NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
St. Louis Blues (3-4-1) at Pittsburgh Penguins (6-2-1)
Betting Line: (Blues -120, 6), NHL Network
7 p.m. ET
The Penguins are likely to face a frustrated and angry St. Louis Blues team that has dropped their last three games. That includes a 6-4 loss on Saturday to the Detroit Red Wings in a game they led 4-0. St. Louis has surrendered 13 goals in their last two games. The Blues not only lost the game but could be without the services of Robert Thomas, who suffered an upper-body injury in the loss to Detroit.
Pittsburgh had their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, in a 5-4 shootout loss to Columbus. The injury bug hit the Penguins as well, with Rickard Rakell suffering a hand injury that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. With the loss of Rakell, 22-year-old rookie Filip Hallander slots in on the top line. Last season, Hallander scored 27 goals in the Swedish league. The Blues could be just what Pittsburgh needs to get back in the win column. The Pens have won five straight over St. Louis on home ice.
Both teams have players on six-game point streaks. The Blues’ Jordan Kyrou has two goals and four assists, along with a power play point in three straight games. His teammate, Pavel Buchnevich, has picked up power play points in back-to-back games, while Dylan Holloway has assists in two straight games. Jake Neighbours has three goals in his four games he has faced the Penguins, with all three goals coming against Pens goalie Tristan Jarry. He leads the Blues this season with six goals.
The Penguins’ Geno Malkin has two goals and seven assists on his six-game point streak. Malkin is coming off consecutive multi-point games and has registered two points or more five times this season. He has picked up an assist in four straight games. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has an assist in two straight games. Bryan Rust, who plays on the Penguins’ top line, has seven goals in 13 games versus the Blues. Joel Hofer gets the start tonight for St. Louis. He was pulled in his last start after giving up three goals on six shots to Utah and has given up 10 goals on 28 shots in his last two starts combined. He has faced the Penguins twice in his career and has a win and a loss with a 3.20 goals against average.
Early goals have been a trademark of all four Pittsburgh home games and two of the three St. Louis games on the road this season. I am going to parlay a goal in the first 10 minutes of this game with the Bruins at Senators game (see below)
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Bryan Rust anytime goal (+195) – .10 units
Jake Neighbours anytime goal (+260) – .10 units
Filip Hallander anytime goal (+490) – .10 units
Geno Malkin assist (+122) – .10 units
Penguins Team Total Over 3 (-115) – .75 units
Boston Bruins (4-6-0) at Ottawa Senators (4-4-1)
Betting Line: (Ottawa -180,5.5), Amazon Prime Canada
7:30 p.m. ET
The Boston Bruins are coming off a 3-2 win over Colorado on Saturday, snapping a six-game losing streak. They now face a Senators team that is coming off back-to-back wins, holding both the Flyers and Capitals to one goal each. Ottawa won three of the last four meetings last season and four of the last five overall. The Bruins have given up four goals or more in five of their six losses.
David Pastrnak has assists in three straight games, while his linemate Morgan Geekie has goals in three straight (four total). Geekie has cashed his shots on goal prop of Over 1.5 in all three of the games. Pavel Zacha has cashed his Over 1.5 shots on goal in each of the last three as well.
The Sens are coming off a 7-1 pounding of the Washington Capitals on Saturday that included Shane Pinto’s eighth goal of the season (tied for the league lead). Pinto has also cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in each of the last two games. At +142, he gives us great value.
The last seven Boston Bruins have had a goal scored in the first 10 minutes of the opening period.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Boston Bruins/Ottawa Senators GIFT/St. Louis Blues/Pittsburgh Penguins GIFT parlay (+160) – .50 units
Shane Pinto Over 2.5 shots on goal (+142) – .50 units
Shane Pinto anytime goal (+195) – .15 units
Pavel Zacha Over 1.5 shots on goal (+102) – .20 units
David Pastrnak/Morgan Geekie Over ½ point parlay (-116) – .50 units
