NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Wednesday, February 5:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Edmonton Oilers (-275, 6) at Chicago Blackhawks
9:30 p.m. ET
I am focusing all my energy on tonight’s Oilers at Blackhawks game and passing on the other two games on the NHL slate. Why? It’s simple. When you have trends like the first period going Over 1.5 goals in 17 of Chicago’s last 19 games, 11 of the last 13 games for the Oilers, and how about 10 straight games with Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard who gets the start tonight, it’s impossible to ignore these numbers. In eight of those games, the opposition scored a first period goal, and in six of the contests, both teams found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes.
I am not concerned with who wins the game or how many goals are scored after the first period, or who scores the goals. I completely ignored the fact that it’s the battle of the Connors as Bedard faces off against McDavid. It’s all about the first 20 minutes of the game, and it’s not because when the second period starts, I will be in my seat at Crypto.com tonight for the Canadiens and Kings game. The numbers tell me that it’s all about the first period, and that’s what I am going with tonight.
NHL Predictions: 1st period Over 1.5 (-130) – 3 units
Chicago Blackhawks 1st period Over ½ goal (-116) -1 unit
1st Period BTTS (+188) – ½ unit
