NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Buffalo Sabres (-110) at Boston Bruins (-110)
Total 6 (Over, -115)
Series tied at 1
7 p.m. ET
The Boston Bruins have dominated the Sabres for all but the final eight minutes of game one. If not for that slip-up, they could be returning home with a 2-0 series lead instead of being tied at one. Game two was highlighted by a Morgan Geekie’s dump-in from center ice in the second period that bounced past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and into the net. Luukkonen was pulled just 16 seconds into the third period after Viktor Arvidsson’s second goal of the game provided Boston with a 4-0 lead. Alex Lyon, who replaced Luukkonen after the 4-0 goal, gets the start tonight for Buffalo. The B’s withstood a late Sabres rally and hung on for a 4-2 win, leveling the series at a game apiece. The series now heads back to Boston, where the Bruins 29 wins on home ice were tied with Carolina this season for the most home wins this season.
At a pick ’em tonight, I will take the B’s. On the Buffalo side, I will continue to ride the Tage Thompson shots on goal props. I gave out Thompson (+170) to lead the series in shots before the playoffs started, and his 13 are five more than his teammate Rasmus Dahlin, who is next up with eight. Owen Power has a point in four consecutive games.
On the Boston side, I will come back with Morgan Geekie, who has goals in each of the first two games. He has goals in three straight, five of the past six, and has scored the Bruins’ first goal in three of the last five. David Pastrnak has yet to score his first goal, but he does have three assists. I will dabble tonight in the blocked shots prop. Jonathan Aspirot has had seven blocked shots in the first two games, as has the Sabres’ Conor Timmins.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Boston Bruins ML (-110) – 1 unit
Pastrnak/Geekie point parlay (+104) – 1 unit
Tage Thompson Over 3.5 SOG (-155) – 3 units
Tage Thompson Over 4.5 SOG (+150) – 1 unit
Tage Thompson Over 5.5 SOG (+300) – .25 units
Jeremy Swayman Over 25.5 saves (-130) – 1 unit
Jonathan Aspirot Over 1.5 blocks (-110) – 1 unit
Jonathan Aspirot Over 2.5 blocks (+275) – .25 units
Conor Timmins Over 1.5 blocks (+110) – 1 unit
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+205) – .25
Morgan Geekie 1st Bruins goal of the game (+650) – .05
Owen Power Over ½ point (+185) – .25
Carolina Hurricanes (+100) at Ottawa Senators (-120)
Total 6 (Under, -120)
Hurricanes lead series 2-0
7:30 p.m. ET
The Ottawa Senators face a virtual must-win tonight. They are down two games to none as the series shifts to Canada’s capital for games three and four. Both teams are welcoming an extra day off following Monday’s double overtime win by the Hurricanes that saw Ottawa score its first two goals of the series.
Sens captain, Brady Tkachuk, is in search of his first goal of the playoffs. He did have six shots on goal in the game two loss. Tim Stutzle did everything but score in Monday’s game. Around the net the entire night, he finished with two shots on goal and had five others that missed the target. Drake Batherson plays alongside Stutzle, and he has one of the two Ottawa goals in the series. I was on Batherson to lead the series in goals (he has some work to do) because of his strong history with Freddie Anderson. He now has six goals in thirteen games against the Carolina netminder. Dylan Cozens scored Ottawa’s only other goal of the series. He has now scored two goals in his last three games versus Carolina.
With Ottawa in a virtual must-win tonight, I believe they will fire pucks from anywhere and everywhere. Give me Canes goalie, Freddie Andersen Over 22.5 saves. Carolina has put up 36 and 29 shots in regulation in the first two games. I will also be on Ullmark’s Over saves prop, Over 25.5. Andrei Svechnikov leads all players in the series with 13 shots on goal. He has four shots on goal or more in five straight and five or more shots in four consecutive games. Jackson Blake has points in eight of his last nine games and assists in six of his last seven.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Hurricanes Under 6.5/Avalanche Under 6.5 (+143) – 2 units
Stankoven/Blake/Stutzle/Batherson point parlay (+531) – .25
Logan Stankoven anytime goal (+280) – .10
Drake Batherson anytime goal (+250) – .25
Freddie Andersen Over 22.5 saves (-130) – .50
Linus Ullmark Over 25.5 saves (-130) – .50
Andrei Svechnikov 3+ shots on goal (-120) – 1.5 units
Andrei Svechnikov 4+ shots on goal (+210) – .50
Andrei Svechnikov 5+ shots on goal (+500) – .10
Andrei Svechnikov anytime goal (+230) – .10
Jackson Blake Over ½ assist (+170) – .50
