NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Vegas Golden Knights (17-11-11) at Chicago Blackhawks (16-18-7)
Golden Knights (-265) at Blackhawks (+215) – Total 6.5 (Under, -125)
7 p.m. ET
The Golden Knights come into Chicago having lost four straight and seven of their last eight games. They face a Blackhawks team having won two in a row, including last night’s 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals. This should be a “get right” game for the Golden Knights, facing a Chicago team that is (0-4). They are on the second half of back-to-backs, having been outscored 27-7 and losing all four games by at least 4 goals.
Arvid Soderblom will get the start in goal for Chicago tonight, and he has started three of the four games (on the second half of back-to-backs) and came off the bench in the 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh (on the second half of the back-to-back) after Spencer Knight was lit up for four first-period goals. The Blackhawks have surrendered at least two first period goals in three of the four games this season on the back end of back-to-backs.
With my expectation for Vegas filling the back of the Chicago net tonight, I have a couple of Golden Knights player props on my card for tonight. Ivan Barbashev has a pair of goals in the three games he has faced Soderblom, and Reilly Smith has three goals in four games against the Hawks’ netminder. Pavel Dorofeyev has points in three straight and eight of his last 10 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vegas/Chicago 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-140) – 2 units
Vegas Golden Knights 1st period Team Total Over 1.5 (+200) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights Team Total Over 3.5 (-140) – 2 units
Ivan Barbashev anytime goal (+225) – .15 units
Reilly Smith anytime goal (+550) – .15 units
Barbashev/Dorofeyev point parlay (+183) – .25 units
