NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens
Detroit (+165) at Montreal (-200) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
Detroit comes into the Bell Centre fresh off a 6-3 thumping at the hands of the Seattle Kraken and have just one win through four games. Wings goalie John Gibson was pulled after giving up five goals on just 15 shots. Danill Tarasov is expected to get the start tonight. Tarasov took over from Talbot last night and played the final 24:55, giving up one goal on nine shots.
Since defeating the Maple Leafs in their first game of the season, the Habs have dropped three straight (Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Nashville), including a 5-2 loss to Nashville on Thursday (last two goals by Nashville into an empty net), and they have given up 16 goals (5+ in each) in the process. While I do think the Canadiens are the “right side” in this game, I am not interested in laying the heavy price (-200) or even playing them in regulation. I am on board with the Canadiens team total Over 3.5 goals (-122).
Now to the player props, and this first one is a no-brainer. It’s Saturday, so that means it’s time to play “Mr. Saturday Night,” Cole Caufield for an anytime goal. Caufield, who scored 21 of his 51 goals last season on Saturdays, had a pair of goals last Saturday at Pittsburgh. I will also be on Caufield to score the Habs first goal of the game, and I will also sprinkle on him for 2+ goals. Caufield’s linemate, Nick Suzuki, leads the team in scoring with seven points (three goals, four assists). The Canadiens captain has four goals in four games (12 shots) against Detroit goalie Daniil Tarasov. Cole Hutson has registered at least two shots in each of his last three games and three shots on goal in back-to-back games versus Detroit. One Wings player prop for me will be for Lucas Raymond to record 2+ shots on goal. He has had at least two shots on goal in all four games this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Montreal Canadiens Team Total Over 3.5 (-122) – 1 unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+105) – ½ unit
Cole Caufield 2+ goals (+600) – .10 units
Cole Caufield 1st Canadiens goal (+420) – .10 units
Raymond/Cole Hutson each 2+ SOG (+146) – 1 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs at Colorado Avalanche
Toronto (+180) at Colorado (-220) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss in Vegas on Thursday in a game that they jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead and scored on their first three shots of the game. The Avalanche return home from a mini two-game road trip, losing in Winnipeg (3-2) and then blasting the lowly Calgary Flames, 7-3. Toronto will be without second-line center John Tavares tonight. He returned home to welcome the birth of his fourth child.
History tells us when these teams meet in Denver, the Over is the play, cashing in eight straight and 14 of 15 meetings (7+ goals). A couple of player props that interest me. The Leafs’ Jack Roslovic has registered two shots on goal or more in all five games this season and in five straight head-to-head meetings with the Avalanche. Colorado’s Martin Necas has registered three shots on goal in three of four games this season and in six of his last seven games against Toronto.
Note: I will likely add some player props once we have goalie confirmations. Check my Twitter (X) feed @westcoasthkynhl later today.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6.5 (-120) – 3 units
Colorado Team Total Over 3.5 (-145) – 1 unit
Jack Roslovic 2+ SOG/Necas 3+ SOG (+137) – 1 unit
Utah Mammoth at Buffalo Sabres
Utah (-115) at Buffalo (-104) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
I expect these teams to play with some vinegar tonight. The Mammoth are coming off a 6-1 butt-kicking by the Bruins, and the Sabres were shut out 4-0 by Dallas on home ice. I like Utah to come away with the win in this game. They are the better team, and we are getting them at a more than reasonable price. The game opened as a “pick ‘em,” and as of 12:15 pm ET, we are starting to see a line movement in the direction of the Mammoth.
The goaltending matchup will feature Karel Vejmelka for Utah and Colten Ellis for Buffalo. “Veggie” is 6-2-1 lifetime versus the Sabres with a 1.77 goals against average. Of Utah’s 18 goals this season, eight have come on the power play. That’s not good news for Buffalo, who have given up a power play goal in three of their four games this season. Nick Schmaltz (five goals, two assists) and Clayton Keller (one goal, six assists) lead the Mammoth in scoring this season with seven points. Schmaltz has cashed his shot prop (Over 2.5) in four consecutive games. The Sabres’ Tage Thompson has had four shots on goal or more in all four games this season (4,4,9,6).
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Utah Mammoth ML (-115) – 1 unit
Guenther/Schmaltz/Thompson all 3+ SOG (+394) – 1 unit
Utah Power Play Goal (-145) – ½ unit
Schmaltz/Keller point parlay (-112) – 1 unit
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights
Los Angeles (+140) at Vegas (-170) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
The Los Angeles Kings have had a rough start to the season, earning just one of a possible six points in their first three games (an overtime loss to San Jose). The Kings have been off since Tuesday’s 2-1 home loss to the Florida Panthers and are playing just their fourth game in 11 days. The Golden Knights are coming off a 4-3 come-from-behind shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. The Golden Knights fell behind quickly, 3-0 in the first period, before Mark Stone scored a late goal in the opening frame. Jack Eichel tied the game on a penalty shot, and rookie Trevor Connelly scored the deciding goal in the shootout. Eichel has 28 points in 24 games against Los Angeles, while Mark Stone has 34 points in 35 games against the Kings. LA’s Brandt Clarke has nine points in eight games against the Golden Knights. The Knights have scored 4+ goals in three of their four wins and have gone Over the full game total in four of their five games to start the season.
Note: waiting on goalies for goal props.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vegas Golden Knights Team Total Over 3.5 (-110) – 1 unit
Eichel point/Stone point/Vegas ML (+114) – 1 unit
Brandt Clarke Over ½ point (+125) – ¼ unit
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