NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (-115, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Capitals host the Lightning, who are playing the second half of a back-to-back and their third game in four days. After losing to Boston in their opening game of the season, the Caps rebounded with wins over the Islanders and Rangers. Tonight, they host a Tampa team that is coming off a 4-3 win at Boston on Monday. Most times, a team will use its No. 1 goalie on the front end of games on consecutive days, but Tampa chose to save Andrei Vasilevskiy for tonight’s matchup. It’s been a rough start to the season for the veteran goalie, who is 0-2 with a 4.67 goals against average and an .859 save percentage.
Alexander Ovechkin, still three goals shy of 900 as he has yet to score this season, has 12 goals in 22 games when facing Vasilevskiy. Only twice in his previous 20 seasons has the “Great 8” been held without a goal in the first four games to start the season. For his career, Ovi has 51 goals and 97 points versus the Lightning. Tampa’s Jake Guentzel is also in search of his first goal of the season. Guentzel, who is a three-time 40-goal scorer and has scored 30 or more goals six times, has 14 goals in 30 career games versus Tampa and two goals in three games against the Capitals’ projected starting goalie, Logan Thompson.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Jake Guentzel anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Alexander Ovechkin anytime goal (+140) – .10 units
Nashville Predators at Toronto Maple Leafs (-199, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Predators are unbeaten in regulation with a stout defense (allowing just 2.0 goals per game) but are on the second half of a back-to-back after a 4-1 win over Ottawa on Monday. The Leafs are also playing the second half of a back-to-back and are coming off consecutive losses to Detroit. It will be a battle of the backups tonight as Justus Annunen gets his first start of the season and his first career start against Toronto, while the Maple Leafs turn to Cayden Primeau, claimed off waivers during training camp. Primeau has just 13 wins in 55 NHL starts and a career goals against average just under 4. Primeau has given up three or more goals in 14 of his last 16 NHL starts.
Auston Matthews leads the Maple Leafs with 15 shots on goal (eight and six, respectively, in the last two games) and has had at least four shots on goal in seven of his last 10 games versus Nashville. With the loss of Mitch Marner to Vegas, defenseman Morgan Rielly has been elevated to the top power play in addition to being on the team’s top blue line pair. He is second on the team with 11 shots on goal (four, two, five) in three games. Calle Jarnkrok has scored in all three games to start the season and leads the Leafs with three goals.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Auston Matthews Over 3.5 shots on goal (-135) – 1 unit
Auston Matthews Over 4.5 shots on goal (+170) – .50 units
Auston Matthews Over 5.5 shots on goal (+350) – .10 units
Morgan Rielly Over 1.5 shots on goal (+100) – 1 unit
Morgan Rielly Over 2.5 shots on goal (+300) – .20 units
Calle Jarnkrok anytime goal (+850) – .10 units
Nashville Predators Team Total Over 2.5 (-122) – .50 units
Edmonton Oilers (-140, 5.5) at New York Rangers
7 p.m. ET
The Rangers are not only seeking their first home win of the season but are also in search of their first goal on home ice. The Blueshirts lost 3-0 to Pittsburgh and 1-0 to Washington despite 35 shots on goal and 71 directed at Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren.
The Oilers have won three straight and seven of their last 10 meetings with the Rangers. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has yet to score a goal through two games, but his eight shots on goal through two games is tied for the team lead. Andrew Mangiapane, signed as a free agent by the Oilers in the summer, has scored in each of the first two games and has five goals and 10 points in 11 career games versus the Rangers, including two goals in six games against Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers’ J.T. Miller has five goals in his nine games against Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 19 shots on goal (7, 4, 1, 7) this season and Alexis Lafreniere is just behind with 16 (4, 1, 5, 6).
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Edmonton Oilers ML (-140) – .50 units
Andrew Mangiapane anytime goal (+400) – .10 units
J.T. Miller anytime goal (+290) – .10 units
Mika Zibanejad Over 2.5 shots on goal (-130) – .20 units
Alexis Lafreniere Over 2.5 shots on goal (+185) – .20 units
Vegas Golden Knights (-160, 5.5) at Calgary Flames
9 p.m. ET
The Golden Knights have earned points in all three of their games to start the season, with all three games going past 60 minutes, but Vegas has just one win to start the season. Their opponent tonight, the Flames, are on a two-game skid, outscored 9-3, since rallying to beat the Oilers in their season opener.
Pavel Dorofeyev leads the Knights — and the NHL — with five goals, four coming on the power play. The Golden Knights’ sniper has scored twice in three games on Dustin Wolf, the Flames’ expected starter tonight. There is also good value on Dorofeyev to record a power-play point (+290). I would also look at a Mark Stone assist prop. Stone is tied for the team lead with five assists, four coming with the extra man. The Under has cashed in five of the last six meetings and seven of the last 10, but the teams are a combined 5-1 to the Over this season, so I will lay off the total.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal (+200) – .15 units
Dorofeyev power-play point (+290) – .10 units
Mark Stone Over ½ assist (+102) – .10 units
