NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Montreal Canadiens (25-14-6) at Washington Capitals (23-17-6)
Canadiens (+140) at Capitals (-170) – Total 6 (Over, -118)
7 p.m. ET
The Capitals have dominated the Canadiens of late, winning each of the last three meetings and eight of the last 10, including an 8-4 win on November 20 in Washington, led by a hat trick from Alexander Ovechkin and a pair of goals from Ethen Frank. For his career, the “Great 8” has 49 goals in 61 games versus the Canadiens and has goals in four consecutive games (five total). With Tom Wilson still out, Frank is getting a bump to the top power-play unit tonight. He has goals in back-to-back games.
Since rattling off six straight wins (November 24-December 3), the Caps have not won back-to-back games and have just six wins in their last 18 games. Montreal is fresh off a 6-3 win over Vancouver on Monday and has won six of its last eight overall. Even with the Caps’ woes of late, I view this as a horrible spot for the Canadiens. They are on the back end of a back-to-back and this is their third game in four nights and fifth in seven days. The Canadiens are 5-4 on the second half of back-to-backs this season, but in all four losses, they have given up four or more goals. For the season, Montreal has surrendered at least four goals in 18 of its 20 losses.
Montreal will start goalie Samuel Montembeault, who was pulled after giving up three goals on seven shots (two goals for Frank) in a meeting between these teams earlier this season. Cole Caufield (14 points in 12 games vs. Washington) and Nick Suzuki (10 goals, 20 points in 16 games) have solid career numbers against Washington.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Washington Capitals Team Total Over 3.5 (+106) – 1 unit
Washington Capitals first period (-1/2 goal) +150 – .50 units
Alexander Ovechkin anytime goal (+135) – .10 units
Ethan Frank anytime goal (+500) – .10 units
Cole Caufield/Nick Suzuki point parlay (-112) – .50 units
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+155) – .10 units
Nick Suzuki anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Tampa Bay Lightning (28-13-3) at Pittsburgh Penguins (21-14-9)
Lightning (-125) at Penguins (+105) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
7 p.m. ET
If not for the Colorado Avalanche, the Tampa Bay Lightning would be the talk of the NHL. Tampa is coming off back-to-back wins at Philadelphia, running its winning streak to 10 games, and the Lightning have scored four goals or more in all 10 wins. They have scored at least four goals in 22 of their 28 wins this season.
Tampa will try to make it 11 in a row tonight when they take on the Penguins and Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. The Pens defeated Tampa earlier in the season, 4-3 in a game in which the Lightning thought they had tied the game in the final minute, only to have the goal disallowed because of a controversial hand pass.
For just the second time this season, Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will start the second half of a back-to-back. He won his previous start in this spot, a 2-1 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Overall, Tampa is (5-3) this season in the second half of back-to-backs. Nikita Kucherov continues to pace the Bolts, having recorded two points or more in nine consecutive games and 18 of his last 23 overall. Brandon Hagel has goals in four straight and is riding a six-game points streak (four goals, 10 points). Defenseman Darren Raddysh continues his outstanding season. Raddysh is on a six-game points streak of his own (four goals, 12 points) and has five multi-point games during the streak.
Brayden Point was injured last night, and head coach Jon Cooper said last night that Point’s status for tonight’s game is uncertain.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Total Over 3.5 (+116) – 1 unit
Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 points (-104) – .50 units
Brandon Hagel anytime goal (+145) – .10 units
Darren Raddysh Over 1.5 points (+420) – .10 units
Brandon Hagel point/Darren Raddysh assist (+183) – .25 units
Calgary Flames (19-22-4) at Columbus Blue Jackets (19-19-7)
Flames (+120) at Blue Jackets (-145) – Total 6 (Over, -125)
7 p.m. ET
The Blue Jackets sit in last place in the Eastern Conference and seven points out of a playoff spot, which cost head coach Dean Evason his job on Monday as he was replaced by former Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness. Give me Columbus tonight on the money line. I will go with the “coach bump” for the Blue Jackets wanting to play hard for their new coach. It doesn’t hurt that the Jackets are facing the Calgary Flames, who have the NHL’s worst record (7-15-2) and have the worst goal differential (-32) on the road. I am also on Columbus to win the first period. The Flames are 1-6-3 on the road in their last 10 road games after 20 minutes, and Columbus is 7-1-2 in its last 10 home games after the opening 20 minutes.
A couple of player props on my card in this game. The Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko has had four shots on goal or more in eight of his last nine games and three or more in four of his last six games versus the Flames. Columbus generates the fourth most shots on goal per game. Cole Sillinger has been bumped to the top line alongside Marchenko and Adam Fantilli, and I will grab his anytime goal prop at (+460). The Flames have the 31st-ranked offense in the NHL and have scored four goals or more just 11 times in 45 games this season, and I am going to parlay their alternate team total Under (3.5) with the Blues’ alternate team total Under 3.5. St. Louis is dead last in offense and has scored four goals or more only nine times this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Columbus Blue Jackets first-period ML (-128) – .75 units
Columbus Blue Jackets first-period (-1/2 goal) +168 – .25
Columbus Blue Jackets money line/Kirill Marchenko shots on goal (+159) – 1 unit
Kirill Marchenko Over 2.5 shots on goal (-160) – .25 units
Dustin Wolf Over 26.5 saves (-105) – .50 units
Calgary Flames TT Under 3.5/St. Louis Blues TT Under 3.5 (+104) – 1 unit
Cole Sillinger anytime goal (+460) – .10 units
Vancouver Canucks (16-24-5) at Ottawa Senators (20-19-5)
Canucks (+185) at Senators (-225) – Total 6 (Over, -125)
7 p.m. ET
No deep dive needed in this game. Over six goals is the play. The last nine meetings between these teams have had a combined seven goals or more. Vancouver has given up five goals or more in four straight and five of the last seven games overall. Both teams are struggling to win, which is why I am laying off wagering on either team, though the value is there with the Canucks, who have won five of the last six meetings between these teams.
The Canucks are coming off a 6-3 loss at Montreal on Monday night and have dropped eight of their last nine games. The Sens have dropped four straight and seven of their last nine. Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson is riding a seven-game points streak and has an assist in three straight versus Vancouver. Claude Giroux has scored goals in five of the last six games against the Canucks. Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio make up two-thirds of Ottawa’s third line, and both have had success against Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen. Amadio has three goals on eight shots versus Lankinen, and Pinto has two goals in two games against him. Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson has 10 goals in 15 games against Ottawa, and Brock Boeser has 10 goals in 20 games against the Sens, including a pair of goals against starting goalie Leevi Merilainen.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vancouver Canucks/Ottawa Senators Over 6 (-115) – 2 units
First-period Over 1.5 (-130) – .50 units
Claude Giroux anytime goal (+330) – .10 units
Dylan Cozens Over ½ power-play point (+290) – .10
Michael Amadio anytime goal (+575) – .10 units
Shane Pinto anytime goal (+250) – .10 units
Brock Boeser anytime goal (+195) – .10 units
Elias Pettersson anytime goal (+260) – .10 units
Toronto Maple Leafs (23-15-7) at Utah Mammoth (22-20-4)
Maple Leafs (+135) at Mammoth (-160) – Total 6 (-118)
10 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs come into Utah after a huge victory on Monday in Denver, handing the Avs just their third loss (19-0-3) on home ice in 22 games with a 4-3 overtime win. Knocking off the best team in the NHL and playing a game 24 hours later, and once again playing in the high elevation of Utah, makes Toronto an auto-bet against, but not at this price (-160). Instead, I will stick with one of the best player props this season, and that is Mikhail Sergachev to have at least two shots on goal. The Mammoth defenseman has had at least two shots on goal at home in 17 of his last 18 games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Mikhail Sergachev Over 1.5 shots on goal (-132) – 3 units
