NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Edmonton Oilers (15-11-6) at Montreal Canadiens (16-11-4)
Oilers (-130) at Canadiens (+110) – Total 6.5 (Under, -115)
7 p.m. ET
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss to the Rangers on Saturday. They jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead, only to see the Rangers score a pair of goals 19 seconds apart in the final 71 seconds of the first period.
Edmonton doubled up Toronto on Saturday behind a pair of goals from Connor McDavid and Vasily Podkolzin. Podkolzin has four goals in the Oilers’ last six games, but he has not scored goals in back-to-back games during his recent run. McDavid has opened the scoring for the Oilers in two of the last three games and three of the last five.
I am anticipating Jakub Dobes getting the start in goal for the Canadiens. For frequent readers of the column, you will be aware of Dobes’ propensity for giving up the first goal of the game. He has done so in 23 of his 32 career starts. Edmonton scored the first goal of the game and the first goal of the first period in seven of their last 10 games.
Calvin Pickard gets the start for the Oilers tonight. He was between the pipes for the Oilers 6-5 win over Montreal earlier this season in Edmonton. Cole Caufield scored one of those goals against Pickard and has six goals in nine games versus the Oilers and two goals in three games against Pickard. His linemate, Nick Suzuki, is riding a five-game assist streak and has 16 points in 20 games against the Oilers. Montreal’s Jake Evans has three goals and 10 points in 13 games against the Oilers.
I can only find an anytime goal prop for Evans, so I will play a “pizza money” wager on Evans to score a goal. Other props on the card for tonight: Edmonton owns the league’s number three power play, and Montreal is 26th on the penalty kill. Draft Kings offers Edmonton to score on the power play (scroll to the bottom of goalscorers) at (-115).
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Edmonton 1st goal/1st period (+115) – .50
Connor McDavid 1st goal of the game (+1100) – .05
Connor McDavid 1st Edmonton goal (+550) – .05
Connor McDavid anytime goal +145 – .50 units
Caufield/Suzuki point parlay (+100) – 1 unit
Podkolzin anytime goal (+500) – .10 units
Hyman point/Draisaitl, McDavid, Bouchard all 1 assist (+659) – .25
Kapanen point/Demidov assist (+433) – .15 units
Buffalo Sabres (13-14-4) at Seattle Kraken (12-11-6)
Sabres (-120) at Kraken (+100) – Total 5.5 (Over, -140)
8 p.m. ET
This will be the second time this season that I will be on a Seattle Kraken game to go Over the full game total. Seattle games have gone Over the total in 13 of 29 games this season, but they are on a 7-2 run to the full game Under. So why am I bullish on the Over tonight? These two teams have met eight times since Seattle joined the league, with all eight games having a combined six goals or more and seven of the eight having a combined seven or more goals. The first period Over 1.5 goals has also cashed in all eight games.
Tonight is the final stop on Buffalo’s six-game road trip. After dropping the first three games, the Sabres have bounced back with a pair of victories and have won consecutive games for the sixth time this season, but they have yet to win three in a row.
There are a lot of props that provide great value that I am on for this game. The Kraken are dead last in the NHL on the penalty kill and the Sabres have scored a goal with the extra man in three consecutive games. Buffalo’s Tage Thompson has a power play point in three straight games, goals in three straight and seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight games versus the Kraken. Rasmus Dahlin is another Buffalo player who has enjoyed success against Seattle with six assists in eight games. Dahlin is also on a four-game assist streak (six total). Josh Doan has a power play point in back-to-back games.
On the Seattle side, Matty Beniers has five goals in six games against Buffalo, Chandler Stephenson has 13 points in 16 games versus the Sabres, and Brandon Montour has 16 points in 19 career meetings.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1stperiod Over 1.5 (-128) – 1 unit
Over 5.5 (-140) – 1 unit
Tage Thompson power play point (+250) – .15 units
Josh Doan power play point (+325) – .15 units
Thompson point/Dahlin assist/Doan point (+377) – .25 units
Matty Beniers anytime goal (+250) – .10 units
Brandon Montour Over ½ point – .20 units
Beniers/Stephenson point parlay (+231) – .25 units
