NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins (-115, 6)
7 p.m. ET
The Bruins are one of four teams that have started the season at 2-0, following wins over the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks. Saturday, Boston hosts a Buffalo team that is coming off a 4-0 blanking on home ice by the New York Rangers. The shutout loss triggers our system play of a goal to be scored in the opening 10 minutes, the first period Over 1.5 goals, and the full game going Over the total in the game following a team being shutout.
The injury bug has hit the Sabres early and hard. Josh Norris was injured in Buffalo’s season opener, Zach Benson is dealing with complications from a facial cut, defenseman Michael Kesselring, who was acquired in the J.J. Peterka trade, is out with a lower-body injury, as is starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Owen Power, who missed Thursday’s opening game, is questionable for tonight’s game. Buffalo has just three wins in their last 10 trips to Boston. The Bruins have won seven of their past 10 home openers. With all 32 teams in action, I am going to dabble in a pizza money wager on the Geekie brothers to score today (Morgan with Boston, Conor with Tampa). For his part, Morgan scored six goals in nine games against Buffalo. Boston will be without Hampus Lindholm, who suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday’s win over Chicago.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Goal first 10 minutes (-154) – .25 units
1st period Over 1.5 goals (-128) – .50 units
Buffalo/Boston Over 5.5 (-140) – .50 units
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie/Conor Geekie anytime goal parlay (+2300) – .10 units
Toronto Maple Leafs (-150, 6) at Detroit Red Wings
7 p.m. ET
It was not the debut that John Gibson and the Red Wings were looking for when Detroit traded for the former Anaheim Ducks goaltender in the offseason. Gibson gave up five goals on thirteen shots and was pulled before the second period came to an end in Detroit’s 5-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday. Cam Talbot, who came off the bench to replace Gibson, is expected to get the start tonight. This is the front end of a home-and-home series that will see both teams meet on Monday in Toronto. Five of the last six meetings between the two teams have had a combined six goals or more, with the last two meetings each featuring seven goals. The Leafs’ Auston Matthews had only shot on goal in Wednesday’s opening game was his empty net goal. Matthews has 19 goals in 26 career games versus the Red Wings and three goals in seven games against Cam Talbot. With all 32 teams in action, we are going to take a flyer on each of the Robertson brothers scoring a goal today. For those not familiar, Nic plays for Toronto and Jason plays for Dallas. As always, shop around on the total as I am seeing both 6 and 6.5 out there. I also like Matias Maccelli, who plays on Toronto’s top line, to pick up an assist.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Leafs/Red Wings Over 6 (-115) – 1 unit
Auston Matthews anytime goal (+110) – .20 units
Auston Matthews Over 3.5 shots on goal (-110) – .50 units
Matias Maccelli Over ½ assist (+164) – .20 units
Nick Robertson/Jason Robertson anytime goal parlay (+1596) – .10 units
New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning (-140, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Lightning and Devils are both in search of their first victory of the season. The Bolts are coming off a 5-4 home loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in a game they led 2-0 and 3-1. Only once last season did Tampa lose back-to-back home games on a homestand. The Devils had a back-and-forth affair with the Carolina Hurricanes that saw them tie the game three times before Carolina scored three goals in the final 2:43 of the third period to double up New Jersey, 6-3. Tampa has owned New Jersey by winning five of the last, scoring four goals or more in each of the five victories and covering the Puck Line (-1.5 goals) all five wins as well. Over the past two seasons, the Lightning have scored four or more goals in 79% of their victories (73 of 92) and covered the Puck Line in 77% of those wins (71 of 92).
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Tampa Team Total Over 3.5 (+112) – .50 units
Tampa -1.5 goals (+164) – .50 units
Ottawa Senators at Florida Panthers (-145, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
With Matthew Tkachuk not expected to return to the Florida lineup, we are robbed of the battle of the Tkachuk brothers tonight. The Sens won two of three versus Florida last season but have lost six straight to the Panthers in Florida. I believe Ottawa’s losing streak in Florida comes to an end today. The Panthers have won both their games to start the season with one-goal wins over both Chicago and Philadelphia, scoring just five goals in the process and limiting their opponents to a combined three goals. Brady Tkachuk, my pick to lead the league in shots on goal (+600), had five on opening night and has had a history of firing away on the Panthers. In his last seven games against Florida, he has had 11,5,9,6,4,7 and 4.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Ottawa ML(+122) – .25 units
Brady Tkachuk Over 3.5 shots on goal (-102) – .50 units
Brady Tkachuk Over 4.5 shots on goal (+220) – .25 units
Washington Capitals at NY Islanders (-115, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
Alexander Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet in the Capitals’ opening game despite three shots on goal and nine directed at the net. The Great 8 remains three goals shy of 900. It was last season versus Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin that Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. It was his first goal in five games versus the Islanders netminder. Overall, Ovi has 45 goals in 73 games against the Islanders. Here is a link to my breakdown of when I believe Ovi will score goal 900 and his history against the opposition’s goalies.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Ovechkin anytime goal (+135)
Ovechkin Over 3.5 shots on goal (+114)
NY Rangers (-140, 6) at Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m. ET
Who had the Penguins starting the season winning their first two games? If any of you raised your hands, you’re lying. One of those two wins came at the hands of these same New York Rangers, as they handed their former coach, Mike Sullivan, a loss in his Rangers head coaching debut. I just can’t wrap my head around the Penguins winning their first three games of the season, and I don’t see the Rangers losing for a second time to the Penguins in five days. New York will be without center Vincent Trochek.
A few player props to look at: The Penguins’ Justin Brazeau scored three of Pittsburgh’s seven goals this season and the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad each scored twice in three games versus Pittsburgh goalie Arturs Silovs.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Rangers ML (-140) – .35 units
Artemi Panarin anytime goal (+165) – .10 units
Mika Zibanejad anytime goal (+175) – .10 units
Justin Brazeau anytime goal (+380) – .10 units
Montreal Canadiens (-145, 6) at Chicago Blackhawks
7 p.m. ET
The Blackhawks are in search of their first win of the season after losing to Florida and Boston. The Habs have split their first two games, losing at Toronto and then handing Detroit a 5-1 loss on Thursday. The Under has gone 2-10-1 in the last 13 meetings. The goalie matchup will be Sam Montembeault for the Canadiens and Spencer Knight for Chicago. Montembeault had a shaky preseason and looked okay against the Maple Leafs in the opening game of the season. With that in mind, I like the Blackhawks team total (Over 2.5) along with a couple of player props. For Chicago, rookie Frank Nazar is off to a solid start, and I like him for a pair of points. On the Montreal side, I will target three players. Former Blackhawk Kirby Dach has two goals in the two games he has faced Spencer Knight, and I will continue to ride the hot hands of Zac Bolduc (two goals) and Oliver Kapanen (two goals) to start the season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Chicago Blackhawks Team Total Over 2.5 (-134) – .50 units
Nazar Over 1½ points (+470) – .35 units
Kirby Dach anytime goal (+460) – .10 units
Zac Bolduc anytime goal (+340) – .10 units
Oliver Kapanen anytime goal (+575) – .10 units
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche (-145, 6)
9 p.m. ET
This is the game of the night on today’s 16-game NHL card. These teams meet for the first time since the Stars eliminated the Avalanche in a wild game seven in the playoffs. The Avs have dominated this series in the regular season, winning seven of the last 10 meetings. Eight of the last nine meetings have gone Over the total, with the only game not cashing landing right on six goals.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Dallas Stars/ Colorado Avalanche Over 6 (-115) – 1 unit
Jason Robertson/Roope Hintz/Mikko Rantanen Over ½ point parlay (+206) – .20 units
Matt Duchene anytime goal (+310) – .10 units
Gabe Landeskog anytime goal (+320) – .10 units
Vegas Golden Knights (-170, 6) at Seattle Kraken
10 p.m. ET
The Golden Knights are coming off one of the craziest finishes to a hockey game on Thursday night as they knocked off the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in overtime. Vegas trailed 3-2 with under two minutes to play. Just after preventing the Sharks from sealing the victory with an empty net goal, Jack Eichel tied the game on a goal that took a weird bounce and found its way into the back of the net. Reilly Smith would score the game-winner on a failed clear attempt by Sharks goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic. Tonight, the Golden Knights face a Kraken team that Vegas has won 12 of the last 14 meetings against, with nine of those wins coming by two goals or more. I am going to lay off the side, but I do like the Golden Knights to score at least four goals, and I will jump on the Over 6 goals. Jack Eichel leads Vegas with six points (two goals, four assists) in the first two games of the season. Mitch Marner has 15 points in eight career games versus the Kraken.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vegas Team Total Over 3.5 (+100) – 1 unit
Vegas/Seattle Over 6 (-115) – 1 unit
Jack Eichel Over 1.5 points (+176) – .10 units
Mitch Marner Over 1.5 points (+172) – .10 units
Jack Eichel anytime goal (+170) – .10 units
Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal (+195) – .10 units
