NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh (+105) at Montreal (-125) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
It’s Saturday, so the spotlight is on “Mr. Saturday Night,” Cole Caufield. Last season, Caufield scored 21 of his 51 goals on Saturday. This season, four of his eight goals have come on Saturday, including two against the Penguins in a 6-5 overtime loss on October 3. Caufield scored a goal in two of his previous three Saturday games this season (both two-goal games) and 10 of 13 dating back to last season (seven multi-goal games). He has also been a volume shooter on Saturday overall, registering 3+ shots on goal in 13 of his last 15 Saturday games and 10 of 13 games this season. His numbers versus the Penguins, though, when it comes to shots, have not been great, recording 3+ shots in just two of the past six games.
Two other players with solid shots on goal numbers are the Penguins Ben Kindel, who has 2+ shots on goal in nine of ten games this season and in three of four games versus Montreal (7,1,3,5). The Canadiens’ Josh Anderson has had 2+ shots on goal in 10 of 13 games this season and eight of his last 11 against Pittsburgh. Chris Kreider has a good history versus Pittsburgh with goals in eight of his last 13 games versus the Pens, and he scored in the October 3 game.
When it comes to the “side,” I will jump on the Pens, who opened as a (+130) underdog and have been bet down to (+105). From the VSIN betting splits page, Pittsburgh is getting just 17% of the bets but 61% of the money. The Penguins have won eight of the last ten head-to-head meetings. This is Montreal’s first game at home after a perfect 4-0 road trip. Each of Montreal’s last four home games has gone past regulation.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Regulation Draw (+330) – .10 units
Pittsburgh Penguins (+105) – 1 unit
Josh Anderson 2+ shots/Ben Kindel 2+ shots (+174) – 2 units
Anderson 2+ shots/Kindel 2+ shots/Caufield 3+ shots (+315) – ¼ unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+110) – 1.5 units
Cole Caufield 2+ goals (+600) – ¼ unit
Chris Kreider anytime goal (+380) – ¼ unit
Toronto Maple Leafs at Vancouver Canucks
Toronto (-190) at Vancouver (+155) – Total 6.5 (Over, -130)
7 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs are coming off back-to-back losses at Calgary (5-2) and Seattle (5-4) and face a Canucks team tonight that has just three wins in 15 games this season. This is the Leafs’ final stop on their four-game road trip. Prior to last season’s 3-2 shootout win in Vancouver, Toronto had lost eight straight and 11 of 12 in Vancouver.
Here is my plan of attack for this game. I am not interested in laying (-190) for the Leafs to win the game tonight, but I do anticipate the Maple Leafs, after a long practice session on Friday, to jump on the Canucks early in this contest and will play them to score the first goal of the first period and to have a first-period lead as well. I am also on board with the Maple Leafs team total Over 3.5. Vancouver has given up four or more goals in 10 of their 15 games this season. Auston Matthews has goals in nine of the last 13 games but is on a seven-game goal drought against the Canucks that I say comes to an end tonight.
On to the player props. Both Jack Roslovic and Easton Cowan of the Maple Leafs are on five-game point streaks, and the Canucks Elias Pettersson is riding a six-game point streak as well as having points in six of his last seven games versus Toronto.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Auston Matthews anytime goal (+105) – 1 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs team total Over 3.5 (-140) – 1 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs 1st period -1/2 goal (+130) – ½ unit
Toronto Maple Leafs first goal, 1st period (-105) – ½ unit
Roslovic/Cowan/Pettersson 1+ point each (+296) – 1 unit
Maple Leafs/Avalanche both to win in regulation (+153) – 2 units
Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche
Calgary (+340) at Colorado (-380) – Total 6.5 (-110)
10 p.m. ET
Not the ideal spot for the Calgary Flames, who are on the back end of a back-to-back in Denver without a day to adjust to the high elevation. With goalie Devin Cooley on injured reserve and Dustin Wolf getting the start last night, 23-year-old Arsenii Sergeev will be making his second career NHL start. In his only other start, he stopped 27 of 28 shots in a 3-1 win over the LA Kings last season. This game fits one of our best betting trends where you play a (-300+) underdog to score a goal in the first period. In the four previous games this season in this spot, the “Dog” has scored a goal in three of the four games, and the favorite is a perfect (4-0). Colorado has given up a goal in the opening 20 minutes in eight of their last 10 games, including this past Wednesday against the Devils, when New Jersey was also in the second half of a back-to-back.
On to the player props. The Avs’ Artturi Lehkonen is on a heater with points in eight straight, while Gabe Landeskog has points in six of eight overall and in three of his last four games against the Flames. Nathan MacKinnon has goals in each of his last four games and nine of his last 13 versus the Flames, along with registering three points in three of his last four head-to-head meetings against Calgary and 2+ points in nine of 13 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Calgary Flames 1st period Over ½ goal (+102) – 1 unit
Lehkonen/Landeskog point parlay (+175) – ½ unit
Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal (-105) – 1unit
Nathan MacKinnon 2+ points (-125) – ½ unit
Nathan MacKinnon 3+ points (+255) – ¼ unit
