NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets
Buffalo Sabres (47-23-8) at New York Rangers (33-36-9)
Sabres (-146) at Rangers (+122) – Total 6 (Over, -122)
7 p.m. ET
With a win tonight or an overtime loss, the Buffalo Sabres will take over the top spot in the Atlantic Division. In their way is the New York Rangers, who have won five of their last six games and have given up just one goal in each of the five victories (three goals in the loss). Tonight is the front end of a back-to-back for Buffalo, who are 7-5 in this spot. They are 6-4 this season as a road favorite.
A couple of player props for tonight. The Rangers’ Conor Sheary scored goals in three of the past five games and scored the Rangers’ first goal in two of the last four games. Mika Zibanejad has points in four consecutive games and assists (five) in three straight games. He also has six goals in eight games against Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Adam Fox has an assist in six of the last seven games and points in fifteen of the last 18 games.
For the visiting Sabres, Jack Quinn is one goal shy of his first 20-goal season and does have two goals in the six games he has faced Igor Shesterkin, who gets the call tonight for New York. Could this be the “get right” game for Ryan McLeod? The Sabres forward has points in just two of his last eight games, but he has multi-point games in each of his last four visits to MSG.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Mika Zibanejad point/Fox point (+116) – .50
Mika Zibanejad anytime goal (+190) – .25
Conor Sheary anytime goal (+500) – .05
Conor Sheary 1st Rangers’ goal (+1400) – .05
Ryan McLeod Over ½ point (+110) – .10
Ryan McLeod Over 1.5 points (+550) – .05
Jack Quinn anytime goal (+285) – .15
Washington Capitals (39-30-9) at Toronto Maple Leafs (32-31-14)
Capitals (-150) at Maple Leafs (-125) – Total 6.5 (-110)
7:30 p.m. ET
The Capitals are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they sit six points behind Ottawa for the final playoff spot with just four games remaining. The big story for tonight’s game is that it marks the debut of Ilya Protas, who will play on a line tonight with his brother, Aliaksei and Tom Wilson. Talk about a “heavy” line. The trio weighs a combined 700 pounds, with Wilson at 6’4” being the shortest of the three players. Wilson has goals in each of the last two games and three of the past four.
Also keep an eye on Connor McMichael, who has goals in back-to-back games and six points in nine career games against Toronto. Jakob Chychrun has three goals in the two games against Toronto this season and 14 points in 18 career games versus Toronto. The Maple Leafs John Tavares has goals in three straight. The Leafs continue to lead the league by giving up the most shots on goal per game at 32.5.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Chychrun/McMichael point parlay (+196) – .15
Protas brother and Wilson point parlay (+268) – .15
John Tavares anytime goal (+125) – .10
Tom Wilson anytime goal (+200) – .10
Washington Capitals Team Total Over 30.5 SOG (+104) – 1 unit
Edmonton Oilers (39-29-10) at San Jose Sharks (37-32-7)
Oilers (-125) at Oilers (+105) – Total 6.5 (Over, -126)
10 p.m. ET
There is a logjam among the top three teams in the Pacific Division, with the Oilers and Golden Knights both with 88 points (Oilers have the tiebreaker) and Anaheim just one point back with 87 points. The Oilers are fresh off a 6-5 overtime loss last night at Utah in a game they led 3-1 after the opening 20 minutes.
The Sharks are currently four points (when you include the tiebreaker) of the Nashville Predators, who currently own the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, though San Jose has played one fewer game than the Predators. Edmonton has won two of the three meetings between the two teams this season, but keep in mind that Edmonton is just (3-9) this season on the second half of back-to-backs. All three meetings this season have had a combined seven goals or more, and the first period Over 1.5 and even 2.5 goals has cashed in each of the three previous meetings.
Let’s move over to the player props, where there is value. Colin Graf of the Sharks and Vasily Podkolzin of the Oilers are both on their teams’ respective top lines but are being priced like players who are lower down in the lineup and therefore present tremendous value. Connor McDavid has registered at least four shots on goal in eight of the last 12 games. San Jose’s Michael Misa has goals in two of three games against Edmonton, and both goals have come against Connor Ingram, who starts in goal tonight for the Oilers.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
1st period Over 1.5/Over 5.5 (-104) – 1.5 units
1st period Over 2.5 goals (+215) – .25
Connor McDavid Over 3.5 shots on goal (+100) – 1 unit
Colin Graf anytime goal (+340) – .10
Colin Graf Over ½ assist (+220) – .10
Vasily Podkolzin anytime goal (+350) – .10
Vasily Podkolzin Over ½ assist (+210) – .10
Michael Misa anytime goal (+500) – .05
