NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, January 9:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning (-165, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Bruins enter tonight off the wrong side of a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. With Boston being blanked in their last game, we have our favorite system plays of Goal in the first 10 minutes (50-21) and the first period Over 1.5 goals (45-26). The Bruins have cashed the goal in the first 10 minutes prop in six straight and eight of their last 10 games (stat courtesy of @PsuOtto), and the Bruins have cashed the first period Over 1.5 goals in 11 of their last 13 road games (stat courtesy of @RogersPicks).
The Bruins have lost five straight overall and have dropped three of the last four meetings to the Lightning. Boston has just three wins in 12 games as a road underdog, while the Lightning are 10-4 as the home betting favorite.
Tampa’s Jake Guentzel has had a great deal of success against both Bruins goalies, scoring seven goals in nine games against Jeremy Swayman and seven goals in seven games against Joonas Korpisalo. If Swayman does get the start tonight for Boston, then Brandon Hagel is on my list for an anytime goal. Hagel has four goals in four games versus Swayman. David Pastrnak had back-to-back two goals prior to the B’s 4-0 loss to Edmonton. He has 14 goals in 21 games against Andrei Vasilevskiy (Best odds at FanDuel for all three players).
NHL Predictions: Jake Guentzel anytime goal (+175) – ½ unit
Boston Bruins/Tampa Bay Lightning Goal 1st 10 minutes (-145) – 1.5 units
Boston Bruins/Tampa Bay Lightning 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-125) – 1.5 units
Brandon Hagel (if Swayman starts) (+200) – ¼ unit
David Pastrnak anytime goal (+145) – ¼ unit
Edmonton Oilers (-220, 6.5) at Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m. ET
The Oilers have been one of the league’s hottest teams. Edmonton has won four straight and 10 of their last 15 games. The Oilers have scored four or more goals in three of their last four games. Edmonton has won seven straight over Pittsburgh, including a 4-0 win over the Pens in October. The Oilers have scored four or more goals in five of the seven wins and have won all seven games by three or more goals. Edmonton has won by three goals (twice), four goals (three times) and five goals (twice). Pittsburgh has surrendered four or more goals in 20 of their 25 losses this season.
NHL Predictions: Edmonton Oilers TT Over 3.5 (-125) – 1.5 units
Edmonton Oilers to win by 2 (+550) – ¼ unit
Edmonton Oilers to win by 3 (+350) – ¼ unit
Edmonton Oilers to win by 4 (+700) – ¼ unit
Edmonton Oilers to win by 5 (+2000) – ¼ unit
Seattle Kraken (-125, 6.5) at Columbus Blue Jackets
7 p.m. ET
The Kraken opened as a (-115) road favorite and have been bet up to (-125) despite getting just 43% of the bets and 30% of the money. Bettors must be relying on the fact that Seattle has won the last five meetings between the two teams and should get a boost from the return of number one netminder, Joey Daccord. The Kraken have lost three straight overall, while the Jackets have won six of their last nine games. I am going to stay away from playing either side but will focus on both the first period Over 1.5 goals and the full game Over 6.5. The Jackets have cashed the first period Over 1.5 goals in 15 of 21 home games, while the Kraken have cashed the first period Over in six of their last nine road games (12-7 for the season on the road). Columbus owns the league’s best record (28-12-1) for games going Over the total. Seattle has been an Over machine on the road with their last three road games and six of their past nine, having seven or more combined goals.
Kaapo Kakko has taken advantage of his trade from the Rangers to the Kraken. Kakko has five points in eight games with Seattle, including four assists in his last three games.
NHL Predictions: Seattle Kraken/Columbus Blue Jackets 1st period Over 1.5 (-135) – 1.5 units
Seattle Kraken/Columbus Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (+102) – 1.5 units
Kaapo Kakko Over ½ assist (+230) – ¼ unit
Vince Dunn Over ½ assist (+130) – ¼ unit
Adam Fantilli Over ½ assist (+220) – ½ unit
Zach Werenski Over 3.5 SOG (-110) – 1 unit
Best of the Rest:
Thomas Harley (Dallas) anytime goal (+900) – ¼ unit
Travis Konecny (Philly) anytime goal (+195) – ¼ unit
Matthew Knies (Toronto) anytime goal (+300) – ¼ unit
Nic Robertson (Toronto) anytime goal (+600) – ¼ unit
Troy Terry (Anaheim, if Joel Hofer starts for STL) (+230) – ¼ unit
Nikita Nesterenko (Anaheim) anytime goal (+700) – ¼ unit
Robert Thomas (St. Louis) anytime goal (+215) – ¼ unit
Dylan Holloway (St. Louis) Over ½ assist (+185) – ¼ unit
Bo Horvat (Islanders) anytime goal (+260) – ¼ unit
Tomas Hertl (Vegas) anytime goal (+230) – ¼ unit
