NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets:
Los Angeles Kings (26-23-15) at NY Islanders (37-23-5)
Kings (+112) at Islanders (-134) – Total 5.5 (Over, -115)
7 p.m. ET
These two teams met eight days ago in Los Angeles with yours truly in attendance, as the Kings came away with a 5-3 win. LA has now won four straight and nine of the last 11 meetings against the Islanders. Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe both found the back of the net in the 5-3 win. Panarin now has seven goals in 13 games versus Isles goalie Ilya Sorokin. Kempe has four goals in seven games against the Islanders’ netminder.
My top play in tonight’s game is the Over 5.5. Since DJ Smith took over as head coach from Jim Hiller, the Kings have played more of a wide-open game. Prior to their 2-1 overtime loss to Boston on Tuesday, all four Kings games had a combined six goals or more, including the 5-3 win over the Islanders. Seven of the Blues’ last nine games have had a combined six goals or more.
On to the player props. I have already touched upon the success of Panarin and Kempe against the Islanders Ilya Sorokin. In addition, Kempe has points in all five games since Smith took over behind the bench, and two of those (including the Islanders game) have been multi-point games. Defenseman Brandt Clarke has gone pointless in back-to-back games but did have points in the previous three games (including two multi-point games). Drew Doughty has points in three of the last four games. Trevor Moore has three shots on goal or more in five of the last six games. Brandt Clarke has recorded at least two shots on goal in five of the last six games.
Bo Horvat, Matt Barzal, and Matthew Schaefer are all riding three-game point streaks for the Islanders, and Anders Lee has 12 goals in 21 career games versus the Kings. Horvat has points in seven of his last nine games, Barzal with points in eight of nine games and Schaefer with points in six of nine. Horvat has also registered four shots on goal or more in four consecutive games and six of seven.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Kings/Isles Over 5.5 (-115) – 2 units
Schaefer/Barzal/Horvat point parlay (+160) – .50 units
Horvat Over 3.5 shots on goal (+108) – .25 units
Drew Doughty Over ½ point (+210) – .05 units
Trevor Moore Over 2.5 shots on goal (+130) – .50 units
Artemi Panarin anytime goal (+190) – .10 units
Adrian Kempe anytime goal (+118) – .10 units
Anders Lee anytime goal (+320) – .10 units
Adrian Kempe Over 1.5 pts (+280) – .05 units
Brandt Clarke Over 1.5 pts (+630) – .05 units
Clarke Over 1.5 shots/McDavid Over 2.5 shots (+153) – 1 unit
Edmonton Oilers (32-26-8) at St. Louis Blues (26-29-10)
Oilers (-154) at Blues (+128) – Total 6.5 (Over, -115)
8 p.m. ET
Both the Oilers and Blues are on the back end of back-to-backs. Edmonton is coming off a 7-2 thumping by the Dallas Stars that saw the Oilers’ frustrations reach a boiling point to where Connor McDavid dropped the gloves. St. Louis is coming off a 3-1 upset over Carolina on Thursday.
It’s a brutal scheduling spot for St. Louis. The Blues are going through a stretch of four road games, returned home for a game against the Islanders, played last night at Carolina, return home tonight for the game against Edmonton and then head out for three games on the road following tonight’s game. As bad a scheduling spot this is for St. Louis, I can’t lay a price with the Oilers. Add to all of this, Edmonton is 3-8 on the second half of back to backs this season.
Tonight is the third meeting this season between the two teams, with each team winning on home ice. I am expecting an “inspired” game tonight from both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has two assists in each game this season versus St. Louis and Leon has 26 points in 27 career games against the Blues. Zach Hyman has two goals and an assist this season versus St. Louis and 12 goals in 20 career games against the Blues. Mattias Ekholm has an assist in seven of his last eight games and two assists versus St. Louis this season.
On the Blues side, I will come back with Jimmy Snuggerud, who is riding a four-game goal streak and has had three shots on goal or more in each of the last three games.
Fourteen of the last 15 Oilers games have had a combined seven goals or more.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Over 6.5 (-115) – 1 unit
Jimmy Snuggerud any time goal (+275) – .10 units
Jimmy Snuggerud Over 2.5 shots on goal (+130) – .10 units
Connor McDavid Over 1.5 points (-111) – .50 units
Zach Hyman anytime goal (+165) – .10 units
Mattias Ekholm Over ½ assist (+230) – .10 units
