NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
New Jersey Devils at Vegas Golden Knights
New Jersey (-105) at Vegas (-115) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
6 p.m. ET
It’s the annual Nevada Day game at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. The Knights are 4-3-1 in these games, and six of the eight games have had a combined six or more goals (five times, 7+ goals). Six of the Devils’ last eight games have had a combined six or more goals, while the Golden Knights, who have played back-to-back Unders, previously had five consecutive games fly Over the total.
Connor Hellebuyck is scheduled to make his second start for the Devils today. Hellebuyck had a low-event game in his Devils debut at Dallas, a 5-1 Jersey win, stopping 17 of 18 shots. In 16 career regular-season starts against the Knights, he has just seven wins (7-5-4) with a 3.09 goals against average. If you include the playoffs, over his last 10 starts he is 1-6-3 with a 3.58 goals against average and an .885 save percentage, giving up 3+ goals in eight of the ten games. New Jersey is coming off a 5-2 loss at Colorado, snapping a four-game win streak. In fairness to the Devils, it was a bad scheduling spot, having played the night before in Dallas and not having at least a day to adjust to the altitude. Vegas is coming off a 4-1 home win versus Ottawa as they put an end to a three-game losing streak. The Knights have won four of the last five head-to-head meetings, and four of the last eight meetings have gone past regulation.
On to the prop plays. The Devils’ Luke Evangelista has points in seven of nine meetings against the Golden Knights (three goals, six assists). He has points in four of his last five overall. On the Vegas side, Mark Stone has had his way with Connor Hellebuyck, scoring six goals in the 11 games versus the netminder. Mitch Marner has picked up an assist in each of his last eight games, two of his last three and seven of his last 10 versus the Devils.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Luke Evangelista anytime goal (+333) – ¼ unit
Luke Evangelista 1+ assist (+165) – ¼ units are
Mark Stone anytime goal (+190) – ¼ unit
Mitch Marner 1+ assist (-113) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights Team Total Over 3 (-120) – 1 unit
Seattle Kraken at Calgary Flames
Seattle (-120) at Calgary (+100) – Total 6 (Over, -140)
8 p.m. ET
This will be the third meeting this season between the two teams, with the Kraken coming away with a pair of 6-1 wins and having now outscored the Flames 21-4 in winning each of the last four meetings. Ten different players (Eberle and Samoskevich) have combined to score the 12 goals versus Calgary this season. Two of those players are Berkly Catton and Shane Wright. Catton has scored in each of Seattle’s last two games, and Wright has three goals on eight shots against Flames starting goalie, Dustin Wolf. With Devin Cooley injured in the loss to Edmonton on Wednesday and placed on injured reserve, Wolf will shoulder the load of games until Cooley returns. He has given up 4+ goals in four of his five starts, and he was touched up for three goals on Wednesday in just two periods after taking over from Cooley.
I kind of buried the lead for this game tonight, and that is for a goal to be scored in the first 10 minutes. Twelve of the 13 Kraken games have seen a goal from either team scored in the opening 10 minutes, and Seattle has scored a goal in the first 10 minutes nine times this season. In fact, the Kraken have led 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes in both games this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Seattle Kraken Team Total Over 3.5 (+120) – 1 unit
Goal 1st 10 mins (-166) – 1.5 units
Seattle Kraken goal 1st 10 mins (+162) – ½ unit
Seattle Kraken 1st period TT Over 1.5 (+162) – ¼ unit
Berkly Catton anytime goal (+425) – ¼ unit
Shane Wright anytime goal (+400) – ¼ unit
Bobby McMann anytime goal (+200) – ¼ unit
