in the opener of their series but showed their resiliency with a 4-0 triumph on Saturday. Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves en route to his first career postseason shutout, while captain Gabriel Landeskog recorded a goal and an assist in just his second NHL contest since Colorado clinched the third championship in franchise history with a victory over Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

With a four-day streak of hitting on best bets this postseason, here are some players with value to consider when making prop bets for Monday’s playoff games.

Best bets

Jake Guentzel, Lightning – Anytime goal scorer (+210, FanDuel)

Guentzel scored his second goal of the series and added a pair of assists in Tampa Bay’s Game 3 victory but was on the receiving end of a crushing late check by Matthew Tkachuk late in that contest. The 30-year-old Guentzel appeared none the worse for wear during a postgame television interview, however. Considering the NHL did not even call in Tkachuk for a disciplinary hearing, Guentzel should be even more motivated to stick it to the Panthers with a goal or two and even the series at two games apiece.

Brayden Point, Lightning – 1+ assist (+158, FanDuel)

Point has scored a goal in two of the first three games of the “Battle of Florida” but has yet to notch an assist. But the 29-year-old center reached the 40-assist plateau for the third consecutive season in 2024-25, hitting the mark with a pair in Tampa Bay’s penultimate game against the Panthers. Point recorded three assists in the Lightning’s five-game loss to Florida last postseason and is likely to figure in any scoring the team does on Monday.

Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche – anytime goal scorer (+125, DraftKings)

MacKinnon is tied for the league lead with four goals this postseason after scoring in three of Colorado’s first four games. The reigning Hart Trophy winner already has matched the total he recorded in 11 playoff games last year. Tallying against the Stars in the postseason is a familiar thing for MacKinnon, as he has netted 11 in 17 career playoff contests versus the club. Three of his goals in this series have come on the power play, so look for him to get his chances when a Dallas player is in the penalty box.

Best longshot

Cale Makar, Avalanche – 2+ assists (+400, FanDuel)

Makar has yet to have a big offensive performance in the series, registering just a pair of assists over the first four games. The 26-year-old defenseman has notched multiple assists 12 times in his postseason career, but the Stars have held him to fewer than two in nine straight contests since he recorded a pair in the opener of last year’s second-round series, which Dallas won in six games. The 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Makar has amassed 61 assists in 76 NHL playoff games and is due to make an impact offensively for the Avalanche in this matchup. 

Check out the SportsLine Projection Model’s predictions for every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, along with expert picks, only at SportsLine!