NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Tampa Bay Lightning (14-7-2) at Detroit Red Wings (13-10-1)
Betting Line: Tampa (-120) at Detroit (+100) – 6.5 (Under, -115)
12 p.m. ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning begins a stretch of seven of the next nine on the road, starting today in Detroit when they face the Red Wings. Detroit is coming off a 6-3 loss to Nashville in a game they gave up five third-period goals. Look for John Gibson to get the start today for Detroit after Cam Talbot started the past three games.
Detroit, like their opponents, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are on the front end of a back-to-back. It’s not clear if it will be Jonas Johansson for Tampa today or Andre Vasilevskiy with the Bolts facing the Rangers on Saturday. Regardless of who starts for Tampa, I will have a wager on Tampa for the first period on the money line. The Bolts are 6-1-0 in their last seven after the opening 20 minutes. The Wings have not had a first-period lead in any of their past 13 games (0-5-8).
Brandon Hagel has scored the first goal of the game in back-to-back games and Tampa’s first goal in three straight (five times this season). He is also on a three-game multi-point streak (2,3,4) and has had at least two points in two of his last three games against the Wings. Lastly, Hagel has cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in four straight and seven of the last nine games. Anthony Cirelli has points and assists in four of his last five games.
A couple of Red Wings props. Alex DeBrincat has scored Detroit’s first goal in each of the last two games. Dylan Larkin has cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in 13 of the Wings’ last 15 games. Nine times, he’s had four shots on goal or more. In his last 11 head-to-head matchups with Tampa, he has had at least four shots on goal eight times, and nine times he has had at least three shots on goal.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Brandon Hagel anytime goal (+180) – .10 units
Brandon Hagel 1st Tampa goal of the game (+600) – .05 units
Brandon Hagel Over 2.5 SOG (-122) – 1 units Anthony Cirelli Over ½ assist (+180) – .20 units
Jake Guentzel/Nikita Kucherov point parlay (-125) – .50 units
Tampa Bay Lightning 1st period ML (-125) – .50 units
Dylan Larkin Over 2.5 SOG (-144) – 1 units
Dylan Larkin Over 3.5 SOG (+178) – .50 units
Alex DeBrincat anytime goal (+140) – .10 units
Alex DeBrincat 1st Detroit goal (+490) – .05 units
New York Rangers (12-11-2) at Boston Bruins (14-11-0)
Betting Line: New York (-130) at Boston (+110) – Total 5.5 (Over, -135)
1 p.m. ET
After losing three straight, the Rangers have won back-to-back games and will look to make it three in a row when they visit the Bruins this afternoon at TD Garden Arena. The Blueshirts have won two of their visits in Boston and have taken five of the last six meetings overall between the two teams. With both teams playing again on Saturday, the starting goaltending situation is unclear. With the Rangers’ Jonathan Quick going on injured reserve last week, I am anticipating that we will see the debut of the recently recalled Dylan Garand either today or tomorrow against Tampa.
Until we know who starts today for New York in goal, I will take somewhat of a cautious approach to sides, totals and props. If Shesterkin starts today for the Rangers, then I like the Rangers on the first-period money line. Boston has just one first-period win in their last 12 games (1-4-7). If Dylan Garland gets the start, then I will pass on this play.
A couple of player props that I like. The Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad has scored New York’s first goal of the game six times this season (4 on the road). Adam Fox has an assist in each of the last four games and seven of the last 10. A couple of Bruins props on the card today include forward Mikey Eyssimont, who has had at least two shots on goal in four of his last five games and two of his last three against Tampa. Morgan Geekie has had three or more shots on goal in nine of his last 11 games, but we can’t mention Geekie without playing him for an anytime goal prop and to score the B’s first goal of the game. Geekie’s 17 goals trail only Nathan MacKinnon (18) for the league lead. The Boston forward scored the Bruins’ first goal in six of their last nine road games and eight times this season (Here is a complete list of every team’s 1st goal leaders)
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Mika Zibanejad anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
Mika Zibanejad 1st Rangers goal (+700) – .05 units
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+155) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie 1st Bruins goalie (+500) – .05 units
Morgan Geekie Over 2.5 SOG (+118) – .25 units
Mikey Eyssimont Over 1.5 SOG (-145) – .25 units
Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5) at Minnesota Wild (13-7-4)
Betting Line: Colorado (-150) at Minnesota (+130) – Total 6.5 (Under, -115)
3:30 p.m. ET
For the eighth time in NHL history, we have a game involving two teams with winning streaks of at least six games. Colorado has won 10 straight, blanking their opponents in each of the last three games, and Minnesota has won six consecutive games, shutting out their opponents in two of the last three games. Minnesota has won two of the last three meetings between the two teams, but the Avs have won seven of the last ten over Minnesota.
I am going to stick with the props again in this game, starting with Cale Makar registering at least three shots on goal. Makar has cashed this prop in six of his last nine games overall and six of his last seven head-to-head matchups with the Wild. Avs forward Ross Colton has had three shots on goal or more in eight of his last 11 games.
On the Minnesota side, I just can’t pass on Matt Boldy to find the back of the net and to score Minnesota’s first goal, which he has done eight times this season. Boldy also has points in 10 of his last 14 games. Brock Faber has points in four straight, goals in back-to-back, and three of the last four games. Boldy also has three or more shots on goal in seven of his last eight games. Joel Eriksson-Ek has had two or more shots on goal in eight of his last 11 and eight of his last nine games against Colorado. Kirill Kaprizov has goals in three straight and four of six against Colorado.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Cale Makar Over 2.5 (-138) – .25 units
Ross Colton Over 2.5 SOG (+162) – .25 units
Matt Boldy anytime goal (+180) – .10 units
Matt Boldy 1st Wild goal (+550) – .05 units
Boldy/Eriksson-Ek parlay Over 2.5 SOG (+171) – .15 units
Faber/Boldy point parlay (+254) – .20 units
Kaprizov anytime goal (+125) – .10 units
Faber anytime goal (+700) – .10 units
Montreal Canadiens (12-7-3) at Vegas Golden Knights (10-5-8)
Betting Line: Montreal (+155) at Vegas (-180) – Total 6 (Under, -115)
4 p.m. ET
The Vegas Golden Knights have dropped three straight and now take on a Canadiens team that they have defeated in seven of the last eight meetings. Six of the last eight games have had seven or more goals. Montreal has been cashing tickets on their games going Over the posted total. Thirteen of their last 14 games have cashed the Over.
Both the Habs and Knights have also been great bets to cash the first-period Over 1.5 goals. Montreal is on a 9-3 run. Vegas has gone Over the total in eight of their last 11 first periods. The Canadiens have confirmed that Samuel Montembeault will start against the Golden Knights. As for Vegas, there has been no announcement on who will start today.
On to the player props, the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield has points in five straight and four of the past five games against the Golden Knights. Nick Suzuki has put up points in four of the last five and five of the last six versus the Golden Knights. Noah Dobson has points in four straight. The Knights’ Braeden Bowman has points in five straight and six of the last eight games. Mark Stone made his return to the lineup on Wednesday against Ottawa and scored a power-play goal. Vegas had one of the league’s best power plays with Stone in the lineup and now faces a Canadiens team that ranks 25th on the penalty kill.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Canadiens/Golden Knights 1st period Over 1.5 (-130) – .50 units
Canadiens/Golden Knights Over 5.5 (-130) – 1.5 units
Braeden Bowman anytime goal (+325) – .10 units
Braeden Bowman Over ½ assist (+290) – .10 units
Mark Stone Power Play Point (+200) – .10 units
Ivan Demidov Over ½ point (+120) – .10 units
Noah Dobson Over ½ point (+134) – .10 units
Ivan Barbashev Over ½ point (+121) – .10 units
