NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Vegas Golden Knights (24-12-12) at Boston Bruins (28-20-2)
Golden Knights (-135) at Bruins (-110) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
Will the Golden Knights as a team be looking ahead to tomorrow night’s game in Toronto, or will it be just Mitch Marner thinking about his first game back in Toronto against his former team in the city he grew up? It’s hard for me to believe that it won’t be on Marner’s mind, as many of the Toronto and national media made their way to Boston yesterday to hear from Marner. Vegas players won’t be available on Friday in advance of the game.
I am going to pass on the “side” in this contest, but there are a few totals that have caught my eye. The Golden Knights are 15-8 to the first period Over (1.5 goals) on the road, and the Bruins are 18-8 to the first period Over (1.5) at home (thanks @RogersPicks for those stats). Three of the last four meetings between the two teams have had a combined two goals or more in the opening twenty minutes. Vegas has won three straight meetings versus the Bruins and scored four or more goals in all three wins. The Knights have scored at least four goals in six of their last eight games. Vegas is also 5-1 to the Over after scoring a goal or less.
On to the props. Vegas has scored a power play goal in six of the last eight games and the Bruins’ penalty kill has struggled of late, giving up four goals in the last three games. Pavel Dorofeyev has scored five goals in the last three games against the Bruins and opened the scoring for Vegas against Boston in each of the last two games. The Vegas forward has also cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in five of his last six games and in each of his last three games against the B’s. I will also continue to ride the Mark Stone goal train. Stone did not score in the Knights’ last game against the Flyers, but he does have goals in 10 of his last 12 games. On the Boston side, Marat Khusnutdinov remains on the top line, and we are getting a great price (+475) for his anytime goal.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Over 1.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Nights Team Total Over 3 (-134) – 1 unit
Vegas/Boston Over 6 (-115) – 1 unit
Pavel Dorofeyev first Vegas goal (+650) – .05
Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal (+200) – .15
Mark Stone anytime goal (+185) – .10
Vegas Golden Knights Over ½ Power Play goal (-110) – .25
Marat Khusnutdinov anytime goal (+475) – .10
Buffalo Sabres (27-17-5) at Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7)
Sabres (+100) at Canadiens (-125) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
This is the third of four meetings between the two teams this season, with each team winning on home ice. The Sabres are four points back of Montreal and have a game in hand on the Habs. Montreal sits in third place in the Atlantic Division. Montreal is coming off back-to-back wins over Ottawa and Minnesota and seeks their second three-game winning streak this month.
The Sabres are playing their third game in four days, all on the road, and it will be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen getting the start tonight. Luukkonen has lost his last two starts and has way better numbers at home than he does on the road. UPL is 2-6-1 on the road with a 3.07 goals-against average as opposed to at home, where he is 8-1-1 with a 2.38 goals-against average.
Sam Montembeault gets the start for Montreal, and he is 5-5 in his career against the Sabres with a goals against average of 3.04. I am going to pass on the “side” and full game total, but I will be on the 1st period Over 1.5 goals. Buffalo is on an 8-1 run to the 1st period Over, and the Canadiens are on an 8-3 run.
On to the player props. Let’s start with Buffalo. Tage Thompson had a hat trick in the previous meeting versus Montreal, and that was against Jacob Fowler, but he does have five goals in nine games against Sam Montembeault. The Habs are struggling big time on the penalty kill, giving up six goals in the last three games, and that leads me to Josh Doan and Noah Ostlund props with both players on the top power play for Buffalo. Playing alongside Ostlund is rookie Konsta Helenius. The Sabres rookie scored his first NHL goal in Buffalo’s win over Nashville and has three points in three games.
For the Canadiens, I will continue to stay on the Cole Caufield train. The Habs forward has goals in three straight games (four total). With Pekka-Luukkonen starting, give me a Josh Anderson anytime goal. The veteran Montreal forward has three goals in four games versus Luukkonen. The best price available for the Anderson goal is available to our friends north of the border at Betano.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Konsta Helenius anytime goal (+525) – .05
Josh Doan Over ½ Power Play Point (+375) – .10
Noah Ostlund Over ½ Power Play Point (+500) – .10
Noah Ostlund anytime goal (+370) – .10
Josh Doan Over 1.5 shots on goal (-135) – .50
Josh Doan anytime goal (+300) – .05
Josh Doan assist (+172) – .10
Sam Montembeault Over 22.5 saves – .50
Josh Anderson anytime goal (+450) – .05
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+150) – .25
Brendan Gallagher Over 1.5 shots on goal (+100) – .25
Pittsburgh Penguins (24-14-11) at Edmonton Oilers (25-18-8)
Penguins (+145) at Oilers (-175) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)
9 p.m. ET
No deep dive into this one. We are going back with Connor McDavid and Over 3.5 shots on goal as our best bet for today. McDavid has cashed this in 13 straight home games, and I will take a shot at McDavid to register at least two shots on goal and three shots on goal in the first period as well. He has cashed the first period prop in six of the last nine home games. I am also on the Oilers team total Over 3.5 (-113) and the full game Over as well. Then this nugget from my good friend, Ian Cameron (@bobanobets). The Oilers are 6-0 to the team total Over and 5-1 to the full game Over after a game when they score one goal or less. The shared wealth of information among the group of friends I have in the betting community has made all of us better at what we do.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Connor McDavid Over 3.5 shots on goal (-130) – 3 units
Connor McDavid 1st period Over 1.5 shots on goal (+172) -. 25
Connor McDavid 1st period over 2.5 shots on goal (+560) – .15
Edmonton Oilers Team Total Over 3.5 (-113) – 1 unit
Edmonton Oilers/Pittsburgh Penguins Over 6.5 (-120) – .50
