NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Utah Mammoth at Montreal Canadiens
Utah (-120) at Montreal (+100) – Total 6.5 (Over, -118)
7 p.m. ET
The Canadiens will have had 48 hours to stew over their 5-4 overtime loss, blowing a 4-0 lead with less than 3 minutes left in regulation when they hit the ice tonight against the Utah Mammoth. Montreal should get a boost with Nick Suzuki back in the lineup. The Habs have won each of the past three meetings with Utah, scoring 4+ goals in each victory. All three games have had a combined 7+ goals. The Over has cashed in 10 of Montreal’s 15 games this season, while the Mammoth have gone Over the full game total in 10 of 16. Utah is coming off a 3-2 win at Toronto on Tuesday and has traded wins and losses over the past nine games. They have not won back-to-back games since winning three straight in mid-October (10,13,15).
This is a player prop-heavy game for me. Utah’s Clayton Keller is riding a three-game assist streak (six total). He has 15 assists in 15 games this season, with 12 of those coming on the power play. The Mammoth own the league’s second-best power play (Anaheim #1) and have been torching the opposition on the road, with the extra man scoring eight times in their last 15 chances. Former Canadiens defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is riding an eight-game points streak (three goals, seven assists) and has points in six of his last eight head-to-head meetings versus Montreal. Nick Schmaltz has registered at least three shots on goal in four consecutive games and four of his last five games against the Habs.
For the Canadiens, Cole Caufield is not just “Mr. Saturday Night,” he is also “Mr. Two Pointer.” Caufield has points in seven games this season, all have been two-point games (eight games without a point). He has points in six of eight games versus Utah.
The Mammoth have decided to give Sebastian Cossa a second consecutive start and give Karel Vejmelka another night off. Cossa has won four of his five starts for the Mammoth. Jakub Dobes goes in goal for Montreal.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6.5 (-118) – ½ unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+155) – ½ unit
Cole Caufield 2+ points (+285) – ¼ unit
Cole Caufield 1+ point/Sergachev 1+ point/Hutson 1+ assist/Keller 1+ assist (+450) – ½ unit
Caufield/Schmaltz 2+ shots each (-135) – 1 unit
Caufield/Schmaltz 3+ shots each (+254) – ½ unit
Nick Schmaltz 3+ shots on goal (+146) – ¼ unit
Clayton Keller 1+ assist (-114) – 1 unit
Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning
Chicago (+340) at Tampa Bay (-450)
7 p.m. ET
Just an awful spot for the Blackhawks tonight in Tampa as they are on the second half back-to-back after losing to the Florida Panthers last night, 5-3. Chicago also finds themselves playing their fifth game in eight days and sixth game in ten 10 days. Chicago has now dropped seven of their last eight and given up 4+ goals in six of the seven losses. For the second consecutive game, the Bolts are facing the team on the back end of a back-to-back. Tuesday, they doubled up the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2, and scored 4+ goals in seven of their nine wins. Chicago has given up 4+ goals in 11 of their 12 losses. BetMGM is one sportsbook that offers a “flat 4” for team totals. This game also fits our system play of taking a +300 underdog to score a goal in the first period.
Two player props for me today. Nikita Kucherov has two goals on five shots versus Hawks starting goalie Arvid Soderblom, and tonight will be the first time Ilya Mikheyev forces his former team since signing a free-agent deal with Tampa this summer.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Total Over 4 (-155) – 2 units
Nikita Kucherov anytime goal (+135) – ¼ unit
Ilya Mikheyev Over ½ point (+135) – ¼ unit
Chicago Blackhawks 1st period TT Over ½ goal (-105) – ¼ unit
Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
Anaheim (+160) at Edmonton (-190) – Total 7 (Under, -130)
8 p.m. ET
Connor McDavid is treating the NHL like a video game. McDavid leads the NHL with 40 points, and the Oilers have the top three-point producers (Leon Draisaitl 29, Evan Bouchard 28) to start the season. McDavid has had both a point and an assist in all 16 games this season. His 31 assists alone would have him atop the scoring race. He has had two assists in each of his last three regular season games versus Anaheim, and six times in his last 11 (regular season) games he has had 2+ assists against Anaheim. The Ducks have cashed the Over in each of their last five games, and nine of the last 12 regular season meetings between the two teams have had a combined seven goals or more (seven times, 8+ goals).
I recommend playing McDavid for 2+ points and parlay it with the Over 6.5. A smaller play on McDavid for 2+ assists. His running mate, Leon Draisaitl, has 28 goals in 39 career games versus the Ducks. On the Ducks side, no one is hotter than Cutter Gauthier, who enters tonight off back-to-back hat tricks and a two-goal game. Eight of Gauthier’s 10 goals have come with the extra man. Jackson LaCombe is on a heater with assists in seven consecutive games overall and four straight and six of eight against the Oilers. Tristan Luneau has points in five straight (2G,6A). Leo Carlsson leads Anaheim with 22 points and 14 of those have come on the power play. Anaheim has the league’s number one power play while the Oilers rank 31st on the penalty kill at home.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6.5/McDavid 2+ points (+122) – 1.5 units
Connor McDavid 2+ assists (+190) – ½ unit
Draisaitl, McDavid, Gauthier, Carlsson – 1pt each/Lacombe assist (+305) – ½ unit
Cutter Gauthier anytime goal (+140) – ½ unit
Cutter Gauthier 2+ goals (+900) – ¼ unit
Jackson LaCombe assist (-105) – 1 unit
Tristan Luneau 1+ point (+155) – ¼ unit
Cutter Gauthier 1+ power play point (+190) – ½ unit
Leo Carlsson 1+ power play point (+190) – ½ unit
Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche
Nashville (+180) at Colorado (-220) – Total 6.5 (Under, -115)
9:30 p.m. ET
The Avs are coming off a 7-2 thumping in Columbus on Tuesday and are 4-1 this season off a loss. They are an even more impressive 6-1-1 on home ice and have scored 5+ goals in all six wins, and the full-game Over has flown over the total in seven of the eight games. Overall, the Avs have cashed the full-game Over (6.5) in each of their last seven games. It’s also a “revenge” spot for Colorado, who got pumped by the Predators in Nashville 12 days ago by the tune of 6-2. Tonight marks the return of two former Avs players, Jack Drury and Ross Colton, to Ball Arena for the first time since being traded in the summer to Nashville. Drury scored in the 6-2 win on October 25.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6.5 (-105) – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche Team Total Over 3.5 (-140) – 1.25 units
