NHL Predictions:
A huge 15 game Saturday slate in the NHL that will be capped off with four games starting at 10 p.m. Eastern. For us, it all gets started at 4 p.m. Eastern with Vegas and Edmonton meeting for the third time this season and the Oilers in search of their first victory. Will Edmonton be able to “buck” the system of teams losing their next game after knocking off the Minnesota Wild. We have systems plays also live in Dallas and Calgary among the NHL predictions. Enjoy the night on ice.
Vegas Golden Knights at Edmonton Oilers (-155, 6)
4 p.m. ET
For the second time in 11 days, the Golden Knights and Oilers will take to the ice against each other. Vegas blanked Edmonton 1-0 on December 3 at T-Mobile Arena and has taken both meetings in this battle of Pacific Division rivals.
Both teams are riding four-game win streaks coming into Saturday’s action. The Knights have also won five of their last six and the Oilers have won seven of eight and eight of their last 10. Edmonton is coming off a 7-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Teams who beat the Wild have been hard pressed to follow up a win over Minnesota with a win in their next game. Seven of the nine teams to beat the Wild this season have lost the next time out. After dropping their first four road games, Vegas has won eight of their last 11 games away from T-Mobile. Edmonton could be without the services of defenseman Evan Bouchard today. Bouchard suffered an injury in Thursday’s game following a collision with Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman.
I am going to continue to ride the Pavel Dorofeyev shots on goal prop of Over 2.5. Dorofeyev has cashed in on this total in 12 of his last 16 games and we are still getting this number at plus money. Ivan Barbashev leads Vegas with 14 goals this season and has a goal against the Oilers this season and five in his career. He is just over 3/1 to score a goal today. It’s worth a “pizza money” play.
NHL Predictions: Vegas Golden Knights ML (+125) – 1 unit
Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 SOG (+115) – 1 unit
Ivan Barbashev anytime goal (+310) – ¼ unit
Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets (-190, 6)
7 p.m. ET
The long-rumored trade of Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler became reality on Saturday when they traded the 14-year veteran to the St. Louis Blues for draft picks and prospects. On the ice, it’s been a struggle for Anaheim, losers of five straight and have scored a total of seven goals during the losing streak. It hasn’t been much better for the Blue Jackets who have lost five of their last six and have scored just 13 goals. The lack of production hasn’t affected the scoring prowess of Kent Johnson and Zach Werenski. Johnson has six goals and 15 points in his last eight home games and Werenski has five goals and 11 points over the same stretch of games. Both players teamed up for the Jackets’ only goal in their 2-1 OT loss to Washington on Thursday. I don’t like the price to play each player to record a point, but there is far better value on their goal and assists props, so I will play smaller units on each player to record a goal and an assist.
Sticking with prop plays, Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano leads the Ducks in shots on goal (93) and has had four shots on goal or more in six of his last nine games. Vatrano plays on the Ducks top line and number one power play unit. Defenseman Olen Zellweger was a surprise scratch against the Maple Leafs earlier this week. Because of that there is not a number available for his shots on goal prop yet. If Zellweger draws back in and you can get him at Over 2.5 SOG at plus money, I will jump on it.
One final note, thanks to Ian Cameron (@bobanobets) for pointing out that Columbus has gone Over the total after going Under in their previous games.
NHL Predictions: Frank Vatrano Over 3.5 SOG (+115) – 1 unit
Kent Johnson anytime goal (+215) – ½ unit
Kent Johnson Over ½ assist (+135) – ½ unit
Zach Werenski anytime goal (+320) – ½ unit
Zach Werenski Over ½ assist (-130) – ½ unit
Anaheim/Columbus Over 6 (-120) -1 unit
Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals (-185, 6)
7 p.m. ET
The Sabres are amid an eight-game losing streak and will try and avoid their ninth consecutive loss tonight in Washington when they face the Capitals. Five of Buffalo’s losses have been by one goal and three have come in games that have come in either overtime or a shootout. Trying to avoid a ninth straight loss won’t be easy. The Caps own the best record in the Eastern Conference and are second overall in the league standings. Washington has won three straight and seven of their last eight and are seeking their third win streak of at least four games.
This is the first meeting this season between the two teams. Eight of the last 10 meetings have gone Over the total (1 push). The previous five meetings have had a combined 7,9,11,9 and 7 goals. The Sabres have won the last two match ups between the two and four of the last six.
This could be a flat spot for Washington who return home from a three-game road trip, play at home today, before heading out on the road for games against Dallas, Chicago and Carolina. Five of the last eight meetings between the two have gone
NHL Predictions: Sabres/Capitals Over 6 (-120) – 1 unit
Sabres/Capitals 1st period Over 1.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Sabres ML (+155) – ½ unit
Sabres/Caps Regulation Draw (+360) – ¼ unit
St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (-240, 6)
8 p.m. ET
The St. Louis Blues are coming off a 4-3 home loss at the hands of the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The Blues looked a little flat after a successful four game road trip (3-1) and may have had some lingering effects from a night out following their win over Vancouver to close out the trip. San Jose has now won four of six over St. Louis.
Dallas is coming off a 4-1 home loss to Nashville on Thursday as the Preds snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Stars will look to avoid back-to-back losses for a fourth time this season. History tells us that low scoring games have been commonplace between these two teams. Eight of the last 10 have gone under the total including five straight at Dallas. The Blues are 5-2-1 under head coach, Jim Montgomery and have won five of their last six games as a road underdog. I will also throw in a couple of goal props for the Blues. Three of the last four meetings have needed extra time and the last two in Dallas.
NHL Predictions: Blues/Stars Under 6 (-110) – 1 unit
Blues ML (+195) – ½ unit
Regulation Draw (+360) – ¼ unit
Dylan Holloway anytime goal (+340) – ¼ unit
Zach Bolduc anytime goal (+550) – ¼ unit
Pierre Olivier Joseph (+1200) – ¼ unit
Florida Panthers (-195, 5.5) at Calgary Flames
10 p.m. ET
Florida was blanked by Vancouver on Thursday so that triggered our system play of playing the first period Over 1.5 and Goal in the 1st 10 minutes. For the season, the first period Over 1.5 has cashed in 32 of 51 and a Goal in the 1st 10 is 35-16. Florida is on an 11-3 run to the first period Over 1.5 and have cashed a goal in the first ten minutes in nine of their last 11 games.
I firmly believe the Flames bubble has burst, and we are seeing the time that I bet (-400) to miss the playoffs. The Flames have lost seven of their last nine games and have given up four goals or more in six of the seven losses. The Panthers have scored four goals or more in 15 of their last 18 wins this season.
NHL Predictions: Panthers/Flames Goal 1st 10 (-140) – 1 unit
Panthers/Flames 1st period Over 1.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Panthers TT over 3.5 (+100) – 1 unit
Best of the Rest:
Patrick Laine anytime goal (+265) – ¼ unit
Lane Hutson Over ½ assist (+145) – 1 unit
Bruins/Canucks 1st period Over 1.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Oliver Bjorkstrand anytime goal (+280) – ¼ unit
Vince Dunn Over ½ assist (+135) – ½ unit
