NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Saturday, January 4:
Here are today’s NHL predictions:
Detroit Red Wings at Winnipeg Jets (-220, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Jets have won the last four meetings between the two teams and have scored four or more goals in each of the wins, including a 6-2 thumping back in October. After losing their first game under new head coach Todd McLellan, Detroit has rattled off three wins in a row, scoring four goals or more in each of the three victories. Prior to McLellan taking over, the Red Wings had scored four goals only seven times in their previous 13 victories. Patrick Kane, for one, has enjoyed the coaching change. After scoring just five goals in 29 games, Kane has scored goals in three consecutive games for Detroit. Kane has six career goals against Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. Alex DeBrincat is also on a bit of a run with six points in his last three games to help lead Detroit on this current three-game winning streak. All four games under McLellan have had at least two goals scored (combined by the two teams).
Winnipeg has dropped back-to-back games and have not lost three consecutive games since a four-game losing streak at the end of November. The Jets’ Kyle Connor has points in 12 of his last 14 games (9 goals, 23 points), while Gabe Vilardi is riding a five-game point streak with four goals and eight points. Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk has two goals in three games versus projected Detroit starting goalie Alex Lyon.
NHL Predictions: Detroit Red Wings/Winnipeg Jets 1st period Over 1.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Detroit Red Wings/Winnipeg Jets Over 5.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Neal Pionk anytime goal (+750) – ¼ unit
Kyle Connor anytime goal (+115) – ¼ unit
Gabe Vilardi anytime goal (+175) – ¼ unit
Patrick Kane anytime goal (+340) – ¼ unit
Jonathan Berggren anytime goal (+550) – ¼ unit
Alex DeBrincat anytime goal (+265) – ¼ unit
St. Louis Blues at Columbus Blue Jackets (-120, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Blues are fresh off shutting out the Ottawa Senators, 4-0 on Friday night, thanks to a Brandon Saad hat trick and Jordan Binnington turning back all 20 shots that came his way. I would expect Joel Hofer to get the start tonight for the Blues. He has faced the Jackets one time in his career, giving up four goals on 17 shots.
The Jackets are coming off a 5-4 loss at home to Detroit on Thursday and are (1-3) this season in the role as the home betting favorite as compared to (7-7) as a home underdog. The Jackets are 15-5 at home to the first period Over 1.5 goals and 26-12-1 to the full game, going Over the total (home/road combined). If you do like Columbus as the “side” in this game, I advise playing their TT Over 3.5 (+115). In all 16 of their wins this season the Blue Jackets have scored four or more goals.
Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski is riding a 14-game home point streak (nine goals, 19 assists) and has been taking target practice at goalies of late, both at home and on the road. In his last 11 games, he has 8,11,4,6,7,2,1,2,3,7 and 6 shots on goal.
NHL Predictions: St. Louis Blues/Columbus Blue Jackets 1st period Over 1.5 (-140) – 1.5 units
St. Louis Blues/Columbus Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (+110) – 1 unit
Columbus Blue Jackets TT over 3.5 (+115) – 1 unit
Zach Werenski anytime goal (+330) – ¼ unit
Zach Werenski Over ½ assist (-148) – ¼ unit
Zach Werenski Over 3.5 SOG (+100) – 1 unit
Zach Werenski Over 4.5 SOG (+220) – ¼ unit
Montreal Canadiens at Colorado Avalanche (-290, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Canadiens are in that unenviable situation of having to play the second half of a back-to-back with no day to adjust to the high altitude in Colorado. Montreal is coming off a 4-2 loss on Friday in Chicago and with Samuel Montembeault getting the start in Chicago, the expectation would be that Jakub Dobes will make his second career NHL start tonight when the Canadiens take the ice against the Avalanche. Dobes had an impressive NHL debut, blanking the Florida Panthers, stopping all 34 shots that came his way. Last night’s loss for the Canadiens snapped a three-game winning streak. The Habs’ Emil Heineman has goals in back-to-back games and could be the next Jake Evans. Evans recently had a five-game goal streak, and we are getting him at (+700 or more) to score a goal throughout the streak. We are seeing those same odds with Heineman for tonight.
On the road this season, Montreal has had a first period lead just one time in 18 games. Like last night in Chicago, they have finished on even terms seven times and have trailed 10 times. Multiple goals in the opening 20 minutes of Canadiens games have been a trend that has been our friend. Courtesy of @PsuOtto, the Habs have cashed the first period Over 1.5 goals in 10 of their last 12 games overall and 12 of their 18 road games.
The Avalanche have hit their stride of late winners six straight and ten of their last 12 games. A lot of that can be attributed to the line from former NHL head coach Alain Vigneault, “my goalie is better than yours; I win. Your goalie is better than mine; you win.” Their new tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood have been instrumental in the Avs turnaround.
Up front, Mikko Rantanen has been on a tear for Colorado with seven goals and 21 points on his current 12-game point streak. Rantanen has six goals in 13 career games versus Montreal. Artturi Lehkonen, who is playing on the top line with Rantanen and MacKinnon has goals in three straight games.
NHL Predictions: Colorado Avalanche 1st period (-1/2 goal) +100 – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche -1.5 goals (full game) -125 – 1 unit
Emil Heineman anytime goal (+700) – ¼ unit
Artturi Lehkonen anytime goal (+185) – ¼ unit
Mikko Rantanen anytime goal (+110) – ¼ unit
Buffalo Sabres at Vegas Golden Knights (-198. 6.5)
10 p.m. ET
Games between the Buffalo Sabres and the Vegas Golden Knights have taken on an entirely new meaning since Jack Eichel was traded from Buffalo to Vegas in 2021. Saturday marks the fourth time Eichel has faced his former team, and the Knights have lost two of three to the Sabres with Jack in the lineup. There is no doubt that Jack Eichel will have “money on the board” to further incentivize his teammates to defeat the Sabres.
Eichel had a hat trick (and an assist) in a 7-4 win. In all, Eichel has four goals and an assist in his three games against the Sabres. With or without Eichel in the lineup, the Sabres have had the better of the Golden Knights, winning the last three meetings and four of the last five, holding Vegas to two goals or less in each of the losses.
Buffalo is coming off a brutal loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The Sabres had leads of 3-0 and 4-1 (in the third period) before Jonathan Drouin tied the game in the dying seconds and Devon Toews won it in overtime. It was the second time this season the Sabres blew multiple three goal leads in a game to the Avalanche. Buffalo has now dropped back-to-back games after winning three straight.
The Golden Knights have won seven of their last eight games and own the league’s best record. They have given up two goals or less in each of the seven wins and have won four of their last five games by 3+ goals. Vegas has won 15 of their 16 home games in regulation.
Early goals have been the trend in Sabres games of late. Ten of the last twelve Buffalo games have featured a goal in the first 10 minutes, and the first period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in eight of the last 10 games.
NHL Predictions: Buffalo Sabres/Vegas Golden Knights Goal in the 1st 10 mins (-160) – 1 unit
Buffalo Sabres/Vegas Golden Knights 1st period Over 1.5 (-140) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights in Regulation (-135) – 2 units
Jack Eichel anytime goal (+140) – ¼ unit
If Reimer starts for Buffalo: Dorofeyev anytime goal (+235) – ¼ unit
Jason Zucker anytime goal (+300) – ¼ unit
Alex Tuch anytime goal (+300) – ¼ unit
Nashville Predators (-112, 5.5) at Calgary Flames
10 p.m. ET
The Nashville Predators are fresh off shutting out the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, 3-0. They now face the Flames on the second half of a back-to-back. Nashville is just (1-5) on the back end of back-to-backs this season, with one of those losses coming in Calgary to the Flames by a score of 2-0. The Flames also defeated Nashville 4-3 in Nashville on December 10. Keep an eye on the money line for this game. As of 11 a.m. ET, most legal betting sites had this game at (-110) for both teams, though I did see that Fan Duel has the Predators as a (-120) road favorite. Calgary has just six wins in 13 games at home as the betting underdog (6-7) but are (7-1) as the home favorite.
NHL Prediction: Calgary Flames ML (-108) – 1 unit
