NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Seattle Kraken at Washington Capitals (-258, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Seattle Kraken are coming off a 5-2 setback last night in Philadelphia and now head into Washington on the second half of a back-to-back. Last season, the Kraken were 0-12 in this spot, losing 11 of 12 by two goals or more and scoring two goals or less in 11 of 12 as well. Alexander Ovechkin is still two goals shy of 900 and has scored three goals in the six games that he has faced the Kraken’s expected starting goalie, Philipp Grubauer. Tom Wilson has five assists on his current three-game assist streak.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Washington Capitals -1.5 goals (-102) – 1 unit
Tom Wilson Over ½ assist +120 – .20 units
Alexander Ovechkin anytime goal +115 – .10 units
New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs (-118, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
After getting doubled up by Carolina 6-3 in their season opener, the Devils rattled off four consecutive wins (4-1-0) and gave up just nine goals. With New Jersey on the front end of a back-to-back, Jake Allen is expected to get the start with Nico Daws getting his first start of the season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. The Leafs are 3-2-1 to start the season and have gone to overtime in each of the last two games, coming away with a win and a loss. Toronto has won the last three meetings, four of five and six of the last eight versus New Jersey. The last two meetings won by Toronto were settled in overtime. When it comes to the full game total, five of the last seven meetings have had seven goals or more, and six of the seven meetings have had a combined six goals or more.
Two Maple Leafs that have had success against the Devils and in particular, goalie, Jake Allen. Auston Matthews has 21 goals in 21 games versus the Devils and 15 goals in 19 games against Allen and Dakota Joshua has two goals in two games versus Allen. Matthew Knies is riding a four-game point streak that includes five assists.
Two Devils players on my radar are Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Bratt has assists in three straight games as well as 3 goals and 7 points in his last 5 games. In 19 games against Toronto, he has 13 assists. Jack Hughes has goals in back-to-back games and four goals and nine points in his 12 games versus the Maple Leafs.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Auston Matthews anytime goal +130 – .20 units
Dakota Joshua anytime goal +850 – .10 units
Jesper Bratt Goal/Jack Hughes assist +360 – .10 units
Jack Hughes goal/Jesper Bratt assist +252 – .10 units
Matthew Knies Over ½ assist +134 – .10 units
New Jersey Devils/Toronto Maple Leafs Over 6 (+100) – .50 units
Edmonton Oilers (-125, 5.5) at Ottawa Senators
7 p.m. ET
The Edmonton Oilers (2-3-1) visit the Ottawa Senators (2-4-0) on Tuesday. Edmonton will look to snap their current three-game slide against a Senators team that they’ve defeated in five of their last six meetings. Ottawa has dropped four of their last five overall. The Senators may be the tonic the Oilers need to get back on track, as the Oilers’ struggling offense has scored just seven goals during their three-game losing streak. The Sens have been leaky to say the least, giving up four or more goals in each loss and five times overall for the season.
Leon Draisaitl has 17 goals in 26 games versus the Senators and nine goals in nine games (on 28 shots) against Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark. Connor McDavid is still looking for his first goal of the season (he has seven assists) and has 13 goals in 26 career games against the Sens. Edmonton’s Noah Philip has goals in back-to-back games, and both have been the Oilers’ first goal of the game.
On the Ottawa side, Shane Pinto is tied for the league lead in goals (seven) and has found the back of the net in all but one game this season. Veteran Claude Giroux has 25 points in 24 career games versus the Oilers. Tim Stutzle has four goals in the six games when he has gone up against Stuart Skinner.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Connor McDavid anytime goal +120 – .10 units
Leon Draisaitl anytime goal +150 – .20 units
Noah Philip anytime goal +750 and first Edmonton goal +2200 – each play .10 units
Claude Giroux Over ½ point +125 – .10 units
Tim Stutzle anytime goal +190 – .10 units
Shane Pinto anytime goal +230 – .10 units
San Jose Sharks at New York Islanders (-230, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The young talent will be on display tonight as the most recent two first overall picks will go head-to-head for the first time with Matthew Schaefer of the Islanders and Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks. Schaefer leads all Islanders players in ice time and has a point (one goal, four assists) in all five Islanders games to start the season. Celebrini leads the Sharks in scoring, also with a goal and four assists.
Following their loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said, “he’d give up one of his children for a win.” That had to make for an interesting conversation at the breakfast table the next day. San Jose remains the only team without a win (0-5) this season, but they have managed to get two of their games to overtime. The Sharks are tied for dead last in goals against, giving up an average of five goals per game.
The Isles’ Bo Horvat has four goals in the last two games, so why should he stop now against a Sharks team that is tied for dead last in goals against? Instead of laying any juice for the Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini to earn a point tonight, I am going to parlay him with his linemate, Will Smith, to get me some plus money.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Matthew Schaefer Over ½ assist (+125) – .50 units
Macklin Celebrini/Will Smith each over ½ point (+118) – .50 units
Bo Horvat anytime goal +145 – .10 units
Florida Panthers (-155, 5.5) at Boston Bruins
7:30 p.m. ET
It will be an emotional night at the TD Garden Arena as former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand makes his return to Beantown following last season’s trade to the Florida Panthers. Marchand is off to a great start, leading the Panthers in both goals (three) and points (six) and tied for the team lead in assists (three). He has scored the Bruins’ first goal of the game twice this season. However, his Florida team is going through a rough patch, having lost four in a row, scoring just four goals and were shut out Saturday by the Buffalo Sabres.
Should you be concerned if you’re a fan of the Florida Panthers? Not for one second. First off, Florida is dealing with injuries to key players (Barkov, Tkachuk, Kulikov and Mikkola), and second, after three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup, this team knows when to flip the switch. Tonight is a game when the “on switch” gets flipped. I expect Marchand’s teammates to do everything to get him a goal tonight, so I will attack his goal, assist and shots on goal props. I am also on a Sam Reinhart anytime goal. The Bruins return home after losing all three games on their west coast road trip, and like Florida, have lost four straight overall.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Sam Reinhart anytime goal +170 – .10 units
Brad Marchand anytime goal +175 – .10 units
Brad Marchand Over ½ assist +140 – .10 units
Brad Marchand Over 2.5 SOG -155 – .50 units
