NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets:
Nashville Predators (27/-25-8) at Columbus Blue Jackets (30-21-8)
Predators (+115) at Blue Jackets (-135) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
7 p.m. ET
The Blue Jackets are coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden in a game they led 4-0 entering the third period. Nashville was on the wrong side of a 4-2 score on home ice against the Red Wings on Monday.
The Preds have just one win in their past five games but are seven points out of a playoff spot, tied with San Jose, which has played two fewer games than Nashville. The Blue Jackets snapped a two-game losing streak and sit three points back of Boston, but they trail the B’s by four points as the Bruins own the first tiebreaker (regulation wins).
Nashville and Columbus are both on the second half of a back-to-back, and the Predators have struggled in this spot, going 2-7, while the Blue Jackets are 7-3. Nashville has been held to two goals or fewer in seven of the nine games in the second half of the back-to-backs. The Jackets have also dominated in the role as a home favorite, going 12-3. Conversely, they are 1-7 as a home underdog. Nashville is just 4-10 as a road dog this season. These teams opened the season against each other on Oct. 9 with Nashville winning 2-1.
A couple of player props are on my card. The Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko has four goals in six games versus Nashville and three goals in three games against Preds expected starting goalie Justus Annunen. Adam Fantilli has goals in three straight games overall and two goals and two assists in three games against Nashville. He faced Annunen one time and did not score. The Predators’ Roman Josi and Steven Stamkos each have two goals in two games against Jackets expected starting goalie Jet Greaves. The home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Columbus Blue Jackets first-period Money Line (-130) – .50
Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-133) – .50
Kirill Marchenko anytime goal (+180) – .10
Adam Fantilli anytime goal (+205) – .10
Roman Josi anytime goal (+425) – .10
Steven Stamkos anytime goal (+175) – .10
Ottawa Senators (29-22-8) at Edmonton Oilers (-142)
Senators (+105) at Oilers (-125) – Total 6.5 (Over, -125)
9 p.m. ET
It should come as no surprise that this line moved in the direction of the Senators, who were a +118 road underdog on Monday night. The Oilers have been hemorrhaging goals, surrendering four or more in eight of their last 10 games. Each of Edmonton’s last 10 games has ended with a combined seven or more goals. The Oilers have given up at least three goals in eight of their last 10 games and four or more in nine of their last 10.
I am also on the Oilers to score a power-play goal. They have scored a goal with the man advantage in all three games out of the break (four goals on eight attempts). They have the league’s best power play, and Ottawa ranks 30th out of 32 teams on the penalty kill. Edmonton has scored a power-play goal versus Ottawa in each of their last seven meetings and nine of the past 10.
I have two Edmonton goal props tonight. Leon Draisaitl has nine goals in 10 games versus Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark, and Adam Henrique has five goals in 11 games against him. Ottawa’s Fabian Zetterlund has two goals in three games against Oilers goalie Connor Ingram.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Ottawa Senators Team Total Over 3 (-140) – 2 units
Ottawa Senators/Edmonton Over 6.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Edmonton Oilers Over ½ power play goal (-135) – .50
Leon Draisaitl anytime goal (+140) – .50
Adam Henrique anytime goal (+625) – .05
Fabian Zetterlund anytime goal (+750) – .05
Tampa Bay Lightning (38-16-4) at Minnesota Wild (35-16-10)
Lightning (-145) at Wild (+120) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
9:30 p.m. ET
The Lightning and Andrei Vasilevskiy are coming off an embarrassing 8-1 drubbing by the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Vasilevskiy was pulled in the first period after giving up five goals on nine shots. He has not lost back-to-back starts since losing the first two games to start the season. The Wild are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Blues on Sunday and have now dropped two straight after winning their opening game out of the break.
Tonight’s game is just the seventh time this season the Wild are a home dog (3-3) and just the second time they’ve been an underdog at home since the Quinn Hughes trade. This is the first meeting this season between the teams. Seven of the last eight have had a combined six goals or more. Tampa games have had a combined six goals or more in six straight and seven goals or more in five of the six games. The Wild are coming off a rare game that went Under the total. Minnesota has gone Over the total in 20 of their last 23 games. I believe this game stays close and overtime is a possibility. Of Tampa’s 20 losses this season, only eight have been by two goals or more.
Kirill Kaprizov has seven goals in the last five games against Tampa and three in five games against Vasilevskiy. Minnesota also has a power-play goal in seven straight games and nine of 10. The Lightning have given up a power-play goal in six consecutive games. Kaprizov has a power-play point in six of the last seven games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5/Over 5.5 (+112) – .50 units
Tampa Bay Lightning/Minnesota Wild Over 6 (-120) – 2 units
Kirill Kaprizov anytime goal (+130) – .50 units
Kirill Kaprizov Over ½ power-play point (+150) – .25 units
Minnesota Wild Over ½ power-play goal (-110) – .75 units
Colorado Avalanche (40-10-9) at Anaheim Ducks (33-23-3)
Avalanche (-150) at Ducks (+125) – Total 6.5 (Over, -125)
10 p.m. ET
The Ducks can jump into first place in the Pacific Division with a win tonight and a regulation loss by the Vegas Golden Knights. Defeating the Avalanche is no easy task, especially for the Ducks, who have lost 17 of the last 22 meetings versus Colorado. Just to score a goal against Colorado has been problematic for Anaheim, which has split the two meetings this season, scoring one goal in each game. The Ducks’ one victory was a 2-1 shootout win in Denver, and if not for the goaltending heroics of Lukas Dostal, they would have never been able to get that game to overtime. Dostal made 40 saves that night as Anaheim was outshot 41-16.
The Ducks have been the comeback kids of late, erasing third-period deficits to win each of their past three games and becoming the first team since the Florida Panthers in 2021 to accomplish this feat on home ice. Overall, the Ducks have won five straight and eight consecutive games at Honda Center.
Colorado is coming off a 4-2 win over the Kings on Monday night in Los Angeles. The Avs are 4-5 this season on the back end of back-to-backs and have lost each of the last three games in this spot. Four of the last nine meetings between the teams have gone past regulation. The Ducks have played “bonus hockey” in each of their last two games.
Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson has five goals in seven games against Colorado and two goals in three games against Avs goalie Scott Wedgewood. Not known for his goal-scoring prowess, third-line left winger Jeffrey Viel has two goals in two games against Wedgewood, and his center, Mason McTavish, has two goals in four games against the Colorado goalie.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+125) – .25 units
Regulation Draw (+320) – .05 units
Leo Carlsson anytime goal (+210) – .25 units
Mason McTavish anytime goal (+350) – .10 units
Jeffrey Viel anytime goal (+700) – .05 units
