NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
New York Islanders (4-3-1) at Boston Bruins (4-7-0)
Betting Line: (Islanders -145, 6.5)
7:15 p.m. ET
The Islanders visit the struggling Bruins in a game that features two teams with leaky defenses but potent offenses, setting up a potential shootout. Both squads rank in the top half for scoring but are disasters on defense, combining to allow 7.0 goals per game. Six of the eight Islanders games this season have had a combined seven goals or more, and the first-period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in six of eight as well. Six of the last seven Bruins games have seen a goal from each team in the opening 20 minutes. When you look back at the series history between the teams, seven of the last 10 meetings have had a combined seven goals or more. The Bruins have given up seven goals in two of their last three games.
With the expectation of lots of goals tonight, I have a Cheesecake Factory menu of player props. The Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer has great value for both an assist (+160) and a goal (+550). Even if you split on the two plays, at worst, you come out better than playing his point prop (+110). Anders Lee has assists in four straight games and at more than 2-1 to get an assist tonight (+250), he offers tremendous value. On the Boston side, Morgan Geekie is on a roll with goals in four straight games and has gone Over his shot prop (2.5) in three straight games. Finally, I will go back to the well with Pavel Zacha and his Over 1.5 shots-on-goal prop. He has had at least two shots on goal in four straight games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Islanders-Boston Bruins first-period Over 1.5 (-142) – .75 units
New York Islanders-Boston Bruins first-period BTTS (+152) – .25 units
New York Islanders-Boston Bruins Over 6.5 (+104) – 1 unit
Matthew Schaefer Over ½ assist (+160) – .10 units
Matthew Schaefer anytime goal (+550) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
Morgan Geekie Over 2.5 SOG (+162) – .25 units
Pavel Zacha Over 1.5 SOG (-108) – .25 units
Anders Lee Over ½ assist (+250) – .20 units
New Jersey Devils (8-1-0) at Colorado Avalanche (5-1-4)
Betting Line: (Avalanche -160, 6)
9 p.m. ET
The Devils, the hottest team in the NHL, head to Denver for the second leg of a home-and-home series against the Avalanche, riding an eight-game winning streak (six of eight by two goals or more) after a 4-3 overtime victory over Colorado on Sunday. The Avalanche, meanwhile, are desperate to snap a four-game skid (0-1-3), all decided by one goal or in extra time. New Jersey has outscored opponents 35-22 (+13 goal differential), ranking fifth in goals per game (3.89) and third in goals against (2.44). The Avalanche have given up at least three goals in each game of their four-game losing streak. Conversely, in all five wins this season, the Avalanche held their opponent to one goal.
On to the player props. New Jersey forward Arseny Gritsyuk has had at least two shots on goal in five straight games. He plays on the Devils’ second line and second power-play unit. The Avs’ Artturi Lehkonen has scored Colorado’s first goal in consecutive games and has five goals in nine games versus Devils goalie Jake Allen. Brock Nelson scored against Allen when the teams met on Sunday and now has six goals in 10 games versus the Devils’ goalie.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Arseny Gritsyuk Over 1.5 shots on goal (-108) – .45 units
Artturi Lehkonen anytime goal (+235) – .10 units
Brock Nelson anytime goal (+330) – .10 units
Artturi Lehkonen Avs 1st goal scorer – .05 units
Utah Mammoth (8-2-0) at Edmonton Oilers (4-4-2)
Betting Line: (Oilers -150, 6)
9:30 p.m. ET
The Mammoth rolls into Edmonton on a scorching seven-game winning streak, and their 16 points have them atop both the Central Division and the Western Conference standings. The Oilers’ record (4-4-2), better known as “NHL 500,” is a true reflection of their play. One difference from years past is that goaltending hasn’t been the issue. To no surprise, Connor McDavid leads the team with 12 points but has just one goal this season. Leon Draisaitl (7) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (5) are the top two goal scorers on the team. Nugent-Hopkins has a power-play point in four straight games and Draisaitl has a point with the extra man in three straight. The Oilers’ Vasily Podkolzin is not a household name to people outside of Edmonton, but he plays on the second line with Draisaitl, and he has three goals on five shots in four games versus Utah goalie Karl Vejmelka. The Utah goalie has struggled in the past against the Oilers with just one win in six starts (1-4-1, 4.80 goals against average).
The Mammoth have scored an average of 3.70 goals per game, good enough for sixth overall and best in the Western Conference. Nick Schmaltz leads not only the Mammoth with 16 points but is tied for the league lead with Jack Eichel and Evgeni Malkin. Schmaltz has points in seven consecutive games (7 goals, 7 assists) and has had three or more shots on goal in seven of 10 games this season. Logan Cooley has had at least three shots on goal in four of the last five and six of the last nine games. Mikhail Sergachev has a power-play point in four straight games. Dylan Guenther has three or more shots on goal in four straight games and eight of 10 this season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Connor McDavid anytime goal (+145) – 10 units
Vasily Podkolzin anytime goal (+525) – .10 units
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power-play point (+200) – .10 units
Logan Cooley Over 2.5 shots on goal (+170) – .20 units
Clayton Keller anytime goal (+200) – .10 units
Dylan Guenther Over 2.5 shots on goal (-155) – .20 units
Nick Schmaltz over 2.5 shots on goal (+130) – .20 units
Best of the Rest
John Tavares (Toronto) anytime goal +180 – 1 goal shy of 500
Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg) Over 1.5 blocked shots – cashed in five straight, eight of 10
Vegas Golden Knights-Carolina Hurricanes first-period Over 1.5 goals – Carolina has gone Over in the first period in four straight, and Vegas is 7-2 this season
