NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Tuesday, April 15:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
New Jersey Devils (-140, 5.5) at Boston Bruins
7 p.m. ET
I’m going to keep this preview very simple as it’s all about a healthy serving of pasta and a geek. I have been riding the David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie trains for the past couple of weeks. Pasta has been a part of a league-high 47.7 percent of his team’s offense. He is on a streak of five consecutive multi-point games and six of his last seven. Geekie has goals in five straight and assists in six of his last nine games. When these teams met eight days ago, it was a 7-2 Bruins win, with Pastrnak recording a goal and two assists and Geekie adding a goal and an assist.
NHL Predictions:
David Pastrnak anytime goal +135 – ¼ unit
Morgan Geekie anytime goal +230 – ¼ unit
Pastrnak Over 1.5 points +172 – ¼ unit
Geekie Over ½ assist +172 – ¼ unit
Toronto Maple Leafs (-155, 6.5) at Buffalo Sabres
7 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs have all but clinched their first Atlantic Division title as their magic number sits at one point. All the Leafs need to do is get this game to overtime — or have Tampa lose to Florida — to lock up the top spot and a first-round matchup with the Ottawa Senators. When it comes to how to wager on this game and most of the remaining regular-season schedule, my focus is on player props. Toronto’s Matthew Knies is one goal away from 30, John Tavares has three goals in five games against Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Nick Robertson and Max Domi have two goals in two games against Luukkonen. Buffalo’s Ryan McLeod is one shy of his first 20-goal season, and Tage Thompson needs one goal to get to 45 on the season.
NHL Predictions:
Matthew Knies anytime goal +230 – .20 units
Ryan McLeod anytime goal +440 – .20 units
Nick Robertson anytime goal +525 – .20 units
Max Domi anytime goal +450 – .20 units
Tage Thompson anytime goal +145 – .20 units
Columbus Blue Jackets (-148, 6.5) at Philadelphia Flyers
7 p.m. ET
Thanks to the Montreal Canadiens failing to secure two points Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Blue Jackets are still alive for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus is riding a four-game winning streak and must win in regulation tonight to keep their slim playoff chances alive, as the Canadiens have the tiebreaker (more regulation wins) over the Jackets. With that in mind, if this game is tied in the late stages, the Blue Jackets will pull their goalie for an extra attacker, and that eliminates the regulation draw as a wager for this game. But there are lots of good player props on the menu. The Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan is one shy of 20 goals, Mathieu Olivier has 18 goals, and Adam Fantilli has had back-to-back two-goal games and five goals in his last three and is just one away from the 30-goal mark. The Flyers’ Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster are all one goal away from 25.
NHL Predictions:
Blue Jackets in regulation (-105) – ½ unit
Sean Monahan anytime goal +230 – .20 units
Adam Fantilli anytime goal +300 – .20 units
Mathieu Olivier anytime goal +575 – .20 units
Travis Konecny anytime goal +230 – .20 units
Tyson Foerster anytime goal +230 – .20 units
Washington Capitals (-110, 5.5) at New York Islanders
8 pm ET
These teams have nothing on the line tonight, so I will continue to ride the wave of the Capitals giving up three or more goals (11 straight games) and the first-period Over 1.5 goals, which is on a 21-4 run. With Logan Thompson still out with an injury, Charlie Lindgren gets the start. He has given up three or more goals in six consecutive starts, and the first-period Over 1.5 has cashed in all six as well. This is the third and final meeting between the two teams, with the Islanders scoring four goals in the two previous games, and the first-period Over 1.5 has cashed in both.
I also have a couple of Islanders player props on the menu. Anders Lee (29 goals) and Bo Horvat (28 goals) both have a shot at scoring 30 goals. Marc Gatcomb scored a pair of goals the last time these two teams faced off.
NHL Predictions:
Islanders Team Total Over 2.5 (-160) – 1 unit
1st-period Over 1.5 goals (-120) – 1 unit
Anders Lee anytime goal +210 – .25 units
Bo Horvat anytime goal +180 – .25 units
Marc Gatcomb anytime goal +800 – .10 units
Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild (-265, 5.5)
8 p.m. ET
The Wild need just one point tonight to be wild-card No. 1 and face the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs as opposed to facing the top seed in the West, the Winnipeg Jets. This is the third and final meeting between these teams and the Wild have dominated the Ducks in the two previous, outscoring Anaheim by a combined 10-3, scoring five goals in each game.
The Ducks have dropped two in a row and four of their last six games, surrendering four goals or more in each loss. Kirill Kaprizov has feasted on the Ducks this season with three goals and six points in the two games (three points in each game), while Marco Rossi, who is one goal shy of 25 for the season, has three goals in the two previous meetings. Matt Boldy has 10 assists in nine career games versus the Ducks (two this season) and Mats Zuccarello is one goal away from his fourth career 20-goal season.
NHL Predictions:
Wild Team Total Over 3.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Mats Zuccarello anytime goal +230 – .20 units
Kirill Kaprizov Over 1.5 points +122 – .20 units
Matt Boldy Over ½ assist +112 – .20 units
Marco Rossi anytime goal +290 – .20 units
