NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Seattle Kraken at Florida Panthers
Seattle (+164) at Florida (-200) – Total 6 (Over, -115)
6 p.m. ET
This is the fifth and final stop on a five-game road trip for the Kraken, who have picked up seven of a possible eight points (3-0-1), with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Florida is coming off a 3-2 overtime win versus Vancouver on Thursday. Brady Tkachuk scored all three Panthers goals and has now recorded back-to-back natural hat tricks (three consecutive goals for his team). No reason Brady shouldn’t be able to fill the back of the net again tonight, as he has five goals in nine career games versus Seattle. His brother, Matthew, has also tormented the Kraken over the years with seven goals in 11 games vs. Seattle. “Cats” defenseman Seth Jones is on quite the run with eight assists on his current three-game assist streak. Jones is also riding a streak of at least two shots on goal in seven consecutive games overall and against the Kraken. Tonight will be the first time Florida Panther Mackie Samoskevich faces his former team.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Mackie Samoskevich Over ½ assist +330 – ¼ unit
Mackie Samoskevich anytime goal +400 – ¼ unit
Brady Tkachuk anytime goal +150 – ¼ unit
Matthew Tkachuk anytime goal +165 – ¼ unit
Seth Jones Over ½ assist +136 – ½ unit
Seth Jones 2+ shots on goal (-165) – 1 unit
New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Islanders (+110) at Toronto (-130) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Leafs hanging on for a 2-1 victory on September 30. The Isles are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to Ottawa on Thursday and have yet to lose back-to-back games, trading wins and losses over their first seven games to start the season. The Maple Leafs are coming off back-to-back 5-4 losses and have gone Over the full game total in each of their past five games. As much as I would like to play the Over, the Islanders have gone Under the total in four of their seven games.
This will be a prop game for me. Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has had three shots on goal in each of the last three meetings versus Toronto and four straight games overall. Former Maple Leafs forward Matias Maccelli is getting top-line duty tonight for the Isles, and at (+380) for a goal, I will bite. Emil Heineman is on the fourth line but has scored in four straight games against Toronto. On the Toronto side, William Nylander loves to shoot the puck. He has had four or more shots on goal in each of the Kings’ last four games. Auston Matthews has goals in three straight (four), 14 goals in 21 games against the Islanders and five goals in eight games versus Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin. The other storyline tonight is Gavin McKenna, who sat on the bench for much of the Leafs’ last game against Buffalo. McKenna will be on the top power play tonight. I will take him for a power play point and to clear his 1.5 shots on goal prop.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Gavin McKenna 2+ shots on goal (+105) – ½ unit
Gavin McKenna Over ½ power play point (+500) – .10 units
Auston Matthews anytime goal +130 – 1 unit
Auston Matthews 4+ shots on goal (-110) – 1 unit
Schaefer/Nylander 3+ shots on goal each +139 – 1 unit
Matias Maccelli anytime goal +380 – .10 units
Emil Heineman anytime goal +420 – .10 units
Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens
Buffalo Sabres (+118) at Montreal Canadiens (-140) – Total 6 (Over, -130)
7 p.m. ET
This is the second meeting this week between the two teams. The Habs won 4-3 in overtime back on Tuesday, marking the ninth consecutive games with at least six goals, and five of those have had 7+ goals. Five of the Canadiens’ seven games this season have had at least seven combined goals.
It’s Saturday, so we are on Cole Caufield, “Mr. Saturday Night,” for a goal (I will also be on 2+ goals and his shots-on-goal prop). Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson has had 2+ shots on goal in six consecutive games. Juraj Slafkovsky has had 3+ shots on goal in four straight and each of the last three games against Buffalo.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6 (-130) – 1 unit
Lane Hutson 2+ shots/Caufield 3+ shots (+153) – ½ unit
Juraj Slafkovsky 3+ shots (+102) – ½ unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+130) – 1 unit
Cole Caufield 1st Montreal goal (+450) – .10 units
Cole Caufield 2+ goals (+720) – .10 units
Josh Anderson anytime goal (+420) – .10 units
Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers
Ottawa Senators (-150) at Philadelphia Flyers (+130) – Total 5.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
The Flyers (0-6-3) are one of two teams (LA Kings the other) still in search of their first win of the season. The Flyers came close in their 2-1 loss to Ottawa back on October 8. In fact, three of the last four head-to-head meetings have ended with that same 2-1 score and four of the last seven have gone past regulation.
Another game for me that is all about the player props. Former Flyer Claude Giroux has 11 assists in 13 career games versus the team that he began his career with. Tim Stutzle has gone back-to-back games without a goal after scoring five goals in a four-game stretch. This could be his get right spot, as he has 11 goals in 16 career games versus Philly. It’s a little risky to play Flyers goal props as they have scored two or fewer goals in all nine games, but there are two players for the home team that have my attention. Matvei Michkov scored the only Flyers goal when the two teams squared off earlier this season and now has three goals in four career games against Sens goalie Linus Ullmark. Tyson Foerster is another one on my radar. He has four goals in five games against Ullmark.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Claude Giroux assist (+190) – ½ unit
Stephen Halliday anytime goal (+425) – ¼ unit
Stephen Halliday Over ½ assist (+250) – ¼ unit
Tyson Foerster anytime goal (+300) – ¼ unit
Tyson Foerster 2+ shots on goal (-130) – ½ unit
Matvei Michkov anytime goal (+360) – ¼ unit
Check my Twitter (X) feed for additional plays in other games.
SPONSORED
VERNON CROY has had 10 of 11 winning NFL seasons, and he is coming off a 100% perfect 5-0 +$2,800 NFL sweep last week. Croy is ready to crush the books again this week with 5 more top NFL plays including his 8-Unit NFL Game of the Year that goes Sunday. Croy is now up +$18,225 with his top plays rated 6-Units or higher across all sports. Check out Croy’s 5-0 NFL sweep here.
VSiN readers can get a free $60 new member account at Doc’s Sports. Get started here!
