NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Colorado Avalanche (31-3-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-3)
Avalanche (-115) at Lightning (-105) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
If you can only watch one game tonight, this must be the one. The best team in the NHL, the Avalanche, versus the hottest team in the NHL, winners of seven straight, the Lightning.
Colorado is coming off just its third loss in regulation this season and just its 10th in 41 games. Even more bonkers is that Colorado has lost by more than one goal this season just once (6-3 to the New York Islanders). The Avs enter this game minus two key players with injuries — Devon Toews and captain Gabe Landeskog.
The Lightning look like an absolute machine. Tampa has gone from being last in the Atlantic Division on November 1 to one point behind Detroit for the top spot, and the Bolts have played three fewer games. During its winning streak, Tampa has won five of the seven games by two goals or more and scored four or more goals in all seven victories.
I haven’t pulled the trigger on a side, but I do feel very good about player props. Nikita Kucherov quietly sits fourth in the scoring race thanks to multi-point games in 16 of his last 21 games. Kucherov has goals in five straight games overall and each of the last four games versus the Avs. He has points in seven straight games versus Colorado and has had three-point games in three of the last four matchups against Colorado.
Brayden Point has 17 points in 17 games against the Avs, while Brandon Hagel has 14 points in 11 games versus the Avs, and Anthony Cirelli has points in six of the last seven meetings between the teams. Colorado’s Brock Nelson appears to get up for games against the Lightning, registering four or more shots in six of the last eight meetings. Nelson has put up 11 shots on goal in the past two games (7, 4). One Colorado goal prop for now that I will jump on is Victor Olofsson, who is on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
NHL Predictions Best Bets:
Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 points (+134) – .50 units
Brayden Point/Anthony Cirelli/Brandon Hagel point parlay (+349) – .50 units
Lightning Team Total Over 3 (-120) – 1 unit
Brock Nelson Over 2.5 shots on goal (+142) – .50 unit
Victor Olofsson anytime goal (+500) – .15 units
Vancouver Canucks (16-20-5) at Buffalo Sabres (21-15-14)
Canucks (+155) at Sabres (-185) – Total 6 (Over, -115)
7 p.m. ET
The Sabres’ 10-game winning streak came to an end over the weekend with a 5-1 loss at Columbus on Saturday, and Buffalo will look to avoid its first two-game losing streak in close to a month. Tonight, the Sabres host a Canucks team that has lost three straight and five of their last six but have come away with victories in their last two trips to Buffalo.
The road team has won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams. I like this spot for the Canucks. They are 10-8 this season as road underdogs and have won four of their last five games as the road dog.
For Buffalo, this is what we call an “Island Game.” The Sabres return from a three-game road trip for one game at home (against a non-conference team), and then they are off to Madison Square Garden for a game against the in-state and conference rival New York Rangers, then return home for five games.
I also like the Canucks to win on the “reverse puck line” (-1.5 goals). Of the Sabres’ 19 losses this season, 15 have been by two goals or more. The other four losses have come in overtime. The Canucks’ Drew O’Connor has three goals in the past six games and has two goals on seven shots versus Sabres starting goalie Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vancouver Canucks ML (+155) – .75 units
Canucks -1.5 goals (+330) – .25 units
Drew O’Connor anytime goal (+675) – .10 units
Regulation Draw (+310) – .10 units
Anaheim Ducks (21-18-3) at Philadelphia Flyers (21-12-7)
Ducks (+130) at Flyers (-155) – Total 6.5 (Under, -125)
7 p.m. ET
There are lots of good storylines in this game, starting with the Flyers’ Trevor Zegras facing his former team for the first time since the offseason trade that sent him to Philadelphia. Zegras leads the Flyers in goals (15), assists (24), points (39) and power-play goals (5) and is on pace for a career-best 31 goals and 80 points (23 goals, 65 points in 2022-23). At the beginning of the season, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet shared his thoughts on a conversation he had with Zegras: “Are you doing stuff for clicks on social media or are you doing stuff to win hockey games?” Clearly, Zegras is doing stuff to win hockey games.
These teams also played “Let’s Make a Deal” two seasons ago, with the Ducks acquiring Cutter Gauthier from Philadelphia for defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Gauthier’s 19 goals lead the Ducks, and his 39 points are second on the team. This will be Gauthier’s second visit to Philadelphia, and the first one did not go so well for him and the Ducks as the Flyers pounded Anaheim 6-0.
The Ducks, who come into this game after a 7-4 loss at Washington on Monday night, are 3-2 this season on the second half of a back-to-back. Ducks backup goalie Petr Mrazek left Monday’s game after two periods with an injury, so Lukas Dostal, who played the third period and was scheduled to start tonight, will likely go for Anaheim. I anticipate the Ducks recalling goalie Ville Husso from the minors to be the backup.
Anaheim has lost six straight and 10 of its last 12 games and has been a dead Over team (full game). Each of the last five Ducks games has had a combined seven goals or more, and 17 of their past 21 games have flown over the full-game total.
Tonight is the Flyers’ first game back after five on the road (3 wins, 2 losses) and they cashed the Over in each of the last three games. But this season, the Flyers are 7-3 to the Under when they are the home betting favorite and 8-2 on the money line. I am undecided on both the side and the total. Check my Twitter (X) feed throughout the day for any additional plays in this game and others.
A couple of other player props on my card will be Cam York Over half an assist. York was born and raised in Anaheim and played for the Junior Ducks. He has points (all assists) in five of the six games he has played against his hometown team, and the Ducks give up more assists to defensemen than any other team. Ducks center Mikael Granlund has cashed his shots-on-goal prop (Over 1.5) in seven of the last nine games. With the Flyers off a long road trip and the Ducks having been throttled Monday night in Washington, the draw is in play for me.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Trevor Zegras anytime goal (+200) – .15
Trevor Zegras/Travis Konecny/Christian Dvorak point parlay (+126) – .25 units
Cutter Gauthier anytime goal (+250) – .15 units
Mikael Granlund Over 1.5 shots on goal (-105) – .75 units
Cam York Over ½ assist (+210) – .25 units
Columbus Blue Jackets (18-16-7) at San Jose Sharks (20-18-3)
Blue Jackets (-125) at Sharks (+105) – Total 6.5 (Over, -125)
10 p.m. ET
This game is all about the prop plays, as I can’t trust either team to win this game. I anticipate the Blue Jackets giving goalie Jet Greaves the night off after he has started six consecutive games and nine of the last 10. In that stretch, Greaves has twice started both games on back-to-backs. Please, let us have Elvis Merzlikins get the start for Columbus. The veteran goalie has given up four, six, seven and five goals in his last four starts, and his lack of playing time is understandably wearing on him.
“I’m not putting any focus on what I can’t control,” Merzlinkins said. “I’m too tired, too exhausted emotionally. It’s just hard. So you have to practice, you have to get ready, and you have to get ready for what’s important. So I’m just getting ready for the Olympics, and game-wise … you can’t say much. From (the past) 14 games, I’ve played three. So there’s not much I can do.”
I will grab the Over 6.5 and wouldn’t be surprised if the total moves up to 7, which would be a first for an NHL game this season. Sharks games have had a combined seven goals or more in five straight and eight of the last nine, with seven of those games having a combined eight goals or more.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Columbus Blue Jackets/San Jose Sharks Over 6.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Zach Werenski anytime goal (+340) – .15
Denton Mateychuk Over ½ assist (+235) – .15
Denton Mateychuk anytime goal (+700) – .15
Sharks Power-Play goal (-120) – .25
Pavol Regenda anytime goal (+400) – .10
Macklin Celebrini Over 1.5 points (+110) – .25
