NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Minnesota Wild (10-7-4) at Pittsburgh Penguins (10-5-4)
Betting Line: Wild (+105) at Penguins (-125)
7 p.m. ET
The Penguins return home after playing two Global Series games in Sweden, where they earned three of a possible four points with a win and an overtime loss to the Nashville Predators. The Pens have won all 10 of their games this season in regulation. Only Colorado (13) has more regulation wins. Pittsburgh is the only team to have won all their games in regulation.
The Wild are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over Carolina on Wednesday and have now won three straight, five of six, and seven of nine. For all you instant gratification players (I am one), Minnesota has scored the first goal of the game in 10 consecutive games and 13 times for the season, second only to Chicago, who lead the way with 15.
The Wild’s Matt Boldy has scored the team’s first goal seven times, and in three of Minnesota’s last four road games. Boldy is also riding a five-game point streak with four goals and three assists and goals in four of his last five. A couple of other Wild players on my prop list include Danila Yurov, who is centering the team’s top line with Marco Rossi out. Yurov has three assists in two games since filling in as the number one center. BetMGM is one “book” that is offering his point prop (+150). Marcus Johansson has scored points in eight of his last 10 games.
Here is my shopping list of Penguins props. Sidney Crosby has four goals in the four games he’s gone head-to-head with Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, and 14 goals in 27 games against Minnesota. Erik Karlsson has 27 assists in 32 games against the Wild.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Marcus Johansson Over ½ point (+124) – .20 unit
Danila Yurov Over ½ point (+150) – .20 unit
Minnesota Wild to score first goal of the game (-105) – .50 units
Matt Boldy ATG (+160) – .20 units
Matt Boldy to score Minn 1st goal (+500) – .05 units
Matt Boldy to score the game’s first goal (+1000) – .05 units
Sidney Crosby ATG (+170) – .20 units
Erik Karlsson Over ½ assist (+124) – .20 units
Regulation Draw (+330) – .25 units
Chicago Blackhawks (10-6-4) at Buffalo Sabres (7-9-4)
Betting Line: Chicago (+160) at Buffalo (-190) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
These two teams are coming into tonight’s game a little salty after the results of their previous games. Connor Bedard and the Hawks will look to channel the anger of his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with less than five minutes to play in regulation and led to the Kraken’s tying goal. For Buffalo, they were embarrassed on Wednesday night, on home ice, by the Calgary Flames, 6-2. Giving up six goals to a Flames team that ranks dead last in the NHL in scoring (just over 2 goals/per game) should lead to a far better effort tonight. The saying goes, “If you are going to stink, don’t stink at home.”
I understand that the Blackhawks are playing games on consecutive days. Buffalo has the rest advantage and is at home, but Buffalo being this big a favorite (-190) has no value whatsoever, though the Sabres have won seven of the last 10 meetings against Chicago. I am not sold on the Chicago money line either, but I will be on the Blackhawks team total, both Over 2.5 and 3 goals (available at BetMGM).
Buffalo will start Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen tonight, and he has given up three goals in each of his starts this season. The full game Over has also cashed in on 10 of Buffalo’s last 13 games. I also expect a huge effort from Connor Bedard tonight, who will try to make amends for being in the penalty box for the Kraken’s game-winning goal. Bedard has cashed his shots on goal prop in (Over 3.5) in three straight and seven of his last 10 games.
With the injury to Andre Burakovsky last night, Tyler Bertuzzi will play alongside Bedard on the top line. Bertuzzi has been on a heater of his own (a five-game point streak) with seven goals and 10 points. Teuvo Teravainen has points in four of his last five games (three goals, three assists) and has 23 points in 24 career games versus the Sabres. Chicago scored the first goal of the game in each of their last seven games and a league high, 15 times.
On the Buffalo side, Tage Thompson has goals in four straight, Bowen Byram has points in four of the last five games. There is excellent value on Josh Doan for both an assist and a goal. Doan plays on the Sabres’ top line and second power play unit.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Regulation Draw (+380) – .25 units
Bertuzzi/Teravainen pt parlay (+174) – .25 units
Chicago Blackhawks/Buffalo Sabres Over 6 (-120) – 1 unit
Connor Bedard Over 3.5 SOG (+125) – .50 units
Chicago Blackhawks to score 1st goal (+115) – .25 units
Chicago Blackhawks team total Over 2.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Chicago Blackhawks team total Over 3 (+135) – .50 units
Josh Doan ATG (+275) – .10 units
Josh Doan Over ½ assist (+215) – .10 units
Bowen Byram Over ½ point (+140) – .15 units
Tage Thompson ATG (+115) – .10 units
