NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Anaheim Ducks (15-8-1) at Chicago Blackhawks (10-9-5)
Betting Line: Ducks (-125) at Blackhawks (+105) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)
3:30 p.m. ET
The Anaheim Ducks are coming off a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. For the fifth time this season, they erased a two-goal deficit to earn a victory. Today, Anaheim plays the first of two road games on back-to-back days with a trip to the United Center. They are going to have to get through the next couple of weeks without their number one goalie, Lukas Dostal. Dostal is dealing with an upper-body injury.
The Blackhawks have issues of their own, having lost six consecutive games (five by one goal) despite scoring first in four of the six games. The Hawks trailed only once (4-1-8) after the opening twenty minutes in their past 13 games, and in ten of the thirteen games, they didn’t surrender a goal.
Anaheim has trailed in each of their last four games after the first period, finding the back of the net in just one of the four games. When it comes to playing the side or the total, I will be on the Under 6.5 goals and ride the season trend of Sunday NHL games that start before 8 p.m. ET going Under the posted total (21-5-1 to the Under).
There are a couple of player props that I will target for today. The Ducks’ Chris Kreider has five goals in eight road games this season and has three goals in three games against Spencer Knight. Both Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry have enjoyed success on the road. Carlsson has seven goals and 14 points in 12 road games. Terry has 10 assists in 12 road games. The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard has just one goal in the seven games he has faced Anaheim, but he has 11 assists. Frank Nazar has nine points in 12 home games this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Anaheim/Chicago Under 6.5 (+100) – 1.5 units
Troy Terry assist/Leo Carlsson point (+109) – .15 units
Connor Bedard assist/Nazar point (+185) – .15 units
Chris Kreider anytime goal (+195) – .15 units
Ottawa (12-8-4) at Dallas (16-5-4)
Betting Line: Ottawa (+120) at Dallas (-140) – Total 6 (Under, -115)
6 p.m. ET
Today is stop number six on the Senators’ seven-game road trip that has seen them win three of the first five but drop two of the past three. Tonight, they face a Stars team that has won three straight and four of the past five. They have won three consecutive games over the Senators at American Airlines Arena. Three of the last four head-to-head meetings have had a combined five goals or fewer, and the fourth had six combined goals. The recent results are keeping with our plan today to play the full game Under the total of six.
Let’s talk about props. One of my favorite props that DraftKings offers is playing a team to score at least one power play goal. The Dallas Stars own the league’s number one power play, and the Ottawa Senators are 30th on the penalty kill and 31st on the road. Ottawa’s Drake Batherson has 10 points in 11 games versus the Stars, and Brady Tkachuk has 13 points in 11 games vs. Dallas. David Perron has three goals in his last four games against Dallas and three goals in five games against Jake Oettinger. The Stars’ Roope Hintz has goals in four consecutive games and scored the Stars’ first goal of the game in back-to-back games. Mikko Rantanen has points in six consecutive games against Ottawa (five multi-point) and goals in five of the past six games versus the Senators.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Ottawa/Dallas Under 6 (-115) – 1.5 units
Stars Over ½ power play goal (-115) – 1.5 units
Drake Batherson/Brady Tkachuk point parlay (+168) – .15 units
David Perron anytime goal (+500) – .10 units
Mikko Rantanen anytime goal (+180) – .10 units
Mikko Rantanen Over 1.5 pts – .10 units
Roope Hintz anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
Shane Pinto anytime goal (+300) – .10 units
