NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
New York Islanders (27-19-5) at Philadelphia Flyers (24-17-9)
Islanders (+100) at Flyers (-120) – Over 5.5 (-130)
7 p.m. ET
The Islanders enter tonight’s game off back-to-back losses, scoring a combined one goal in the two games. Isles head coach Patrick Roy benched his top line (Lee, Barzal and Duclair) in the third period of Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Buffalo, clearly sending a message that he holds all players accountable, no matter where they are on the depth chart.
The Flyers have lost seven of their last nine games but have won two of their last three with wins over Colorado and Vegas. The win at Colorado was just the Avs’ second home loss this season in regulation. Philly has won both meetings this season, both times 4-3 in a shootout. In fact, the last three meetings between the two teams have all ended with the Flyers winning 4-3 in a shootout.
I believe we get a pissed-off Islanders team tonight and a Flyers team that could be a little overconfident after knocking off two Western Conference heavyweights. I like the Islanders to score the first goal of the first period. With that, I will be on Anthony Duclair to score that goal. Frequent readers of the column will know that this is not the first time I have been on Duclair to score the Islanders’ first goal of the game (not the game’s first goal). Duclair has scored New York’s first goal in four of the last six games. FanDuel Sportsbook allows you to wager on the home and road team’s first goal scorer.
The Flyers have been brutal on the penalty kill of late, giving up 10 power play goals in their last seven games. Dan Vladar is still not ready to go. That means Samuel Ersson once again will be the starting goalie. Ersson is making his fourth consecutive start, fifth in the last six games, and is appearing in his seventh straight game (two relief appearances). Eleven of the Flyers’ last 12 games have had a combined six goals or more.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Islanders 1st goal/1st period (+140) – .50 units
New York Islanders to score the first goal of the game (-105) – .50
Over 5.5 (-135) – 1.50 units
New York Islanders Over ½ power play goal (-105) – 1 unit
Anthony Duclair to score Isles 1st goal (+900) – .05
Anthony Duclair anytime goal (+310) – .10
Anthony Duclair Over ½ assist (+250) – .10
Jonathan Drouin Over ½ point (+130) – .20
Calum Ritchie anytime goal (+575) – .05
Regulation Draw (+300) – .05
Jonathan Drouin Over ½ power play point (+520) – .05
Calum Ritchie Over ½ power play point (+550) – .05
Anthony Duclair Over ½ power play point (+625) – .05
Utah Mammoth (27-20-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (32-14-4)
Mammoth (+135) at Lightning (-155) – Total 6 (Over, -118)
7 p.m. ET
The Utah Mammoth will put their five-game winning streak on the line when they visit Tampa tonight. The Lightning are coming off an 8-5 loss over the weekend to the Columbus Blue Jackets, losing for the first time in regulation since December 18 (2-1 at home to LA). During their 15-game run prior to the loss, Tampa earned 29 out of a possible 30 points.
That being said, I like this spot for Utah as the Lightning are down four of their top six defensemen. Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev has been a favorite shots on goal wager of this column in home games as opposed to road games, but with Sergachev facing the team that drafted him and that he started his career with, I will grab his shots on goal prop tonight. Tampa’s Jake Guentzel has six goals in six games versus Mammoth goalie Karl Vejmelka.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Utah Mammoth Money Line (+135) – .50
Utah/Tampa Over 6 (-118) – .50
Mikhail Sergachev Over 1.5 shots on goal (-110) – 1 unit
Jake Guentzel anytime goal (+160) – .10
