NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Florida Panthers (16-13-12) at Tampa Bay Lightning (18-11-3)
Panthers (+110) at Lightning (-130) – Total 5.5 (Over, -130)
7 p.m. ET
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers sit mid-pack in the division but are heating up, winning four of their last five (including a 4-0 shutout over Dallas). Brad Marchand (34 points) and Sam Reinhart drive the attack.
The Lightning return home from a four-game road trip that opened and closed with losses, sandwiched between a pair of wins. Already without Victor Hedman, Eric Cernak and Ryan McDonagh, the blueline took another blow with Emil Lilleberg suffering an injury to the Islanders on Saturday. That means even more Darren Raddysh, who has goals in three consecutive games. Brayden Point has 17 goals in 25 games against Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and Jake Guentzel has 22 points in 23 games versus the Panthers. With Andrei Vasileskiy still unavailable, Jonas Johansson will continue to shoulder the number one goaltending duties.
The Cats’ Carter Verhaeghe has three goals in three games versus Jonas Johansson, and Sam Bennett has scored twice in three games against the Tampa netminder. Brad Marchand’s thirty-four points lead the Panthers in scoring, and he has averaged almost a point a game against the Lightning in his career, with 48 points in 52 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Point anytime goal (+195) – .20 units
Darren Raddysh anytime goal (+700) – .20 units
Sam Bennett anytime goal (+220) – .20 units
Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal (+240) – .20 units
Verhaeghe/Marchand point parlay (+183) – .50 units
Point/Guentzel point parlay (+161) – .50 units
Anaheim Ducks (19-12-1) at New York Rangers (16-13-4)
Ducks (+100) at Rangers (-120) – Total 6.5 (Under, -125)
7 p.m. ET
It will be a special night tonight at MSG with the return of two former Rangers players. Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba will be playing their first game at Madison Square Garden since joining the Anaheim Ducks. Maybe Kreider and Trouba can be what Anaheim needs to snap a 10-game losing streak at MSG. After opening the road trip with a miracle 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim dropped back-to-back games to the Islanders and Devils by a combined score of 9-3.
Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday. The Rangers are 4-1 on the front end of back-to-backs this season (0-5 on the second half). The Ducks have won two of three games on the front end of back-to-backs. The goaltending matchup tonight will have Lukas Dostal for the Ducks and Igor Shesterkin for the Rangers. Shesterkin has won two of the three games that he has faced the Ducks in his career, but he does have a 3.65 goals against average versus Anaheim.
Anaheim’s Troy Terry has goals in three consecutive games, and I look for a big night for the Ducks’ top line of Terry, Kreider and Leo Carlsson. With Rangers coach Mike Sullivan healthy-scratching Mika Zibanejad (late for a team meeting) tonight, it’s unclear who will center the top line. I was going to “stack” Zibanejad with Artemi Panarin for a point prop parlay. Instead, I will replace Zibanejad with JT Miller. While they don’t play together five on five, they do play together on the top power play unit, and both have had success against the Ducks. Miller has four goals in six games versus Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Ducks Team Total Over 3 (-115) – 1 unit
Chris Kreider anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Kreider/Terry/Carlsson point parlay (+346) – .50 units
Troy Terry anytime goal (+270) – .10 units
JT Miller anytime goal (+240) – .10 units
Miller point/Panarin assist (+222) – .50 units
