NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Toronto Maple Leafs (9-9-3) at Montreal Canadiens (10-7-3)
Betting Line: Maple Leafs (+115) at Canadiens (-135) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
The Canadiens are desperate to snap a five-game skid (including an ugly 8-4 home loss to Washington) and have dropped seven of their last eight overall. The Habs have given up four or more goals in four of their last five overall. Toronto is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Columbus and has lost six of seven overall. Three of Toronto’s last four games have gone past regulation. The Leafs have won nine of the last 10 against Montreal, including a 5-2 over the Habs in the season opener for both teams. The Canadiens are on an 11-1 run to the full game going Over the total, and the Leafs are on an 11-3 run to the first period Over 1.5 goals.
A couple of Leafs player props. Though he is on the fourth line, Calle Jarnkrok is on the top power play unit. There is great value on both his assist (+240) and goal prop (+400). Forward Nick Robertson produces far better on the road than he does in front of the home crowd. Robertson has three goals in five road games this season, as compared to two goals in 15 home games. Last season, Robertson scored 11 of his 15 goals on the road (31 road games, 38 home games).
On the Montreal side, Josh Anderson scored two goals in three games he has faced the Maple Leafs with Joseph between the pipes. Oliver Kapanen, who scored Montreal’s first goal (shorthanded) against Toronto in their only meeting this season, has opened the scoring for Montreal five times this season (he has seven total goals). Cole Caufield has 10 goals in 17 games against the Maple Leafs
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Leafs/Habs 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-145) – .50 units
Leafs to score 1st goal in regulation (+110) – 1.5 units
Leafs/Habs Over 6.5 (+102) – .50 units
Jarnkrok Over ½ assist (+240) and ATG (+400) – each .10 units
Nick Robertson anytime goal (+340) – .10 units
Josh Anderson anytime goal (+460) – .10 units
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+130) – .10 units
Oliver Kapanen anytime goal (+425) – .10 units (Note: Best price available at DraftKings)
Oliver Kapanen – 1st Montreal goal (+1100) – .05 units
Edmonton Oilers (9-9-5) at Florida Panthers (11-8-1)
Betting Line: Edmonton (+115) at Florida (-135) – Total 5.5 (Over, -135)
7 p.m. ET
This has the potential to be a turnaround game for the Oilers’ season, as they wrap up a disappointing seven-game road trip (2-3-1) in the building where their championship dreams came to an end each of the past two seasons. Edmonton will take a win in any fashion, but it would be nice to see them win in regulation. The Oilers have gone 12 consecutive games without a win in the first sixty minutes, and their four regulation wins this season are tied for the fewest in the league (with Sharks and Predators).
The Panthers have also owned the Oilers in the regular season, winning seven of the last 10 and the under has cashed in eight of the last 10 games (8-1-1). Brad Marchand has goals in seven of his last nine games and in four of his last six games against the Oilers. Seven of Marchand’s 13 goals this season have opened the scoring for Florida. Carter Verhaeghe has also enjoyed success against the Oilers with six goals in nine games.
Two Edmonton player props for me today. Zach Hyman is looking for his first goal of the season. He has six goals in 10 career games against Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrew Mangiapane has three goals in six games against the Edmonton netminder. I like the Oilers to try and make a statement, and I will jump on them to score the first goal of the first period and take Edmonton on the full game money line.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Edmonton Oilers to score 1st goal, 1st period (+145) – .50 units
Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+108) – .50 units
Regulation Draw (+340) – .15 units
Brad Marchand anytime goal (+160) – .10 units
Brad Marchand 1st Fla goal (+550) – .05 units
Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal (+240) – .10 units
Zach Hyman anytime goal (+195) – .10 units
Andrew Mangiapane anytime goal (+650) – .10 units
Ottawa Senators (10-6-4) at San Jose Sharks (10-8-3)
Betting Line: Ottawa (-170) at San Jose (+140) – Total 5.5 (Over, -115)
7 p.m. ET
This game opened with Ottawa as a (-150) favorite and has been bet up to (-170). The Sharks have been one of the best stories in the NHL, led by Macklin Celebrini (13 goals and 31 points), who trails only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon in the points race. I can only bet San Jose at this price, and I am sure that the Celebrini and the other Canadian-born players on San Jose are going to want to make a statement with this game on Hockey Night in Canada. This version of the Sharks is going to have to do what other Sharks teams haven’t done in the past, and that is to defeat Ottawa goalie Linnus Ullmark, who is a perfect 7-0-0 against San Jose.
There are a lot of great props that I want to jump on. On the Ottawa side, Drake Batherson (seven points/eight games vs SJ), Tim Stutzle (14 points eight games vs SJ), and Dylan Cozens (nine points in eight games) have had their way with the Sharks. Former San Jose Shark Fabian Zetterlund plays his first game back in San Jose.
From the San Jose perspective, Macklin Celebrini has scored the first Sharks goal at home in three of the last four games and twice it has been the first goal of the game. Will Smith has points in seven of his last nine games, and two goals and four points in his two career games against the Senators. This will also be Adam Gaudette’s first game against his former Ottawa team. William Eklund has four assists in five games versus Ottawa.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Batherson/Cozens/Stutzle point parlay (+230) – .50 units
Zetterlund anytime goal (+430) – .10 units
Gaudette anytime goal (+500) – .10 units
Celebrini anytime goal (+140) – .10 units
Celebrini 1st home goal (+475) – .05 units
Celebrini 1st goal of the game (+950) – .05 units
W. Smith point/Eklund point (+196) – .25 units
Vegas Golden Knights (10-4-6) at Anaheim Ducks (13-7-1)
Vegas (-140) at Anaheim (+120) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
10 p.m. ET
What a great way to end the day in the NHL. I am so looking forward to being in the building for this game tonight. First place will be on the line as the Ducks have a one-point lead over the VGK, but the Knights have played one less game. These two met in Vegas on November 8 with the Knights rallying for a pair of third-period goals to force overtime before Jacob Trouba scored the game-winner to give the Ducks a 4-3 win. The teams have split the last four meetings in Anaheim, but the Knights have won 12 of 17 at Honda Center.
The Ducks are coming off a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Thursday and have lost four of their last six games. The Knights have won three of their last four and have won two in a row for the first time since their four-game winning streak in mid-October. I am going to continue to ride the red-hot Braeden Bowman of the Golden Knights. Since being recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights, Bowman, who was pointless in his NHL debut, has scored goals in three of his last four games playing on the top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev and the top power play unit. Pavel Dorofeyev leads the team with 11 goals and five times he has scored the Knights’ first goal of the game (4 on the road).
Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke has also done a decent job of providing instant gratification for the Ducks and their fans. Sennecke has seven goals on the season, four of which have opened the scoring for Anaheim, and he has scored the first home goal in two of the last four games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Dorofeyev anytime goal (+170) – .10 units
Bowman anytime goal (+250) – .10 units
Dorofeyev 1st Vegas goal (+600) – .05 units
Sennecke anytime goal (+340) – .10 units
Sennecke 1st Ducks goal (+1000) – .05 units
