NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Friday, January 3:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Ottawa Senators at St. Louis Blues (-115, 5.5)
8 p.m. ET
Today is stop number seven on the Ottawa Senators eight-game roadie. After starting off the road trip with three consecutive wins, Ottawa has dropped three of the last four including a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars last night.
The Blues are coming off a 6-1 thumping of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field on New Year’s Eve Day. Cam Fowler scored a pair of goals to become the first-ever player to score a goal in his 1000th game, outdoors. St. Louis has now won three of their past four games, scoring four more goals in each victory. The Blues will look for payback today against the Senators, who handed them their lunch in an 8-1 annihilation back on October 29 in Ottawa.
Anton Forsberg will be making his first since December 8. In his previous five starts, Forsberg has given up 4+ goals, four times. As of the time of this writing I don’t have confirmation on the Blues starting goalie. St. Louis is on the front end of a back-to-back, playing in Columbus on Saturday. Joel Hofer gave up five goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Jordan Binnington in the previous meeting this season. In Hofer’s only other start against the Sens, he earned the victory by stopping 30 of 32 shots. The Blues Jake Neighbours has scored three goals in his five career games against the Senators.
There are a lot of Ottawa props that look juicy. I was on a Ridly Greig anytime goal last night in the Dallas game, and it cashed for the third consecutive game. Greig is playing on Ottawa’s top line. Brady Tkachuk, who calls St. Louis home, has assists in three straight games. He had a pair of goals in the only meeting this season and has four goals and eight points in 10 games versus the Blues. Tim Stutzle has seven goals and 12 points in seven career games against St. Louis. Stutlze had two goals and two assists against the Blues in the October game. Josh Norris has two goals in three games versus the Blues and has scored on each of the Blues netminders.
NHL Predictions: St. Louis Blues TT Over 3.5 (+145) – 1 unit
Jake Neighbours anytime goal (+340) – ¼ unit
Josh Norris anytime goal (+260) – ¼ unit
Ridly Greig anytime goal (+350) – ¼ unit
Brady Tkachuk anytime goal (+150) – ¼ unit
Brady Tkachuk Over ½ assist (+140) – ¼ unit
Tim Stutzle anytime goal (+270) – ¼ unit
Tim Stutzle Over ½ assist (+100) – ¼ unit
Montreal Canadiens (-130, 6) at Chicago Blackhawks
8 p.m. ET
For the first time this season, the Montreal Canadiens will be a road favorite. This game opened with both teams at (-110), but bettors are jumping all over the Canadiens, driving them up to a (-140) road favorite. Montreal is getting not only 74% of the bets but 84% of the money. The Habs are riding high following road wins over Florida, Tampa, and, most recently, the Vegas Golden Knights. In addition, Montreal has won nine of their last 13 games. I do think this could be a flat spot for Montreal with their next game against the Colorado Avalanche.
It is hard to get behind the Blackhawks, who are last overall in the standings. Chicago has lost their last five games, and their last three defeats have been all by four goals.
The Canadiens have confirmed that Samuel Montembeault will be their starting goalie, while the Blackhawks are expected to go with Petr Mrazek. Montreal’s Cole Caufield has scored two goals in three games against Mrazek and has two goals in his last three games overall. Patrik Laine has been held without a goal the past four games, but he has a good opportunity to break the drought today. He has seven goals in eight games against Mrazek and if Chicago turns to Arvid Soderblom, Laine has beaten him three times in two games. Kirby Dach is in search of his first goal (three games played) against the team that drafted him. Kirby is not only facing his former team but will be playing against his brother Colton who was just recalled by Chicago.
Connor Bedard has been pacing the Blackhawks all season. He is currently on a five-game point streak (3G,4A). Ilya Mikheyev has found the back of the net three times in five games against Montreal goalie Samuel Montembeault.
NHL Predictions: Chicago Blackhawks ML (+110) – ½ unit
Connor Bedard anytime goal (+200) – ¼ unit
Connor Bedard Over ½ assist (+110) – ¼ unit
Ilya Mikheyev anytime goal (+500) – ¼ unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+170) – ¼ unit
Patrik Laine anytime goal (+175) – ¼ unit
Kirby Dach anytime goal (+380) – ¼ unit
Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers (-455, 6.5)
9 p.m. ET
Break up the Ducks! Anaheim has won three straight, knocking off the Oilers (six days ago), New Jersey, and last night rallying to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime. Oddsmakers have little or no faith that Anaheim will make it four consecutive wins as the Edmonton Oilers are a (-455) home betting favorite. Anaheim’s win over the Oilers snapped an eight-game losing streak to Edmonton. They will once again turn to Lukas Dostal in goal, who was between the pipes for the win last Sunday. Dostal has not surrendered more than three goals in each of his last six losses. Anaheim has been held to two goals or less in each of his last eight defeats.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (three goals, 20 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (10 goals, 14 assists) are both riding 12-game point streaks. Draisaitl has 26 goals in 34 career games versus the Ducks, including four goals in six games against Dostal. He scored two of Edmonton’s three goals in the 5-3 loss last week in Anaheim.
As I noted yesterday, if the Ducks score three goals in this game, they are worth a live line play. Anaheim is 15-1 when scoring three or more goals this season.
NHL Predictions: Connor McDavid Over 1.5 assists (+135) – 1 unit
Leon Draisaitl anytime goal (-110) – 1 unit
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators (-140, 5.5)
10 p.m. ET
For the second time this season, the Canucks will be hosting the Predators on the second half of a back-to-back at home. Nashville knocked off Vancouver back in November, scoring four times against former goalie Kevin Lankinen and then adding an empty netter in a 5-3 victory. Lankinen will get a second crack at his former team as Thatcher Demko not only got the start last night against Seattle but was forced to leave the game with back spasms. Lankinen has just one win in seven career starts versus Nashville.
The Canucks have yet to win a game on the second half of back-to-backs this season (0-3). It’s been a home-ice disadvantage for the Canucks this season, with just seven wins in 20 games at Rogers Arena in contrast to 11 wins in 17 road games. Of the Canucks 13 losses at home, they have given up four or more goals, 12 times and five or more goals in eight of the losses. In their three games on the tail end of back-to-backs they have surrendered, 5, 5 and 3 goals.
The Predators’ Steven Stamkos has lit the lamp 18 times in 21 career games against the Canucks and has four goals in five games against the Lankinen, including a pair of goals when the teams met in November. Jonathan Marchessault has played more of the role of set-up man in his career versus Vancouver with 14 assists in 23 games against the Canucks, including an assist in the November meeting.
NHL Predictions: Nashville Predators ML (-140) – 1 unit
Nashville Predators TT Over 3.5 (+120) – 1 unit
Nashville Predators TT Over 4.5 (+265) – ¼ unit
Steven Stamkos anytime goal (+200) – ¼ unit
Steven Stamkos Over ½ assist (+165) – ¼ unit
Jonathan Marchessault Over ½ assist (+155) – ¼ unit
