NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, February 6:
Here are today’s NHL predictions:
Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning (-160, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Senators and Lightning meet in Tampa for the second time in two days. Tampa won the Tuesday game, 4-3. Linus Ullmark returned to the Senators net for the first time since December 22, stopping 34 of the 37 shots he faced. Ottawa will turn to Anton Forsberg tonight. The Lightning will go back to Andrei Vasilevskiy. If you have any concerns about Forsberg, he is 6-2 to the first period Under in his last eight games. If you follow me on Twitter (X), you would have seen that I posted the first period Under 1.5 goals as well as the second period Over 1.5 goals in the Tuesday game. I will come back with both of those plays today, but as I did on Tuesday, the second period Over will be a “live” wager and not pregame. I am looking for a better line than the (-180) for the second period over where it sits right now.
NHL Predictions: 1st Period Under 1.5 (-110) – 1 unit
2nd Period Over 1.5 (live line play) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights at New Jersey Devils (-110, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The New Jersey Devils opened as a (-130) favorite, and this game has since been bet down to (-110) on both sides. The Golden Knights are going through one of their worst stretches in franchise history. Vegas has lost four straight and has just three wins in their last 14 games, Additionally, they have lost six of their last seven on the road. Yet, both “pros and joes” are on the Golden Knights as Vegas is taking in 48% of the bets and 79% of the money (according to our VSIN Betting Splits page), making this a coin flip game based on the current odds. Working in favor of the Golden Knights is that with Jacob Markstrom injured, the Golden Knights will see the Devils’ second or third-string goalie (Jake Allen or Nico Daws). I mention this because 12 of the Knights’ last 13 wins have come against a backup goalie. Vegas is 1-8-3 in their last 12 games when facing the opposition’s number-one goalie. New Jersey has won four of their last six games but will be without their leading goalscorer, Nico Hischier (24), who was placed on Injured Reserve today.
Three of the last four meetings have gone to overtime. Like the Tampa game, I will also play the second period Over 1.5 goals (in-game only).
NHL Predictions: Vegas Golden Knights ML (-110) – 1 unit
2nd period Over 1.5 (in game/live line) – 1 unit
Regulation Draw (+295) – ¼ unit
Washington Capitals (-160, 5.5) at Philadelphia Flyers
7 p.m. ET
Just two plays in this game, and they both involve Alexander Ovechkin.
NHL Predictions: Ovechkin anytime goal (+130) – ¾ unit
Ovechkin last goal (+850) – ¼ unit
Carolina Hurricanes (-160, 5.5) at Minnesota Wild
7:30 p.m. ET
Tonight’s game features both teams in the system play, with the Wild being blanked by the Bruins on Tuesday. They have been shut out in consecutive games. Carolina is coming off a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets. If the first period Over 1.5 goals does not cash, I will double down on the second period to go Over 1.5 goals. Teams in the system play that don’t cash the first period Over are on a 10-3 run to the second period Over and 27-17 overall.
The Hurricanes opened tonight as a (-130) favorite and have been bet up all the way to (-190). Even with the Wild without the injured Kirill Kaprizov and the suspension of Ryan Hartman, it is just too steep a price to play Carolina on the money line. The Hurricanes have just 12 wins in 27 road games. The Wild are (0-7) as home underdogs.
NHL Predictions: Goal 1st 10/Yes (-135) – 1 unit
1st Period Over 1.5 (-115) – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche (-160, 5.5) at Calgary Flames
9 p.m ET
Keeping this very simple. The Avalanche were shut out by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, so they are in our system play.
NHL Predictions: Goal 1st 10/Yes (-145) -1 unit
1st Period Over 1.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs (-160, 6) at Seattle Kraken
10 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs have dominated this matchup, winning six of the seven meetings with Seattle though I do wonder if this could be a look-ahead game for Toronto with the Vancouver Canucks next up on Saturday night. That is keeping me from playing the Maple Leafs on the money line, but I will target a variety of prop plays. The first period Over in Seattle games are on a 15-3 run and four of the last five Maple Leafs games have also gone Over the total in the opening 20 minutes. I will be on the second period Over if the first period goes Under. I have many stats to explain why the second period Over is a good bet if the first period goes Under, but your head would explode.
Shop around for the full game total. There are a lot of places offering six. Twelve of Toronto’s last 17 road games have had six or more and the Kraken have hit six goals or more in 16 of their last 21 overall.
NHL Predictions: 1st Period Over 1.5 (-135) – 1 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs/Seattle Kraken Over 6 (-120) – 1unit
William Nylander Over 3.5 SOG (+125) – 1 unit
Eeli Tolvanen anytime goal (+360) – ¼ unit
Jared McCann anytime goal (+320) – ¼ unit
Auston Matthews anytime goal (+100)- ¼ unit
Shane Wright Over ½ point (+138) – ¼ unit
