NHL Predictions – Saturday, November 9:
The 12-game NHL menu board today features a couple of specials. The 12-1 Winnipeg Jets will look to make it a baker’s dozen victories when they travel to Dallas. The Carolina Hurricanes look to extend the league’s longest current win streak to nine as they go to the Mile High City to take on the Colorado Avalanche. Money will be on board in both locker rooms when Ottawa visits Boston. It will be the first time that Linus Ullmark will go up against Jeremy Swayman. On to my NHL predictions.
Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers (-250; 6.5)
6:00 p.m. ET
The Philadelphia Flyers will look for a two-game sweep of the Florida teams as they wrap up their three-game road trip on Saturday when they face the defending Stanley Cup Champion, Florida Panthers.
Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov stopped 22 of 23 shots as the Flyers shocked the Lightning Thursday, 2-1, in a shootout. It was just the second time in seven career starts that Fedotov had given up fewer than four goals in a game. The Flyers have scored two goals or less in four of their last five games but somehow have managed to come away with three wins. If history between the two teams has any relevance, then the Flyers could be worth backing. Philadelphia has won four of the last five meetings including a pair of 2-1 victories last season at Florida.
A victory on Saturday against a Florida team that has won six consecutive games will require Philadelphia to play one of its best games of the season. The Panthers have scored four goals or more in all but one of the six wins (3-1 at Rangers), given up two goals or less in four of the six wins and won all six games by two goals or more. And as home favorite (-200+), the Panthers fit arguably the most profitable NHL trend of the season. Home favorites (-200+) coming off a win are 16-1 this season, have covered the Puck Line in 11 straight and scored four goals or more 16 times.
NHL Predictions: Florida Panthers in Regulation (-155) – 1 unit
Florida Panthers -1.5 goals (-105) – 1.5 units
Florida TT over 3.5 (-145) – 1.5 units
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (-235; 6.5)
7:00 p.m. ET
The Canadiens blanked the Maple Leafs 1-0 back on October 10th in their only meeting of the season. Since then, the Habs have won just three times in 14 games and have lost their last five games, outscored 25-12. Only the Nashville Predators (9) have fewer points this season than Montreal (10). The Canadiens have given up four goals or more in nine of their 10 losses and have failed to cover the puck line in eight of their 10 losses. Not all is bad for backers of the Canadiens. Cole Caufield, whose 10 goals are just one shy of both Sam Reinhart and Nikita Kucherov for the league lead, has scored 10 goals in 13 career games against the Maple Leafs, including the only goal in their meeting earlier this season.
The Maple Leafs will be without captain Auston Matthews for the third consecutive game. Matthews was placed on injured reserve on Friday with an upper-body injury. The Leafs have won both games without Matthews by a combined score of 7-1. Since Matthews came into the league in 2016-17, Toronto is 37-19-2 with their captain out of the lineup. The Leafs Mitch Marner extended his point streak to seven games in Toronto’s 3-1-win Friday over Detroit. Marner has 34 points in 35 games versus the Canadiens. John Tavares, coming off a two-goal night on Friday, has 50 points in 57 career games against the Canadiens, while William Nylander has 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games.
The Maple Leafs also fit our system play of a home team favored (-200+) coming off a win. Those teams are 16-1 this season, have covered the Puck Line in 11 straight and scored four goals or more 16 times. The Canadiens have given up a combined 18 goals in their last three trips to Toronto.
NHL Predictions: Maple Leafs -1.5 goals (+114) – 1.5 units
Maple Leafs TT over 3.5 goals (-135) – 1.5 units
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+145) – ½ unit
Marner/Nylander (parlay) each over ½ assist (+214) – ½ unit
NY Rangers (-165; 6.5) at Detroit Red Wings
7:00 p.m. ET
The Rangers are coming off a 6-1 thumping on home ice on Thursday at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. Goalie Igor Shesterkin gave up five goals on 12 shots in 33 minutes and was replaced by Jonathan Quick. Both Quick and Shesterkin have picked up wins this season versus the Red Wings. Detroit could be just what the Rangers need to avoid their first two-game losing streak of the season. The Rangers have won both meetings this season versus Detroit and have won five straight and six of the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Rangers have scored four or more goals versus Detroit in seven of their last eight wins against the Red Wings.
Artemi Panarin has scorched Detroit not only this season with three goals and seven points in the two games but has 15 goals and 39 points in 24 career games. Vincent Trocheck has a goal and four points in the two meetings and 13 goals and 28 points in 32 career games. Adam Fox has 12 assists in 13 career games while Alexis Lafreniere has points in each game this season versus Detroit has nine points in 11 career games versus Detroit.
The Red Wings are coming off a 3-1 loss on Friday to the Maple Leafs and now face a Rangers team on the back end of a back-to-back and three games in four days. With Cam Talbot starting last night and Alex Lyon dealing with a lower-body injury, expect Ville Husso to get the start tonight against the Rangers. Husso was just recalled from the Wings AHL, Grand Rapids Griffins team. Husso was sent to the minors after his only start of the season back on October 10th. He was pulled after giving up four goals on 14 shots in a 6-3 loss. Lifetime against the Rangers, he is 1-3 with a 4.34 GAA and a .876 save percentage.
NHL Predictions: Rangers TT over 3.5 (-125) – 1.5 units
Artemi Panarin over 1.5 pts (+150) – ½ unit
Vincent Trocheck/Adam Fox parlay Over ½ assist (+278) – ½ unit
Chris Kreider anytime goal (+160) – ½ unit
New Jersey Devils (-135; 6) at NY islanders
7:30 p.m. ET
The Islanders outlasted the Devils with a 4-3 overtime win back on October 25. Interesting note is that the winning team has scored at least four goals in the last nine contests.
Despite a rash of injuries to key players, the Islanders are on a two-game win streak and have won three of their last four games. Like the Islanders, New Jersey is also coming off back-to-back wins and has won four of their last five games.
The Devils opened as a small (-115) road favorite and have been bet up to (-135). New Jersey is taking 75% of the bets and 77% of the money.
NHL Prediction: New Jersey Devils ML (-135) – 1 unit
Carolina Hurricanes (-130; 6.5) at Colorado Avalanche
9:00 p.m. ET
Lost in the Winnipeg Jets (13-1) start to the season are the Carolina Hurricanes who have won 10 of their first 12 games and currently own a league-best eight-game win streak. The Canes have outscored their opponents 38-17 and given up two goals or less in six of the eight games. Carolina has scored four or more goals in nine of their 10 wins and covered the Puck Line in eight of their victories.
Martin Necas leads Carolina in scoring with 21 points and has 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) on his current six-game point streak. Necas has three goals in four games against Colorado goalie Alexander Georgiev (not confirmed as the starter tonight). Forward Jack Roslovic leads the team in goals and is putting up Cy Young numbers in his first season in Carolina with 9 goals and 1 assist. He has three goals in his last two games.
The Avs return home after being blanked 1-0 by the Winnipeg Jets. With Colorado coming off a game being shut out that triggers one of the more profitable system plays of the young NHL season. In the game following being shut out, the first period Over has cashed in 21 of the 27 games this season. The full game over is 16-9-2.
NHL Predictions: Carolina/Colorado 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-166) – 2 units
Martin Necas Over ½ assist (+100) – 1 unit
Jack Roslovic Over 1.5 SOG (-150) – 2 units
Jack Roslovic Over 2.5 SOG (+210) – 1 unit
Jack Roslovic anytime goal (+285) – ¼ unit
Columbus Blue Jackets at Los Angeles Kings (-205; 6)
9:00 p.m. ET
Yours truly will be in attendance tonight as the Blue Jackets visit Crypto.com to face off against the Los Angeles Kings. I have two plays in this game that don’t require a deep dive analysis. The Jackets are in the thralls of a three-game losing streak and have dropped four of their past six games. The most recent loss came at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. The last three teams to lose to San Jose (LA is one of them) have all won the next game on their schedule. I will also target Sean Monahan’s shots on goal prop at Over 2.5 shots on goal. Let’s try to keep this a secret because the “books” are still offering Monahan at a plus price of Over 2.5 shots. He has cashed the Over in seven of his last eight games and nine of 12 for the season.
NHL Predictions: Sean Monahan Over 2.5 SOG (+125) – 1.5 units
Columbus Blue Jackets (+170) – ¼ unit
