NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Pittsburgh Penguins (14-10-9) at Montreal Canadiens (18-12-4)
Penguins (+110) at Canadiens (-135) – Total 6.5 (-110)
7 p.m. ET
This is the front end of a home-and-home between the Penguins and Canadiens. The Penguins have lost seven straight and given up four goals or more in each of the last six games. The Canadiens have scored three goals or more in three of their last four games. The goaltending matchup is Stuart Skinner for Pittsburgh and Jacob Fowler for the Habs. Fowler made his NHL debut 11 days ago in Pittsburgh, defeating the Penguins 4-2.
One of the big story lines tonight is Sidney Crosby needing two points to pass Mario Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer. Losing six straight has led to the Penguins shaking up the lines. Tommy Novak slides back to the top line with Crosby and Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell is now the second line center. I posted earlier, playing both a Novak assist and point. Both props are great value. Erik Karlsson has 43 points in 52 games against Montreal.
A couple of Montreal props. Zach Bolduc and Alexandre Texier have both opened the scoring twice for Montreal in the past five games. Juraj Slafkovsky has five points in eight games versus Pittsburgh.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Over 1.5/Full game Over 5.5 (+115) – 1.5 units (at BetMGM)
Sidney Crosby Over 1.5 points (+230) – .25 units
Tommy Novak Over ½ assist (+310) – .20 units
Tommy Novak anytime goal (+420) – .10 units
Alexandre Texier anytime goal (+525) – .10 units
Alexandre Texier 1st Montreal goal (+1800) – .05 units
Zach Bolduc anytime goal (+270) – .10 units
Zach Bolduc 1st Montreal goal (+1000) – .05 units
Juraj Slafkovsky Over ½ point (-105) – .25 units
Crosby point/Rust point/Karlsson assist (+200) – .25 units
Seattle Kraken (12-14-6) at San Jose Sharks (17-15-3)
Kraken (-105) at Sharks (-115) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
10 p.m. ET
The San Jose Sharks find themselves as the betting favorite for the first time this season. They host the Seattle Kraken, who have dropped four straight and ten of their last 11 games and given up four goals or more in seven of their last nine games. The Sharks saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Thursday in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, but they have won four of their last six games.
Macklin Celebrini continues to make his case on why he should be named to Canada’s Olympic team. The 19-year-old is third in the league in scoring behind Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Celebrini is currently riding a three-game multi-point streak (nine points). Collin Graf, who plays alongside Celebrini on the top line and centers the second power play unit, is coming off a two-goal game and has five goals in his last seven games.
San Jose’s last three games have had a combined 8, 9 and 11 goals, and that fits in with the Kraken games of late going Over the full game total. Sharks’ defenseman John Klingberg has three goals in his last four games and four goals in his last six games. Seattle’s Chandler Stephenson has goals in each of the Kraken’s last three games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6 (-120) – 1 unit
Sharks Money Line (-115) – 1 unit
Macklin Celebrini anytime goal (+125) – .25 units
Macklin Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal (+130) – .50 units
Macklin Celebrini Over 1.5 points (+130) – .20 units
Collin Graf Over ½ assist (+215) – .25 units
Collin Graf anytime goal (+280) – .25 units
Chandler Stephenson anytime goal (+250) – .10 units
