NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets
Toronto Maple Leafs (32-32-14) at NY Islanders (42-31-5)
Maple Leafs (+220) at Islanders (-275) – Total 6.5 (-110)
6:45 p.m. ET
It’s the coaching debut for Pete DeBoer behind the Islanders bench. He takes over from Patrick Roy, who was fired on Sunday. The Isles are three points back of Philadelphia for third in the Metro Division and four points back (don’t have tiebreaker) of the Ottawa Senators for the second Wild Card spot with just four games to play in the regular season. I expect the Islanders to jump out early on a Maple Leafs team who played last night at home, so I will play New York to win the first period and grab some plus money.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Islanders 1st period -1/2 goal (+118) – .50 units
New York Islanders 1st period -1 goal (+275) – .50 units
Columbus Blue Jackets (39-27-12) at Buffalo Sabres (48-23-8)
Blue Jackets (+105) at Sabres (-120) – Total 6 (Over, -118)
7 p.m. ET
The Blue Jackets are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over Detroit on Tuesday, putting a halt to their six-game losing streak. Columbus is two points behind Philadelphia for third place in the Metro Division and three points back of Ottawa (Sens have the tiebreaker) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Jackets have won both meetings this season against Buffalo, defeating the Sabres 5-1 and 4-3. Buffalo is coming off a 5-3 win over the Rangers on Monday night and now have sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started last night for the Sabres so I am expecting Alex Lyon to be between the pipes tonight for Buffalo. Lyon has lost his last three starts (6-2, 5-2 and 6-5), and the first period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in all three (5,3,4 total goals). The Blue Jackets have cashed the first period Over 1.5 in six of their last seven games and 10 of their past 13.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Over 1.5 (-128) – .50
Columbus Blue Jackets/Buffalo Sabres Over 6 (-118) – .50
Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6) at Montreal Canadiens (46-22-10)
Lightning (-118) at Canadiens (-102) – Total 6.5 (-118)
7 p.m. ET
This has the potential to be a first-round match-up if the Sabres can hang on and win the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens won the most recent meeting, defeating the Lightning 4-1 in Tampa, getting goals from both Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Caufield is on a three-game goal drought and is still one shy of 50. Slafkovsky has now gone four games without a goal, but he does have points in four of his last six games. Ivan Demidov has points in seven of his last nine games for Montreal.
Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov has goals in three of his past four games and points in 14 of his last 16 games as he now trails Connor McDavid by six points for the scoring lead after McDavid’s five-point last night in San Jose. Kucherov is one goal shy of tying his career high of 44 goals.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Nikita Kucherov anytime goal (+143) – .25
Juraj Slafkovsky anytime goal (+200) – .10
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+120) – .20
Demidov/Slafkovsky point parlay (+133) – .25
Philadelphia Flyers (40-26-12) at Detroit Red Wings (40-29-9)
Flyers (+100) at Red Wings (-120) – Total 6 (Under, -114)
7 p.m. ET
The Flyers are one of the hottest teams since the Olympic break, winning 15 of 22. They have vaulted into third place in the Metro Division. Detroit is moving in the opposite direction, with just two wins in their past nine games. This game opened with the Red Wings as a (-130) favorite, and the Flyers have been taking money, dropping Detroit to a (-120) favorite. These two teams have played to the first period Under 1.5 in both meetings this season and Detroit is on a 13-3 run to the first period Under in their past 16 games.
Tonight is a bit of a homecoming for Flyers rookie Porter Martone, who played his college hockey at Michigan State. Martone has a goal and four points in his five games with the Flyers. Martone has had five or more shots on goal in three of his five games. Dylan Larkin has had at least three shots on goal in ten of his last thirteen games overall and 11 of his last 13 home games. Trevor Zegras has points in back-to-back games and seven of his last nine. Detroit’s Patrick Kane has a point and an assist in back-to-back and six of his last seven games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Philadelphia Flyers ML (+100) – .25
Regulation Draw (+320) – .05
1st period Under 1.5 (+100) – .25
Martone Over 1.5/Larkin Over 2.5 shots on goal parlay (+127) – .50
Zegras point/Kane assist (+196) – .50
Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-16) at New Jersey Devils (40-35-3)
Pittsburgh Penguins (-110) at New Jersey Devils (-110) – Total 6.5 (Under, -122)
7 p.m. ET
If you like goals, this is the game for you. The Penguins are on a 15-1-1 run to the full game Over, and the Goal in first 10 minutes prop has cashed in 10 of their last 12 games. Fourteen of the last 18 Devils games have had a combined six goals or more, and 12 of their last 18 games have had a combined seven goals or more.
Sidney Crosby has picked up an assist in back-to-back and eight of the last 10 games. Jack Hughes has points in 11 of his last 14 games. Rickard Rakell has goals in five straight and seven of his last eight for the Penguins. Elmer Soderblom has goals in back-to-back and three of the last five games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1stperiod Over 1.5/Over 5.5 (-104) – 1 unit
Jack Hughes point/Crosby assist (+109) – 1 unit
Goal 1st 10 mins-Yes (-168) – .50
Richard Rakell anytime goal (+195) – .25
Elmer Soderblom anytime goal (+900) – .05
Minnesota Wild (45-21-12) at Dallas Stars (46-20-12)
Wild (+104) at Stars (-125) – Total 6.5 (Under, -135)
9 p.m. ET
Second place in the Central Division and home ice advantage are on the line when these division rivals meet tonight in Dallas. The Stars are two points up on the Wild and own the tiebreaker as both teams have four games remaining. The Wild enter tonight’s game winners of four straight, while the Stars are seeking their first two-game winning streak since the middle of March.
I am anticipating a low event game (see parlay below), but I will still dabble in a few player props. The Wild’s Matt Boldy has goals in back-to-back games and three of four (all are the Wild’s 1st goal of the game). Ryan Hartman has a point in seven consecutive games. On the Dallas side, Jason Robertson has 13 goals in 18 games versus Minnesota. He has scored the Stars’ first goal of the game in three of the last four meetings.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Matt Boldy anytime goal (+190) – .25
Matt Boldy 1st Wild goal (+600) – .05
Jason Robertson anytime goal (+140) – .25
Jason Robertson 1st Stars goal (+470) – .05
Calgary Flames (32-36-9) at Colorado Avalanche (51-16-10)
Flames (+250) at Avalanche (-315) – Total 6.5 (Under, -128)
9 p.m. ET
These two teams met 10 days ago in Denver, and the Avalanche absolutely abused the Flames, striking for five first-period goals. They outshot Calgary, 26-9 in the opening 20 minutes and 49-29 for the game. That game was also the first time Nazem Kadri faced his former team (scored twice), and Kadri is out tonight. But I believe we will get a completely different result tonight with the Avalanche having clinched the Central Division, and we should be getting MacKenzie Blackwood in goal for the Avs.
With the Avs being a (-300+) favorite, our system play is alive to take the Underdog to score a first period goal, which is 22-8 this season, and the first period Over 1.5 is also in play, cashing in 22 of the 30 games with a (-300+) betting favorite. I am also on Calgary to win the game outright, and I will ladder their team total.
You should also be aware that the Flames have won 56 consecutive games when scoring four goals or more. Calgary’s Blake Coleman is one shy of the 20-goal mark and his shot volume has been relatively high. Coleman has had at least three shots on goal in four consecutive games and six of his last eight games versus Colorado and seven of ten on the road. The Avs Parker Kelly has goals in five of his last eight games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Parker Kelly anytime goal (+260) – .10
Calgary Flames ML (+250) – .10
Calgary Flames Team Total Over 2.0 (-142) – .25
Calgary Flames Team Total Over 2.5 (+133) – .25
Calgary Flames Team Total Over 3 (+235) – .25
Calgary Flames Team Total Over 3.5 (+310) -.10
Blake Coleman anytime goal (+260) – .15
Blake Coleman Over 2.5 SOG (+125) – .25
Nashville Predators (37-31-10) at Utah Mammoth (41-30-6)
Predators (+140) at Mammoth (-170) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
9 p.m. ET
This is the final stop on a six-game road swing for the Nashville Predators, who currently sit in the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, just one point up on the LA Kings (who have played one less game), three points up on San Jose and four ahead of the Winnipeg Jets. Nashville is five points back of Utah (the Mammoth have the tiebreaker) for the top Wild Card spot, and a win tonight in regulation would not only help their cause in securing one of the two Wild Card spots but also would give them a chance at being Wild Card one and avoiding the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs.
I will take a shot with Nashville tonight, with them being a (+140) road underdog. The Preds have won both their previous meetings in Utah. The full game Over 6 also intrigues me, as well as the first period Over, which has cashed in 11 straight and 13 of the last 15 Utah games.
Nashville’s Steven Stamkos is one goal shy of his eighth career 40-goal season. He has four goals in the five games he has faced Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. Defenseman Roman Josi has four goals in the six games he has faced the Utah netminder. Filip Forsberg has goals in four of his last five games overall and four goals in six games against Utah.
The Mammoth’s Michael Carcone has four goals in six games against Nashville goalie Juuse Saros. Logan Cooley has five points in the past three games against Nashville, and Clayton Keller has registered three shots on goal or more in 12 of his last 14 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Over 1.5 (-126) – 2 units
Over 6 (-120) – 1 unit
Keller Over 2.5 SOG/Cooley Over ½ point (+166) – .50
Michael Carcone anytime goal (+420) – .10
Steven Stamkos anytime goal (+175) – .10
Roman Josi anytime goal (+550) – .05
Filip Forsberg anytime goal (+170) – .10
Best of the Rest:
Flyers/Wings Under 6.5, Pens/Devils Over 5.5, Jets/Blues Under 6.5, Stars/Wild Under 6.5, Ducks/Sharks Over 5.5 (+860) – 1 unit
Florida Panthers 1st period Over ½ goal (-108) – .50
San Jose Sharks Team Total Over 2.5 (-150) – .50
San Jose Sharks Team Total Over 3 (-103) – .50
Owen Zellweger anytime goal (+650) – .05
Vegas Golden Knights in regulation (-105) – 2 units
Vegas/Seattle 1st period Over 1.5 (-124) – 1 unit
