NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
New York Rangers (19-18-5) at Florida Panthers (21-15-3)
Rangers (+125) at Panthers (-145) – Total 5.5 (Over, -115)
8 p.m. ET
The NHL’s Winter Classic comes to Loan Depot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Though this is technically an outdoor game, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, we could see the roof being closed. New York Rangers forward Will Cuylle said earlier on Friday, “The ice was pretty bad and slow.” Hearing this from Cuylle will keep me off the Over 5.5 goals pregame, but if by game time it looks like the ice won’t be an issue, I will jump on the Over.
Twenty-one of the last 22 regular-season meetings between the two teams have had a combined six goals or more, and 19 of them had seven or more goals. The past four outdoor games have had a minimum of eight goals, but when you look at the games played in some warmer weather climates like Seattle, Lake Tahoe, San Jose and Los Angeles, three of the four games had a combined three goals, and the other had five (Colorado 3 Vegas 2).
To no surprise, the goaltending matchup will be a battle between both teams’ number one goalies, with Igor Shesterkin up against Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida comes into this game off a loss to Montreal, giving up two goals in the final five minutes and then losing in Overtime. But the Panthers have been a good bounce-back team, winning their last four games following a loss.
The Rangers have lost three straight, most recently being doubled up by the Washington Capitals, 6-3. A couple of player props to look at in tonight’s game. The Rangers’ Adam Fox is riding a seven-game points streak (points in four of six against the Rangers), and I do wonder if being left off the USA Olympic team will provide some additional incentive to show his head coach Mike Sullivan, who is also part of the USA Olympic coaching staff, that they made a mistake.
On the Florida side, Brad Marchand has points in nine consecutive games. Sam Bennett is on a seven-game points streak. Bennett has points in six of his last games against the Rangers, and like Fox, won’t be going to the Olympics. Bennett already plays with a snarl, and I am sure the omission, after being on Canada’s Four Nations team, will help fuel him today. Carter Verhaeghe has four goals in eight games versus Shesterkin and has scored in six of the last 10 games against the Rangers.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Florida Panthers Money Line (-145) – 1.5 units
Adam Fox Over ½ point (-130) – .20 units
Bennett/Marchand point parlay (-114) – .50 units
Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal (+270) – .10 units
Minnesota Wild (24-10-7) at Anaheim Ducks (21-16-3)
Wild (-130) at Ducks (+110) – Total 6.5 (Under, -115)
10:30 p.m. ET
The Wild are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to San Jose on Wednesday, as the Sharks made it a perfect three for three against the Wild this season. It was just Minnesota’s third loss in the past 12 games. There is no better team than Anaheim for the Wild to get back into the win column. Minnesota has won 19 of the last 20 meetings against the Ducks, including a 2-0 win over Anaheim on November 15.
That victory over Anaheim was without Quinn Hughes. I reference that because the Wild has been an offensive juggernaut with the addition of the second-best defenseman in the NHL (Cale Makar is number one). Hughes, like Makar, is a game changer, and since his arrival, Minnesota has scored four goals or more in six of their nine wins (nine of 18 wins before Hughes 4+ goals), and the full game Over is also (6-3).
The Ducks have given up at least four goals in 10 of their last 11 losses. After getting off to a great start, the Ducks have struggled mightily (pun intended), losing four straight and eight of their last 10 games. Slow starts for Anaheim haven’t helped the cause either, giving up the first goal in each of the last four games and six of the last seven. That will be problematic against a Minnesota team that has struck first in seven of their last 10 games. The first period Over is on a 10-1 run in the past 11 home games.
A couple of player props on my card for tonight. Matt Boldy leads the Wild with 25 goals. Boldy scored a goal in six of his last nine games and in each of the past three games versus Anaheim. He has scored the first Minnesota goal eleven times this season, with seven of those coming on the road. Kirill Kaprizov has goals in seven of ten games against Anaheim and has had four shots on goal or more in eight of his last 10 games against Anaheim, including nine in their lone meeting this season. Joel Eriksson-Ek has points in three straight and six of the last seven games versus Anaheim. He has also cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in seven consecutive games and has had four or more shots on goal six times.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Minnesota Wild Money Line (-130) – 2 units
Minnesota Team Total Over 3.5 (+108) – .50 units
1stperiod Over 1.5 (-140) – .50 units
Matt Boldy anytime goal (+135) – .20 units
Matt Boldy 1stMinny goal (+500) – .05 units
Kirill Kaprizov anytime goal (+110) – .10 units
Kirill Kaprizov Over 3.5 shots on goal (+115) – .50 units
Joel Eriksson-Ek Over ½ point (-130) – .25 units
Joel Eriksson-Ek Over 3.5 shots on goal (+182) – .20 units
