NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Columbus Blue Jackets (11-9-5) at New Jersey Devils (16-8-1)
Betting Line: Blue Jackets (+120) at Devils (-145) – Total 6 (Over, -115)
7 p.m. ET
The Blue Jackets have come into New Jersey having lost four straight and five of their last six games. Not being able to protect leads, like in their most recent loss to Pittsburgh, has been happening way too much. The Jackets finished November with just five wins in 15 games (5-5-5) and only two regulation wins. Six of their last eight games have gone past sixty minutes.
New Jersey is coming off their first home loss in regulation, losing to the Flyers for the second time this season. The Devils won the lone meeting against Columbus when they defeated the Jackets, 3-2, on October 13. New Jersey has now won the last three meetings and eight of 10 versus Columbus. I am going to pass on the side and total in this contest.
I expect Jet Greaves to get the start for Columbus, and he had all five Columbus wins in the month of November. Greaves has lost both his starts against New Jersey in his career, giving up just four goals in the two defeats. Two of those four goals have come off the stick of the Devils’ Timo Meier. Meier (four goals, three assists) and Nico Hischier (five goals, five assists) are on five-game point streaks. Meier has nine goals this season, and six have been both New Jersey’s and the game’s first goal. Meier has also scored the game’s first goal against Columbus in each of the last two meetings and has seven goals in his last nine games versus the Jackets.
I have two players, one from each team, that I will target for a shots on goal prop. The Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan has cleared two shots on goal in five of his last six games, and Dawson Mercer has cashed his Over shots on goal (1.5) in three straight and seven of the last nine. I will parlay the two to get “plus money.” Monahan has also put up some good point numbers against the Devils (25 points/21 games) in his career. I will also put together a point parlay with Monahan and Zach Werenski (points in back-to-back and five of the last seven games). The two play together on the Jackets’ top power play unit.
One late addition to the Devils’ lineup for tonight is defenseman Dennis Cholowski. Not a household name to most, but check your sportsbooks for available props for Cholowski, who has seven points in nine games (two goals, five assists) versus Columbus.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Monahan/Werenski point parlay (+129) – .50 units
Monahan/Mercer Over 1.5 SOG parlay (+134) – .50 units
Timo Meier anytime goal (+155) – .25 units
Timo Meier first goal of the game (+1000) – .05 units
Timo Meier first New Jersey goal of the game (+550) – .05 units
Regulation Draw (+340) – .10 units
Pittsburgh Penguins (12-7-5) at Philadelphia Flyers (14-7-3)
Betting Line: Penguins (-135) at Flyers (+115) – Total 5.5 (Over, -130)
7 p.m. ET
It’s round two of the Battle of Pennsylvania, with the Flyers taking round one with a 3-2 shootout win back on October 28. The Flyers currently sit in Wild Card One, and the Penguins are just two points behind in the second Wild Card spot. The Penguins were manhandled on Saturday night by the Maple Leafs, 7-2, and the Flyers handed New Jersey their first home regulation loss on Saturday with a 5-3 win over the Devils.
The Flyers have won three straight, five of six and six of the last eight games. Dan Vladar will get the start tonight, and why not? He has won each of his last four starts and has given up three goals or fewer in 12 of his 15 starts this season and two goals or fewer in 10 of those starts.
In addition to Sidney Crosby (135 pts in 91 games versus the Flyers), Blake Lizzote has had his way with Vladar in limited action. The diminutive center has two goals in three games on four shots against the Flyers’ netminder. Crosby scored goals in each of the Penguins’ last two games. He has scored the Pens’ first goal of the game in two of the last four games and six times this season. He struck first for Pittsburgh in four of their 12 road games. Crosby has also cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in three straight and four of five and in eight of his last 11 against the Flyers. Erik Karlsson is second on the Penguins with 14 assists and does have 24 assists in 41 games against the Flyers.
On the Flyers’ side, Noah Cates has 10 points in 10 games versus the Flyers and points in four of the five meetings between the two teams. Trevor Zegras has points in six of his last nine games against the Pens. Tyson Foerster has goals (five) in four of his last six games and three goals in three games against Pittsburgh starting goalie Tristan Jarry.
The past two meetings between the two teams have gone past regulation. The Penguins have gone to overtime in four of their last nine games. The Flyers have gone past 60 minutes in five of their last 10 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Sidney Crosby anytime goal (+180) – .15 units
Sidney Crosby first Pens goal of the game (+500) – .05
Sidney Crosby Over 2.5 SOG (+115) – .50 units
Blake Lizotte anytime goal (+800) – .05 units
Erik Karlsson Over ½ assist (+150) – .10 units
Zegras/Cates point parlay (+167) – .25 units
Tyson Foerster anytime goal (+215) – .10 units
Matvei Michkov Over ½ point (+110) – .15 units
Regulation Draw (+330) – .10 units
Anaheim Ducks (15-9-1) at St. Louis Blues (9-10-7)
Betting Line: Ducks (-150) at Blues (+125) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
8 p.m. ET
The Blues have won 10 straight over Anaheim, scoring four goals or more in five straight and six of the last seven contests. The last four meetings and six of the last seven games have flown Over the total of six goals (9,7,8,11 goals), and six of the seven have had a combined six goals or more.
With Lukas Dostal already on injured reserve and Petr Mrazek having to leave with an injury in Sunday’s loss to Chicago and replaced by former Blues goalie, Ville Husso. Husso is likely to get the start tonight. Jordan Binnington will start for St. Louis.
Tonight’s game is filled with some excellent prop options. The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke has assists in four straight and seven of his last nine games. Nikita Nesterenko has four goals in four games against the Blues and three goals in three games against Binnington. Troy Terry has assists in seven straight. Leo Carlsson has points in six consecutive games. I am going to come back with the same parlay that cashed for us yesterday: Terry assist with a Carlsson point.
A couple of Blues player props. Dylan Holloway has seven goals on the season, with six of his goals being not only the Blues’ first goal of the game, but the first goal of the game overall. He has scored the Blues’ first home goal in three of the last six and four of the last eight games. Pavel Buchnevich has 17 points in 19 games against the Ducks. Jordan Kyrou has points in four consecutive games versus Anaheim. Blues’ captain Brayden Schenn has points in eight of his last nine games versus Anaheim, while Justin Faulk has points in seven of eight games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Beckett Senecke Over ½ assist (+172) – .20 units
Nikita Nesterenko (+850) – .10 units
Troy Terry Over ½ assist/Leo Carlsson Over ½ point (+124) – .20 units
Dylan Holloway anytime goal (+230) – .15 units
Dylan Holloway first goal of the game (+1600) – .05 units
Dylan Holloway Blues first goal of the game (+800) – .05 units
Buchnevich/Kyrou point parlay (+153) – .20 units
