NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Philadelphia Flyers (+115) at Pittsburgh Penguins (-140)
Total 5.5 (Over, -120)
Flyers lead series 3-1
7 p.m. ET
The adage that the fourth win is the toughest was true on Saturday for the Flyers as Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are not ready to end the season. Crosby, who has more career playoff points (16 goals, 39 points) versus the Flyers than any other NHL player, had a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory and now the series shifts back to Pittsburgh, where the Pens should get a boost from the home crowd. Crosby also leads the Pens in the series with 13 shots on goal and has had three shots on goal or more in all four games. The Pens made one significant change to their lineup in game four and that was turning to Arturs Silovs in goal after Stuart Skinner started the first three games. Silovs turned back 28 of 30 shots in the win as the series now shifts back to “steel town.”
For Philadelphia, they won’t likely be intimidated by the Penguins faithful, already having won the opening two games of the series in enemy territory. I am passing on both the side and the total in this game. We have had two games go Over the total and two games go under in the series. I have the Flyers “in-pocket” to win the series (+140), so no need for me to bet on Philadelphia. If you believe the Penguins are going to win, then I would play their team total (Over 3.5, +120). In their victory on Saturday, the Penguins scored four goals, and when you include their regular season wins, it’s now 39 of their 42 wins this season, Pittsburgh has scored four goals or more.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Crosby 3+ SOG/Martone Over 2+ SOG (-117) – 1 unit
Sidney Crosby anytime goal (+190) – 1/2 unit
Philadelphia Flyers empty net goal (+350) – ½ unit
Pittsburgh Penguins empty net goal (+260) – ½ unit
Vegas Golden Knights (-120) at Utah Mammoth (+100)
Total 6 (Under, -120)
Mammoth lead series 2-1
9:30 p.m. ET
The Utah Mammoth scored four unanswered goals to kick off their first-ever home playoff game in franchise history and hung on for a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights last Friday night. Utah will look to take a commanding three-to-one series lead on Monday as the Golden Knights have put their forward lines in a blender in hopes of trying to come up with a way to slow the high-flying Mammoth down and get this series back to even and knot the series up at 2-2. Vegas scored eight goals in the series and five of the goals came from their top line of Jack Eichel (one), Mark Stone (two) and Ivan Barbashev.
Head coach John Tortorella has slid Stone down the second line with Mitch Marner, who has two assists through three games, and Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK’s only player to crack the 30-goal mark this season with 37, has been bumped to the top line. His goal prop (+230) and assist prop (+200) offer good value. I will split a unit on both the goal and assist as opposed to playing Dorofeyev to register a point (-110). Mark Stone was held without a goal in game three, does have six goals in his last nine games overall and five goals in his last eight games versus Utah goalie Karl Vejmelka. There is talk that Braeden Bowman, who scored 12 goals in 58 games this season, may find himself in the lineup in hopes of jump-starting the offense.
Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther continue to lead the way for the Mammoth, each scoring a pair of goals in the series and each has an assist. Cooley has six goals in the six games he has faced the Knights this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal (+230) – ½ unit
Pavel Dorofeyev Over ½ assist (+200) – ½ unit
Mark Stone anytime goal (+220) – ½ unit
Cooley/Guenther point parlay (+109) – ½ unit
Logan Cooley anytime goal (+200) – ½ unit
