NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, March 27:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Montreal Canadiens (-120, 5.5) at Philadelphia Flyers
7 p.m. ET
Huge news out of Philadelphia this morning with the announcement that the Flyers have fired head coach John Tortorella. Following the Flyers’ 7-2 loss to Toronto on Tuesday, Torts said, “I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now.” It sure sounds like Tortorella was begging to get fired. Brad Shaw will take over behind the bench for the remainder of the season.
The Flyers have lost six straight and 11 of their last 12, being outscored 51-22. So, do the Flyers get the “new coach bump” tonight? It’s possible, but the Canadiens have dropped three straight and are in a dogfight of their own for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with four teams within three points of the Habs. The Canadiens were routed by St. Louis, 6-1, on Tuesday. For the first time in seven games (3-1-3), they failed to earn at least one point. After the loss, Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis summed it up, “It’s not failure tonight, to me, it’s fertilizer.” After tonight’s game in Philly, the Habs face Carolina tomorrow and then home and home with the Florida Panthers. For the Habs, earning the win tonight, in any fashion, is a must.
The Canadiens won their only meeting against the Flyers this season and have won three straight and seven of the last contests between the two teams. Montreal has scored four goals or more in six of the seven wins. The first period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in the last five Montreal games and eleven of their last 14 games. Five of the last seven Flyers’ games have seen the first period fly over the total (1.5) as well. From our good buddy @PsuOtto, Canadiens games have had a goal scored in the first 10 minutes in 11 of their last 13 games. I don’t love the price (-168) pregame, but I may jump on it live hoping we don’t get a goal in the opening two minutes. With Montreal on the front end of a back-to-back, it appears that Jakub Dobes will get the start tonight for the Canadiens. Dobes has won six of his 12 starts this season but has surrendered the first goal of the game ten times.
A couple of player props on my card for tonight. The Canadiens’ Cole Caufield has recorded 30 shots on goal in his eight career games against the Flyers and has had three or more shots on goal in eight of his last 10 games overall. Caufield and teammate Nick Suzuki are each averaging a point a game versus the Flyers in their careers.
NHL Predictions: Canadiens TT over 3.5 (+124) – 1 unit
1st period Over 1.5 (-138) – ¼ unit
1st period BTTS (+158) – ¼ unit
Flyers to score first goal of the game (+130) – ¼ unit
Cole Caufield Over 2.5 SOG (-140) – ¼ unit
Cole Caufield/Nick Suzuki Over ½ point parlay (-116) – ¼ unit
St. Louis Blues (-135, 5.5) at Nashville Predators
8 p.m. ET
Tonight is the fourth and final meeting between the Blues and Predators this season, and it’s the third in the last 10 days. St. Louis will go for a four-game sweep of the season series that has seen them outscore Nashville 15-6. They have scored four goals or more in all three games and won by three goals in each victory. Ten of Nashville’s last 12 losses overall have been by three goals or more. The Blues have won seven straight overall and have scored four goals or more in all seven wins while giving up two goals or fewer and winning by three goals or more in six of the seven victories.
This game features a Cheesecake Factory menu of St. Louis Blues props. The Blues’ Dylan Holloway is on a seven-game assist streak (nine total) and has six assists against the Predators this season. Robert Thomas has six assists in his last two games and four helpers in the three games this season against Nashville. Zack Bolduc has three goals in his last four games (one goal this season vs Nashville), plays on the Blues’ top line, and the number one power play has great value to score a goal.
The first period Over has cashed in all three meetings.
NHL Predictions: St. Louis Blues TT over 3.5 (+140) – 2 units
St. Louis Blues -1.5 goals (+184) – ¼ unit
St. Louis Blues -2.5 goals (+350) – ¼ unit
1st period over 1.5 goals (-112) – ¼ unit
Dylan Holloway Over ½ assist (+164) – ¼ unit
Robert Thomas/Jordan Kyrou Over ½ point each parlay (+115) – ¼ unit
Zack Bolduc anytime goal (+310) – ¼ unit
Washington Capitals (-160, 5.5) at Minnesota Wild
8 p.m. ET
Alexander Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record (894) continues tonight in Minnesota with the “Great 8” just six goals shy of becoming the all-time goal leader. Ovechkin took one step closer on Tuesday at Winnipeg with his 36th goal of the season that tied the game at 2 in the third period. The Ovechkin third period goal cashed a pair of prop bets (anytime goal +140, 3rd period goal +500). This will be the second and final meeting this season between the Caps and the Wild. Ovechkin scored against the Wild when the two teams met on January 2 and scored 21 goals in 24 career games against Minnesota. He has two goals in three games against the Wild’s expected starting goalie, Filip Gustavsson. Aliaksei Protas, who plays with Ovechkin on the top line, has an assist in four straight games
NHL Predictions: Alex Ovechkin anytime goal (+115) – ¼ unit
Alex Ovechkin 3rd period goal (+420) – ¼ unit
Alex Ovechkin last goal (+750) – ¼ unit
Alex Ovechkin Over 3.5 SOG (-120) – 1 unit
Aliaksei Protas Over ½ assist (+210) – ¼ unit
Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche (-155, 5.5)
10 p.m. ET
It’s the marquee matchup of the night as the Los Angeles Kings have an opportunity to move four points ahead of Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division and close to within three points of the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the Pacific. It won’t be an easy task for LA, who has just 14 wins in 37 road games. They face a Colorado team that has won 10 straight on home ice and 11 of their last 13 overall. The Kings have won nine of their last 10 overall. Seven of the nine wins have come on home ice, where they are 26-3-4 this season. Even with the Kings’ poor road record and Colorado’s dominant home record (24 wins in 36 games), the money line price is too steep for me to play the home favorite, though I do feel they come away with the victory tonight. I do like the game to go over the total of 5.5. The last seven meetings between the two teams in the Mile High City have had a combined six goals or more.
A couple of player props on my card for tonight include Kings captain Anze Kopitar to record an assist. His 63 career points (45 assists) versus Colorado are the most points versus the Avalanche of any current player in the NHL. Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen is tied for second on the team with 27 goals and has four goals in five games versus the Kings’ expected starting goalie, Darcy Kuemper.
NHL Predictions: Over 5.5 (-115) – 1.5 units
Anze Kopitar Over ½ assist (+148) – ¼ unit
Artturi Lehknonen anytime goal (+270) – ¼ unit
