So, the Vegas Golden Knights are down 2-1 heading into the next game of their playoff series against the Utah Mammoth. While not a David vs. Goliath story, there’s no doubt that tonight’s clash between a perennial postseason contender and scrappy underdog takes top billing on the two-game slate. Will Vegas even the series in what’s essentially a must-win game, or will Utah produce its third straight victory and second in front of its home crowd here in Salt Lake City?
Here’s a Golden Knights vs. Mammoth Game 4 prediction and pick for Monday’s NHL Playoffs action on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth Game 4 prediction, preview
The Golden Knights entered this series as pretty strong favorites to win the best-of-seven. It would be a lie to say that odds listing was surprising, frankly. The core of the roster from the 2023 Stanley Cup campaign remains largely intact and between Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone (among others), they have more star power than the Mammoth. However, Utah certainly deserved a little more love than it was getting prior to puck drop of the first matchup. Now, the underdogs are showing why this series was worth taking a swing on for an upset pick.
Sure, Vegas took Game 1 by a 4-2 margin after coming back from down 1-0 and 2-1, mustering up a third-period onslaught of three goals to complete the win. It became clear in that one that Utah wouldn’t go down without a fight, especially given the level of physicality on display and that the Mammoth actually outshot the Golden Knights 33-31 on the night. Utah then stole Game 2 on the road 3-2, winning the SOG battle 29-21. Then, the Mammoth came out swinging with four goals in the first half of Game 3, weathering a late comeback and somehow winning despite notching just 12 SOG overall.
What have we learned from those first three games? It’s that this’ll likely continue to be a very close series. We knew throughout the season that these teams both have good-to-great defenses, and when their goalies are hot, they’re extremely difficult to score on. As things stand, Karel Vejmelka has settled in nicely to the tune of a .916 SV% and 2.36 GAA after a sloppy first playoff start. Carter Hart, meanwhile, has an .892 SV% with a 3.11 GAA and has been trending downwards after allowing seven goals on the last 41 shots he’s faced (.829 SV%).
Golden Knights vs. Mammoth Game 4 pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Golden Knights as -130 favorites to win on the Moneyline tonight, while the Mammoth come in with +110 odds at home. The game total sits at 5.5 combined goals.
Betting splits show 60% of straight bets on Vegas to win, 74% of wagers on Utah to cover the +1.5 puck line, and 75% on the total’s over.
The Mammoth don’t quite have the star-level talent of their opponent, but Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and trade-deadline add MacKenzie Weegar have two goals apiece. Clayton Keller hasn’t found the net yet but has a pair of assists, and thus far, the group as a whole has certainly performed quite admirably in the first playoff run since moving to Utah. Plenty of factors are in their favor. The Mammoth have grabbed some pretty significant momentum by rebounding with back-to-back wins after an opening loss, Vejmelka and Hart are trending in opposite directions, and the Utah crowd is energized. I actually quite like an underdog pick tonight, especially since I think the Mammoth should actually be favored in this one.
