NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers
Columbus (-125) at Philadelphia (+105) – Total 5.5 (Over, -115)
7 p.m. ET
The Jackets are coming off a 2-1 overtime win at home over the Vegas Golden Knights but have yet to win back-to-back games this season. The Jackets have scored two or fewer goals in each of their past four games, and the full-game Under (the total) has cashed in three of the last four games overall. The Flyers’ three-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday with a 5-4 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks. The nine combined goals snapped a streak of six consecutive Flyers games that went Under the total. Still, 10 of 13 Philly games have had a combined five or fewer goals. Four of the last five head-to-head meetings between the Jackets and Flyers have also gone Under the posted total. Three of the last five games in Philly have gone past regulation.
The Flyers’ Tyson Foerster has had 2+ shots on goal in five straight, nine of his last 11 games and five of his last six games against Columbus. Adam Fantilli has registered 2+ shots on goal in eight of his last 10 meetings with the Flyers, and Jackets teammate Kent Johnson has had 2+ shots in seven of his last 10 versus the Flyers.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Under 5.5 (-105) – ½ unit
Regulation draw (+320) – .10 units
Tyson Foerster/Adam Fantilli/Kent Johnson 2+ shots on goal each (+238) – 1 unit
New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars
New Jersey (-105) at Dallas (-115) – Total 5.5 (Over, -115)
8 p.m. ET
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck makes his New Jersey Devils debut tonight in Dallas. The big question is how rusty he will be, considering he has not played a game this season in the NHL or the minors. Hellebuyck has lost four straight to the Stars and seven of his last 10, giving up 3+ goals in each of his last three starts to Dallas and six times in the last 10 games. New Jersey’s top line of Arseny Gritsyuk, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt is one, two and three in team scoring, and Gritsyuk has goals in five consecutive games. Jack Hughes has four goals in six games against Stars goalie Casey DeSmith. Gritsyuk has 2+ shots on goal in eight of 11 games this season and Timo Meier has 3+ shots in eight of the Devils’ last 11 games and seven of his last eight against Dallas.
On the Dallas side, Jason Robertson has 10 goals in 16 games versus Hellebuyck, and Wyatt Johnston has goals in each of the Stars’ last two games and six goals in eight games versus Jersey.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Arseny Gritsyuk anytime goal (+360) – ½ unit
Arseny Gritsyuk/Jack Hughes/Jesper Bratt 1+ point each (+279) – ½ unit
Jack Hughes anytime goal (+200) – ¼ unit
Jason Robertson anytime goal (+175) – ½ unit
Wyatt Johnston anytime goal (+195) – ¼ unit
Arseny Gritsyuk 2+ shots/Timo Meier 3+ shots (+212) – ½ unit
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes
Boston (+155) at Carolina (-190) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
8 p.m. ET
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference meet in Carolina, where the Hurricanes host the Bruins. It’s a classic Malinsky Special: Carolina is playing its first home game after five games in eight days on the road. The Bruins have won seven of their last eight and scored four or more goals in all seven wins, and the value tonight with the B’s is too hard to pass up.
The Bruins’ David Pastrnak has had 3+ shots on goal in 10 of his last 12 games and in eight of the last 11 meetings versus Carolina (4+ shots on goal in 7 of 11 against the Canes). Since Nikolaj Ehlers joined Logan Stankoven on the Canes’ second line, Stankoven has had 3+ shots on goal (5, 3, 5, 5) in each of the last four games. Morgan Geekie has six goals in 12 games versus Carolina and five goals in his last two trips to Carolina. Elias Lindholm centers the Boston’s third line and top power play has 12 points in 14 career games against the Hurricanes. On the Carolina side, give me Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov in a point parlay. Aho has 24 points in 25 games versus Boston, and Svechnikov has 14 points in 16 games versus the Bruins.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Bruins (+155) – 1 unit
David Pastrnak/Logan Stankoven 3+ shots on goal each (+238) – 1 unit
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+280) – ¼ unit
Morgan Geekie/Elias Lindholm 1+ points each (+237) – ¼ unit
Sebastian Aho/Andrei Svechnikov point parlay (-117) – 1 unit
Montreal Canadiens at St. Louis Blues
Montreal (+100) at St. Louis (-120) – Total 6 (Over, -118)
8 p.m. ET
The Canadiens are coming off back-to-back wins against Chicago and Winnipeg, allowing just one goal in each victory. Now they face a Blues team that has beaten them in three straight and in five of the last six. After the pomp and circumstance in the Habs’ outdoor game in Winnipeg, they could be in for an emotional letdown. That plays into my reasoning for liking the Blues to score the first goal of the game. St. Louis has struck first in eight of 11 games this season. I am also tempted to play the first-period draw. Nine of the Habs’ 11 games have ended tied after the opening 20 minutes (0-0 three times and 1-1 five times). I will split a half-unit on the first period with an exact score of 0-0 (+430) and 1-1 (+550).
On to some player props. Cole Caufield likes to play target practice on Blues goalies, registering 3+ shots on goal in nine of 10 games. He has five goals in seven games versus Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. Montreal’s Josh Anderson has recorded 2+ shots on goal in each of his last six games and nine of 11. The Blues’ Robert Thomas has points in five straight and six of his last seven games against the Habs. Linemate Dylan Holloway has five points in five games versus Montreal. Jonatan Berggren has goals in two of his last three games against Montreal and points in five of six.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Cole Caufield 3+ shots/Josh Anderson 2+ shots (+156) – 1 unit
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+140) – ½ unit
St. Louis Blues to score first goal of the game (-115) – ½ unit
First-period exact score, 0-0 (+430) – ¼ unit
First-period exact score, 1-1 (+550) – ¼ unit
Robert Thomas/Dylan Holloway point parlay (+103) – 1 unit
Robert Thomas anytime goal (+295) – ¼ unit
Jonatan Berggren anytime goal (+500) – .10 units
Jonatan Berggren 1+ point (+265) – .10 units
Minnesota Wild at Utah Mammoth
Minnesota (+105) at Utah (-125) – Total 6.5 (Under, -120)
9 p.m. ET
On tonight’s 11-game card, I’m most excited to watch two of the best Central Division teams to tangle in Salt Lake City. This is the final stop on the Wild’s five-game road trip that has seen them earn five of a possible eight points (2-1-1) through the first four. The Mammoth are coming off a 5-4 come-from-behind overtime win on Saturday against Tampa and have traded wins and losses over their past five games. Utah has scored four or more goals in each of their eight wins this season and surrendered 4+ goals in each of their four losses. The Wild scored four or more goals and covered the puck line (-1.5 goals) in six of their eight wins. Scoring first has been a trademark this season for Minnesota, which has done so in nine of 13 games, while Utah has given up the first goal in each of the last four games. The first-period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in nine of 12 Utah games this season.
Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, who leads the NHL with 13 goals, has scored in his last two games versus Utah, five of his last eight against the Mammoth, and he has seven goals in 12 games against Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. He also has 3+ shots on goal in 10 of his last 13 versus the Mammoth and 11 of 13 overall. With Utah having the 29th-ranked penalty-killing unit (31st at home), give me the Wild’s Maxim Shabanov for a power-play point. Six of Shabanov’s eight points this season have come on the power play. Blake Coleman has five goals in nine games against Vejmelka. Quinn Hughes has had 2+ shots on goal in 10 of 13 games this season. With his bump to the second line, Michael McCarron’s anytime goal prop (+700) is too good to pass up. On the Utah side, Mikhail Sergachev has 15 assists in 15 games versus Minnesota and three straight games and five of six with two assists.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Kirill Kaprizov anytime goal (+120) – 1 unit
Michael McCarron anytime goal (+700) – .10 units
Blake Coleman anytime goal (+360) – .10 units
Mikhail Sergachev 1+ assist (-128) – ½ unit
Mikhail Sergachev 2+ assists (+420) – .10 units
Quinn Hughes 2+ shots/Mikhail Sergachev 2+ shots/Kirill Kaprizov 3+ shots (+229) – 1 unit
Wild to score first goal of the game (-110) – ¼ unit
