NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Buffalo Sabres (4-4-2) at Boston Bruins (5-7-0)
Betting Line (Buffalo -120,6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Sabres are coming off consecutive 4-3 overtime losses. They look to get back to their winning ways against a Bruins team that, despite knocking off the Islanders on Tuesday, 5-2, has dropped seven of their last nine games. Joonas Korpisalo will start back-to-back starts for the first time this season. The veteran goalie has won two of his five starts in 2025-26 and has given up three goals or more in four of his five starts. Four of the five games that he has started have had a combined seven or more goals. Boston has given up four or more goals in six of their seven losses. Buffalo has scored four or more goals in three of their four wins.
On to the player props. What does every hockey player want for his birthday? If you said, “Score a goal,” you are correct. Happy 28th to Buffalo forward, Tage Thompson. Even at the short price (+140), I am on Thompson to score a goal. He has seven in nine games against Korpisalo. Thompson has also cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 3.5) in four straight and seven of 10 games this season. In six of those seven games, he has had five or more shots. If you want value, then how about Buffalo’s number one center, Jiri Kulich, who also gets time on the second power play unit. He is (+142) for a point. Two Sabres defensemen that are on my bingo card include Bowen Byram, who has points in four straight (one goal, three assists), and Mikael Samuelsson, who has Over 1.5 blocked shots in eight straight.
Boston’s Morgan Geekie has goals in five straight (six total) and has cashed his shots on goal prop (Over 1.5) in all five games. Two longshots for me. Mark Kastelic scored two goals, on three shots, in three games versus Sabres goalie Alex Lyon, while Nikita Zadorov has two goals in four games (five shots).
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Buffalo Sabres Team Total Over 3 (-140) – 1.5 units
Tage Thompson anytime goal (+140) – .10 units
Tage Thompson Over 3.5 shots on goal (-115) – .25 units
Tage Thompson Over 4.5 shots on goal (+192) – .10 units
Jiri Kulich Over ½ point (+142) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie Over 1.5 shots on goal (-160) – .25 units
Mikael Samuelsson Over 1.5 blocked shots (-130) – .20 units
Mark Kastelic anytime goal (+1000) – .05 units
Nikita Zadorov anytime goal (+1100) – .05 units
Dallas Stars (6-3-1) at Tampa Bay Lightning (4-4-2)
Betting Line: (Lightning -145,6)
7 p.m. ET, TNT
The Dallas Stars are coming off a 1-0 blanking of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. They’re riding a three-game winning streak, giving up two goals or fewer in all three games. The full game Under and first period Under has cashed in six consecutive Dallas games, as Dallas has not scored a first-period goal in each of the six games. After scoring four goals or more in each of their first three games to start the season, the Stars have scored three goals or fewer in seven straight games. Those first-period struggles could end tonight as Tampa has given up a first-period goal in four of their last six games, though the first period Under trend could continue as Lightning games have cashed the first period Under in three of the last four games.
Like the Stars, the Lightning also come into tonight’s game riding a three-game winning streak after starting the season with just one win in their first six games. Brandon Hagel has led the way with two goals and six points in the last three games. Andrei Vasilevskiy has given up just three goals in his last two starts. He has a 15-4-3 lifetime record against the Stars with six of the 15 wins of the shutout variety. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has just three wins in eight career starts versus Tampa, but he does have a sub-three goals against average. Tampa’s Anthony Cirelli has four goals in eight games against Oettinger. Cirelli leads Tampa this season with five goals and has twice had multi-goal games. Teammate Brandon Hagel has registered nine shots on goal in his last two games (4,5) and has had three or more shots on goal in six of his last seven games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Under (+104) – .50 units
Anthony Cirelli anytime goal (+300) – .10 units
Brandon Hagel Over 2.5 shots on goal (-114) – .25 units
Calgary Flames (2-8-1) at Ottawa Senators (5-5-1)
Betting Line: (Senators -160.5.5)
7 p.m. ET
One game after snapping an eight-game losing streak with a win over the New York Rangers, the Flames came up short in making it back-to-back wins, losing 4-3 at Toronto on Tuesday. Calgary is dead last in the NHL with just five points on the season. If only games could be 20 minutes and not 60, the Flames’ season would look much better. Calgary has led after the opening period (given up just one goal) in three straight, seven of nine, but it’s the second (14-7) and third period (16-7) where they are getting caved in, being outscored a combined 30-14.
The Flames are 7-3-1 this season to the Over, and eight of their 11 games this season have had a combined six goals or more. Eight of the Sens’ 11 games this season have gone Over the posted total, seven of those with a combined eight goals or more. Ottawa is coming off a 7-3 thumping by the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, snapping a three-game winning streak and has surrendered six or more goals three times this season and five or more, four times. The Flames offense has picked up of late, scoring three or more goals in each of their last three games after scoring two or fewer in six straight games. So yes, I am on the Over 5.5 goals tonight. Shop around as always, with some spots posting a total of six.
There are a lot of player props that have caught my eye for tonight’s game, starting with Nick Cousins, who has been riding shotgun on Ottawa’s top line for the past three games, scoring goals in two of the three games. We are still getting Cousins at an incredible (+575) for an anytime goal. Drake Batherson (three-game assist streak) and Tim Stutzle (three-game assist streak) are the other two members of the top line, and we are seeing value on their assist props as well. Stutzle has goals in back-to-back games. I haven’t even mentioned Shane Pinto, who leads the team with eight goals and is just one behind a trio of players with nine goals for the league lead. For the Flames, Blake Coleman has recorded three shots on goal or more in four of the last five and seven of the last 10 games. Morgan Frost has had two or more shots on goal in four straight, as well as points in four straight games.
Late note out of Ottawa has the Flames giving number one goalie Dustin Wolf the night off and giving rookie Devin Cooley his second start of the season and of his career.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 5.5 goals (-135) – 2 units
Morgan Frost Over 1.5 shots on goal (-130) -. 20 units
Blake Coleman Over 2.5 shots on goal (+118) – .20 units
Morgan Frost anytime goal (+380) – .10 units
Morgan Frost over ½ assist (+190) -.10 units
Nick Cousins anytime goal (+575) – .10 units
Drake Batherson Over ½ assist (+124) – .10 units
Tim Stutzle Over ½ assist (-104) – .10 units
Shane Pinto anytime goal (+220) – .10 units
NY Islanders (4-4-1) at Carolina Hurricanes (6-3-0)
Betting Line: (Hurricanes -220, 6.5)
7:30 p.m. ET, Hulu
The Islanders and Hurricanes have been two of the more profitable teams in the NHL this season. Eight of the nine Islanders games this season have gone Over the total (seven of nine have had seven or more goals), and the first period Over 1.5 goals have cashed in seven of nine as well. The Canes are on a 5-0 run to the first period Over 1.5, and two of their last three games have had a combined nine total goals. The loss of three of the Hurricanes’ top defensemen—Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller and Shayne Gostisbehere—helped to explain Carolina’s recent struggles in shutting down the opposition. The full game Over is the strongest play in this game, and I also have interest in playing the Canes team total, Over 3.5 goals. The Islanders have given up four or more goals in all five losses and six of nine games overall. Carolina has scored four or more goals in all six of their wins this season.
Some player props to consider. The Islanders’ Bo Horvat leads the team with six goals and 11 points and has 10 goals and 23 points in 24 career games versus Carolina. I will play both his goal prop and assist prop, which are both at “plus money,” in hopes that, at the very least, I split and come away with a profit instead of laying the “juice” at (-132) for him to register a point.
After opening the season on a six-game point streak, rookie Matthew Schaefer has been held without a point in three straight games despite eight shots on goal in the past two games. With the Canes banged up on defense, I like Schaefer at “plus money” to pick up a point. On the Carolina side, I will go with an under-the-radar play with Mark Jankowski to score a goal. Jankowski has two goals in two games on three shots against Islanders goalie, David Rittich, who gets the start tonight. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead Carolina in scoring with 11 points. Aho has points in all nine Carolina games to start the season, and we can’t forget about Jackson Blake, who has points in three straight games and seven of nine. I will ‘stack the trio for a “plus money,” same game parlay.
Late note: The Hurricanes will go with rookie Brandon Bussi in goal tonight.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Islanders/Carolina Hurricanes Over 6.5 (-104) – 2 units
1st period Over 1.5 goals (-154) – .75 units
Aho/Jarvis/Blake each Over ½ point (+200) – .25 units
Matthew Schaefer Over ½ point (+132) – .10 units
Bo Horvat anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Bo Horvat assist (+172) – .10 units
Pittsburgh Penguins (7-2-2) at Minnesota Wild (3-5-3)
Betting Line: (-170, 6.5)
8 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the league’s surprises in the opening month of the season. Their seven wins are second only to Montreal, New Jersey and Utah, who lead the league with eight. This game is either Penguins Money Line or pass. The Pens have won five of the last seven against the Wild, and no way I can play the Wild at this price. The first period Over has been profitable with both teams. Wild games have gone Over in the opening 20 minutes in three straight and four of five. Penguins’ games have gone over in three straight and six of the last eight first periods.
My favorite play in this game (and thanks to @Covers_Josh) for turning me on to this one. Anthony Mantha has been given the bump to the top power play unit. Mantha has points in three straight and four of the last five games. He has five goals and 10 points for the season and two goals in three games against Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson. In 13 games against the Wild, he has 11 points. Mantha is (+650) for a power play point. Every other player on the top unit is no higher than (+290). The Pens Power Play ranks fifth in the NHL, and the Wild are dead last on the penalty kill.
Other Penguins who have feasted on the Wild include Sidney Crosby, who has 14 goals in 26 games against Minnesota, including four goals in three games against Gustavsson. Gustavsson is 1-3-0 with a 4.04 goals against average in his career versus the Penguins. Finally, Geno Malkin has 13 assists on the season and 15 helpers in 22 career games against Minny. How do you pass up the Pens Justin Brazeau to score a goal when you are getting him at (+400)? Brazeau is second on the Penguins with six goals.
For the Wild, Marcus Johansson is on the top line and is on a three-game goal streak (four total). At (+340) there is tremendous value. Joel Eriksson Ek has three goals in four games against Penguins starting goalie Tristan Jarry.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Anthony Mantha Power Play Point (+650) – .40 units
Sidney Crosby anytime goal (+190) -.10 units
Geno Malkin assist (+115) – .10 units
Justin Brazeau anytime goal (+400) – .10 units
Marcus Johansson anytime goal (+340) – .10 units
Joel Eriksson-Ek anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
