NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Tuesday, January 14:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets (-115, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Flyers are riding high after back-to-back wins over the Ducks and rallying to beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers 4-3 on Monday night. Philly will look to make it three straight victories against a Columbus team it has already defeated in both meetings this season. It won’t be easy for the Flyers, who are just 1-6 this season in the second half of back-to-backs and face a Blue Jackets team that has won four straight and seven of its last nine games.
Goals, goals and more goals have been the theme when the Flyers and Jackets get together. The two meetings this season have had a combined eight and nine goals, and eight of the last 10 meetings have had at least seven total goals. In the Flyers’ seven games in the second half of a back-to-back, they have had nine, seven, five, six, 10 and nine goals. The Jackets have been the league’s best when it comes to the full game going Over the total (29-13-1). They have cashed the full game Over at home in seven straight and eight of the last nine.
Goals in the opening 20 minutes and even the first 10 minutes of games have been a money-making machine with Philadelphia and Columbus. Flyers games have had a goal scored in the first 10 minutes in eight straight and nine of their last 11 games. The first-period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in 16 of 22 Jackets home games this season.
It looks like it will be a battle of the backup goalies tonight with the Jackets going with Daniil Tarasov and the Flyers turning to Ivan Fedotov, making the Over even more appealing.
NHL Predictions: Philadelphia Flyers/Columbus Blue Jackets Goal 1st 10 minutes (-175) – 1 unit
Philadelphia Flyers/Columbus Blue Jackets 1st-period Over 1.5 (-155) – 1 unit
Philadelphia Flyers/Columbus Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (-105) – 1 unit
San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings (-225, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
Since losing their first game under new head coach Todd McLellan, the Red Wings have rattled off seven straight wins and own the NHL’s longest current winning streak. The Sharks have dropped three straight and 14 of their last 17 games.
Detroit has won five of the seven games by two goals or more and scored four goals or more in six of the seven wins. The Wings have been led up front by Patrick Kane (5 goals, 13 points), Alex DeBrincat (6 goals, 11 points), Dylan Larkin (6 goals, 9 points) and Lucas Raymond (4 goals, 13 points) during this run. Tonight, they will look to make it eight straight when they face the Sharks, the team McLellan started his head coaching career with.
Early goals have been the trend in Detroit games under McLellan. Each of the eight games with him behind the bench has had a goal scored in the first 10 minutes. The streak began even before McLellan took over with 13 of the last 16 Detroit games having a goal scored in the first 10 minutes. A goal in the first 10 minutes has cashed in six of the last seven San Jose road games and 13 of the last 16 overall.
If the Sharks start Alexandar Georgiev in goal tonight, the Red Wings (-1/2) goal for the first period is a play. When Georgiev has been the starting goalie this season, his teams (Sharks and Avalanche) are 2-19-3 after the opening 20 minutes.
NHL Predictions: San Jose Sharks/Detroit Red Wings Goal 1st 10 minutes (-155) – 1 unit
Detroit Red Wings 1st-period (-1/2) goal (+130) – 1 unit (if Georgiev is the starter for SJ)
San Jose Sharks/Detroit Red Wings 1st-period Over 1.5 (-135) – ½ unit
Detroit Red Wings TT Over 3.5 (-110) – 1 unit
Patrick Kane Over ½ assist (+140) – ¼ unit
Patrick Kane anytime goal (+210) – ¼ unit
Lucas Raymond Over ½ Power Play Point (+205) – ¼ unit
Lucas Raymond anytime goal (+195) – ¼ unit
Alex DeBrincat Over ½ assist (+140) – ¼ unit
Alex DeBrincat anytime goal (+170) – ¼ unit
Dylan Larkin Over ½ assist (+125) – ¼ unit
Dylan Larkin anytime goal (+160) – ¼ unit
Dallas Stars (-115, 5.5) at Toronto Maple Leafs
7 p.m. ET
The Stars have lost seven straight to the Maple Leafs, Toronto is getting 54% of the bets and 78% of the money, yet Dallas has gone from underdog to favorite. I am going to need to see how this plays out throughout the day before I jump on either side. Toronto has lost its last two games, including Saturday night at home to Vancouver as it was blanked 3-0 and booed off the ice. Our system of scoring a goal in the first 10 minutes (53-24) and the first-period Over 1.5 goals (46-31) has not been so profitable of late. The first-period Over 1.5 has failed to cash in the last four games and a goal in the first 10 is just 3-2 in the past five games. I am going to stick with the system but just reduce my unit size for the plays. A goal in the first 10 minutes has cashed in six of the last seven meetings between the Stars and Leafs and the first-period Over 1.5 has cashed in five of the last seven meetings. While Toronto tends to play lower-scoring games on home ice, the goal in the first 10 minutes has cashed in seven of the last nine home games and 13 of the last 16.
Two player props that interest me are the Leafs’ John Tavares with an anytime goal. He has three goals in three games against Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger. It’s also the battle of the Robertson brothers: Nick for Toronto and Jason for Dallas. Nick scored in the only meeting this season and Jason has points (2 goals, 3 assists) in three of his last four games.
NHL Predictions: John Tavares anytime goal (+230) – ¼ unit
Nic Robertson anytime goal (+600) – ¼ unit
Jason Robertson anytime goal (+250) – ¼ unit
Jason Robertson Over ½ assist (+134) – ¼ unit
Dallas Stars/Toronto Maple Leafs Goal 1st 10 minutes (-140) – 1 unit
Dallas Stars/Toronto Maple Leafs 1st-period Over 1.5 (-125) – ¼ unit
