NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, January 30:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Chicago Blackhawks at Carolina Hurricanes (-470, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
From a betting standpoint, this is my favorite game on the card tonight. We have the Blackhawks coming off a rare game when they didn’t cash the first period Over 1.5 (just the second time in the last 17 games). Both Chicago and Carolina have been a great bet on a goal in the first 10 minutes of the game (Yes). The Blackhawks have cashed this wager in 12 of their last 14 games. The Hurricanes are on a 16-5 run at home with a goal being scored in the first 10 minutes of their games.
From a player prop standpoint, we have Taylor Hall facing his former team for the first time since the trade and Teuvo Teravainen playing his first game in Carolina since signing with the Blackhawks in the offseason. Mikko Rantanen is still in search of his first goal with the Hurricanes, but he has cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 2.5) in each of his two games with Carolina. At the time of this writing, I still have not been able to find a point or assist prop for Taylor Hall.
I will also grab the Blackhawks on the money line. These two teams met 10 days ago in Chicago, with the Canes battling back from down 3-1 before squeezing out a 4-3 overtime win. I know Carolina has dominated this match up, winning 9 of 10, 17 of 20 and 21 of the last 30 meetings, but at +360, it’s worth a pizza money bet.
NHL Predictions: Goal in the 1st 10 minutes/Yes (-165) – 2 units
1st Period Over 1.5 (-140) – 2 units
Mikko Rantanen Over 2.5 SOG (-155) – 1 unit
Teuvo Teravainen Over ½ point (+126) – ¼ unit
Chicago Blackhawks ML (+360) – ¼ unit
Chicago Blackhawks +1.5 (+142) – ¼ unit
Washington Capitals (-115, 5.5) at Ottawa Senators
7 p.m. ET
A matchup between two teams that are massively trending to games going Under the total. Washington Capitals games have gone Under the total in 10 consecutive games, and Ottawa is on a 15-1-1 run to the Under. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson has given up two or fewer goals in 10 of his last 12 starts. Thompson is 4-1 lifetime against Ottawa with a goals against average of two and one shutout.
Caps games have gone Under the total in the first period in eight of the last 10 games, and Ottawa has gone Under in the first period in seven of their last nine games.
These two teams met back on January 16 in Ottawa, with the Caps coming away with a 1-0 overtime win. It should have come as no surprise the game went past 60 minutes. It was the fourth time in the last six meetings they have needed extra time to decide a winner.
NHL Predictions: 1st Period Under 1.5 (-120) – 1.5 units
Full Game Under 5.5. (-130) – 1.5 units
Regulation Draw (+290) – ¼ unit
Los Angeles Kings at Tampa Bay Lightning (-155, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
Scoring goals has been a massive problem for the LA Kings of late. LA was shut out last night (3-0) by the Florida Panthers and have scored two goals or less in 10 of their last 11 games. With the Kings being a shutout victim last night, they fell into our system plays (Goal 1st 10 minutes and 1st period Over 1.5). The Kings’ 5-2 record on the second half of a back-to-back looks good on the surface, but the two losses are as a road underdog, which is the situation they are in tonight at Tampa. For the season, LA is 3-9 as a road underdog and 6-8 as the road favorite.
The numbers only get worse when it comes to playing in Tampa for Los Angeles. The Kings have lost eight straight and nine of 10 in Tampa. Four of the last five contests in Tampa have gone past regulation, with the Lightning winning all four games.
David Rittich is expected to get the start in goal for LA tonight, as Darcy Kuemper played last night against the Panthers. Rittich has struggled on the road this season, with just three wins in 11 road starts. His 3.20 GAA away from home is a full goal higher than when he plays at home (2.11). He is 0-3 in his career against the Lightning with a goals against average of 4.22.
NHL Predictions: Goal in the 1st 10/Yes (-145) – 2 units
1st Period Over 1.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Tampa Bay Lightning ML (-140) – 1 unit
Regulation Draw (+310) – ¼ unit
Minnesota Wild at Montreal Canadiens (-140, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Wild are coming off a hard-fought win at Toronto last night and are on the second half of a back-to-back tonight at Montreal. Minnesota is 3-5 on the back end of back-backs this season. They have lost all four times when they have been a road dog in this spot. But the Wild have owned the Habs over the years, winning nine of 10 and 17 of 18. Tonight will be the final game in Montreal of Marc-Andre Fleury’s career. The Quebec native will have more than 100 family and friends in the building. “Always feel such an honor to play on (the Canadiens’) ice,” Fleury said. “It’ll be very special, for sure.”
Fleury will be opposed by Jakub Dobes at the other end of the ice. Dobes had his five-game win streak to start the season come to an end with a 4-3 overtime loss to New Jersey on Saturday. Outside of his debut (4-0 shutout over Florida), the Habs have given up the first goal of the game in all but one of his six starts.
Matt Boldy has five goals in six games against the Canadiens. Marcus Foligno has goals in three straight.
NHL Predictions: Minnesota Wild ML (+120) – 1.5 units
Minnesota Wild to score the first goal (-105) – ½ unit
Matt Boldy anytime goal (+180) – ¼ unit
Marcus Foligno anytime goal (+460)- ¼ unit
NY Islanders (-125, 5.5) at Philadelphia Flyers
7:30 p.m. ET
This game opened with both teams at (-110) and has since seen the Islanders move to a road favorite (-125). According to our VSIN Betting Splits page, the Islanders are getting 58% of the bets and 87% of the money. Why does the line move, you ask? The Flyers are on the second half of a back-to-back and are a horrendous (1-8) on the back end of back-to-backs this season, including a 3-1 loss to the Islanders on January 24. The Islanders have won five straight, giving up two goals or less in all five. They have given up two or fewer goals in eight of their last nine games. Ivan Fedotov gets the start in goal for the Flyers. He has lost six of his last seven starts. Philly has scored two goals or less in six of his last seven starts. Brock Nelson has two goals in two games against Ivan Fedotov.
NHL Predictions: New York Islanders ML (-125) – 1.5 units
Philadelphia Flyers TT Under 2.5 (+105) – ½ unit
Brock Nelson anytime goal (+230) – ¼ unit
Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames (-170, 5.5)
9 p.m. ET
The first wager that caught my attention when looking at this game is the goal in the first 10 minutes prop. Ducks games have had a goal in the first 10 scored in nine of their last 10 games and eleven of their last 15 games on the road. Seven of the last nine Calgary games have had a goal scored in the first 10 minutes.
The Flames have won eight of the last 10 meetings, but the Ducks have won two of the last three in Calgary. The Ducks have scored three or more goals in their last three trips to Calgary. The Flames have given up three or more goals in each of their last three games, losing two of their last three overall. The Ducks have scored 16 goals in their last three games. Anaheim has won 20 of 22 games this season when scoring three or more goals.
One player prop that jumped off the page for me. Andrei Kuzmenko has 10 goals in eight games against the Ducks and four goals in three games against Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal.
NHL Prediction: Goal in the 1st 10/Yes (-145) – 1 unit
Anaheim Ducks TT over 2.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Anaheim Ducks ML (+145) – ½ unit
Andrei Kuzmenko anytime goal (+470) – ¼ unit
Mason McTavish anytime goal (+320) – ¼ unit
