NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Sunday, December 1:
A light Sunday schedule highlighted by what should be a great pregame ceremony in Boston as it’s the 100th anniversary of the first-ever game in Bruins’ history. That game is available nationally in the USA on ESPN+ and in Canada on Sportsnet. The marquee game of the day is in Dallas, where the Stars look for payback against the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg dominated Dallas in early November, beating the Stars 4-1. Enjoy your Sunday on the ice. Here are today’s NHL predictions.
Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins (-235, 5.5)
3:00 p.m. ET
Today is the 100th anniversary of the first-ever game for the Boston Bruins, a 2-1 win over the Montreal Maroons. The Bruins will look to continue their recent dominance over the Montreal Canadiens. Boston has won 14 of the last 15 meetings and eight straight on home ice, including a 6-4 win back in October. Just like the October game, the Bruins will be getting a Habs team on the second half of a back-to-back as well as facing Montreal goalie Cayden Primeau. Primeau has given up five or more goals in three of his six starts this season to go along with a 4.37 GAA and an .846 save percentage. Primeau and the Canadiens may be the cure Boston needs to jumpstart their offense on home ice. The Bruins have gone six consecutive home games scoring two goals or less. Boston has scored four or more goals in seven of their last nine wins against Montreal.
The Canadiens will likely be an angry team coming into Boston for today’s game following a 4-3 loss on Saturday to the Rangers. Montreal got the short end of the calls by the men in stripes at MSG on Saturday. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said after the game, “I loved our game, but I’m not going to talk about the refs.” Montreal has lost three of their last four games and has just three wins in 11 games away from home.
A pizza money play here on the Bruins Mark Kastelic, who scored a pair of goals in the first meeting against Montreal. He has four career goals against the Canadiens (six games), with a pair of two-goal games.
NHL Predictions: Boston Bruins in regulation (-130) – 3 units
Boston Bruins TT over 3.5 (-05) – 1 unit
Brad Marchand Over ½ assist (+135) – 1. unit
Mark Kastelic anytime goal (+750) – ¼ unit
Mark Kastelic 2 goals (+6000) – ¼ unit
Columbus Blue Jackets (-140, 6.5) at Chicago Blackhawks
3:00 p.m. ET
The road has not been kind to the Blue Jackets this season, with just two wins in 10 games, but they have won two of their last three at the United Center. Columbus has won three straight over the Blackhawks and four of the last five meetings. In all four of the wins over Chicago, the Jackets have covered the Puck Line (-1.5 goals) and scored four goals or more. Columbus sits four points behind Philadelphia for the final playoff spot but has played three fewer games.
The Blackhawks are dead last in the NHL and are coming off a 3-2 loss to Minnesota. It was another disappointing loss for Chicago as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Wild. Not being able to hold onto leads has become all too familiar for the Blackhawks. They have seen leads evaporate in four of their last six games, all of which they have led at one point in the second period.
NHL Predictions: Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5 goals (+210) – 1 unit
Columbus Blue Jackets TT Over 3.5 (+120) – 1 unit
Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars (-148, 6)
4:30 p.m. ET
The Winnipeg Jets wrap up a six-game road trip today in Dallas and will try to halt a two-game losing streak. Winnipeg has also lost three of their last four and five of their last eight games. Their recent struggles now have Winnipeg tied in points atop the Central Division with the Minnesota Wild. Winnipeg has given up four goals or more in five of their last eight games after only giving 4+ goals in two of their first 16. This will be the second meeting of the season between the Jets and Dallas Stars. Winnipeg won the first meeting, dominating the Stars from start to finish in a 4-1 victory. Roope Hintz’s goal with 82 seconds left in regulation ended the shutout bid for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. What I remember most about that game was the Jets fans chanting at Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, “Back Up Goalie.” This in reference to Hellebuyck and Oettinger competing for the starting job for Team USA at the upcoming Four Nations tournament in February.
Dallas is fresh off a 5-3 win over Colorado and has won six of their last nine games. The Stars’ offense has been clicking in those victories, outscoring the opposition 32-10. In their three losses, they have been outscored 16-8, giving up four or more goals in all three defeats.
NHL Prediction: Dallas Stars in Regulation (+105) – 1.5 units
