NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, December 19:
It has the potential to be a great night of hockey with nine games on the car, and we have some early season systems plays that are front and center tonight that we will look to take advantage of. In Colorado, we have a battle of goalies who wore the opposing jersey when the season started. I have plays in seven of the nine games with a West Coast theme. Enjoy the night on ice. Here are tonight’s NHL predictions.
New Jersey Devils (-225, 6.5) at Columbus Blue Jackets
7 p.m. ET
The New Jersey Devils are on a roll, winners of three straight and six of nine. Their recent run has them atop the Metropolitan Division standings, one point up on the Washington Capitals (Caps have played three fewer games). The Devils have been far better on the road than they have been at home. New Jersey has won 12 of 15 on the road but has just nine wins in 18 home games.
It’s been the opposite for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have lost five straight and eight of nine games. Six of the eight Columbus losses have been by two or more goals, and that matches up well for Puck Line players. Of New Jersey’s 21 wins this season, they have covered the Puck Line 17 times.
New Jersey has won seven of the last 10 meetings with Columbus.
NHL Prediction: New Jersey Devils -1.5 goals (+114) – 1 unit
New Jersey Devils TT Over 3.5 (-135) – 1 unit
St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning (-225, 6)
7 p.m. ET
After winning five of their first seven games under new head coach Jim Montgomery, the Blues have dropped three of their last four games and now travel to Tampa, where they face a hot Lightning team that has won three straight games and five of their last six. The Lightning are the only team in the NHL that is averaging over four goals per game. Tampa has won four of the last meetings with the Blues and has scored four or more goals in each of the wins. The Blues have given up four or more goals in three of their last four losses. Courtesy of @PsuOtto, nine of the last 11 Tampa games have featured a goal scored in the first 10 minutes of the game. I like Tampa to score at least four goals tonight. If you have a sportsbook that offers “Race to 4 goals,” I will make that play as opposed to the Tampa team’s total Over 3.5 goals. Tampa’s last five home games have featured eight goals or more. Fan Duel has a total of 5.5 available.
NHL Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning Race to 4 goals (+120) – 1 unit
Or
Tampa Bay Lightning TT Over 3.5 goals (-115) – 1 unit
St. Louis Blues/Tampa Bay Lightning Goal 1st 10 minutes (-155) – 1 unit
St. Louis Blues/Tampa Bay Lightning Over 5.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Seattle Kraken (-135, 5.5) at Chicago Blackhawks
8:30 p.m. ET
The Seattle Kraken kick off a four-game road trip tonight in Chicago looking to get their offense going again. The Kraken just wrapped up a four-game homestand, losing three of four and outscored 10-2 in the three losses. Their most recent defeat was 3-0 at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, which triggered a couple of systems plays (Goal in the first 10 minutes and first period Over 1.5). This is the fifth time Seattle will play a game this season after being blanked. For the season, the Goal in First 10 Minutes prop is 38-16, and Seattle is 3-1 in this spot. The first period Over is 34-20, and Seattle has cashed in three of their four times in this scenario. There is one more trend that has proven to be very profitable that the Kraken fall into for tonight’s game. Road favorites like Seattle tonight, coming off a loss in their previous game facing a home team off a win, have a 37% ROI. A look back at the history between these two teams tells us that the Kraken have won three straight, five of six and seven of the last 10 meetings over the Blackhawks. Seven of the past 10 have also gone Over the total.
Chicago has won consecutive games for the second time this season and is seeking its first three-game win streak since March of last season.
NHL Predictions: Seattle Kraken/Chicago Blackhawks Goal in the 1st 10 (-140) – 1 unit
Seattle Kraken/Chicago Blackhawks 1st Period Over 1.5 (-110) – 1 unit
Seattle Kraken ML (-135) – ¾ unit
Seattle Kraken -1.5 goals (+190) – ¼ unit
Vancouver Canucks at Vegas Golden Knights (-170, 5.5)
10 p.m. ET
The Canucks have little time to recover from last night’s 3-2 overtime loss at Utah. Vancouver blew a 2-0 third-period lead and then it was Mikhail Sergachev’s goal with 12 seconds left in overtime that completed the comeback for Utah HC. The Canucks looked gassed in the extra session that I don’t believe had a stoppage in play. Now they head to “The Fortress” to take on the Golden Knights. Vancouver is 0-2 this season on the second half of back-to-backs, losing by scores of 5-3 and 5-4. Kevin Lankinen will likely get the start for Vancouver tonight, with Thatcher Demko playing last night in Utah. Lankinen was the goalie for the Canucks 5-3 loss on the back end of the back-to-back at home to Nashville. Arturs Silovs played in the loss to Pittsburgh. Lankinen’s streak of 10 consecutive road wins came to an end in his last road start, a 3-2 setback in overtime to Minnesota.
Vegas returns home after a successful road trip, taking two of three games with wins over Winnipeg and Minnesota. The Golden Knights are four points back of Winnipeg for first overall in the NHL and have three games in hand. Nine of the next 12 games for the Golden Knights will be on home ice. High event first periods have been the norm in Vegas home games. Ten of their 14 home games have featured at least two goals. The Knights are 11-3-0 on home ice this season, with 10 of the wins coming in regulation.
NHL Predictions: Vegas Golden Knights 1st period (-1/2 goal) +145 – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights in Regulation (-110) – 2 units
Vancouver Canucks/Vegas Golden Nights 1st period Over 1.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche (-260, 6.5) at San Jose Sharks
10:30 p.m. ET
It is expected to be the battle of goalies taking on their former teams tonight in San Jose when Mackenzie Blackwood (former Sharks goalie) goes up against Alexandar Georgiev (former Avs goalie). In Georgiev’s 17 starts with Colorado, the Avalanche were 1-15-1 in the first period, and he is 0-1-1 in the opening 20 minutes in his two starts with San Jose.
Both the Avs and the Sharks are coming off losses. San Jose squandered a 3-2 third-period lead to Winnipeg on Tuesday and lost 4-3 in regulation. Overall, the Sharks have lost five of their past six games. The Over is 7-0-1 in the Sharks’ last eight home games.
Colorado avoided being blanked by Vancouver on Monday, scoring their only goal of the game in the final minute of the third period in a 3-1 loss to the Canucks. In their three previous games following a loss where they scored one goal or less, the Avs have won 6-4, 5-4 and 5-2. San Jose has given up four or more goals in five of their last seven losses.
History is on Colorado’s side when it comes to this matchup. The Avalanches have won the last 10 meetings, 14 of 15 and 18 of 20 versus the Sharks.
NHL Predictions: Colorado Avalanche 1st period (-1/2 goal) +115 – 3 units
Colorado Avalanche/San Jose SharksOver 6.5 (-110) – ½ unit
Colorado Avalanche in Regulation (-165) – ½ unit
Best of the Rest NHL Predictions:
LA Kings -1.5 goals (+154) – 1 unit
Ottawa Senators -1.5 goals (+185) – ½ unit
Ottawa Senators TT Over 3.5 (+140) – ½ unit
