NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Wednesday, January 22:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils (-235, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
This line has gotten way out of hand. New Jersey opened as a (-165) home favorite and has been bet up to (-235) across the board. I realize the Bruins are banged up, but New Jersey is just 12-11 as a home favorite. I should mention that Boston on the road is no great shakes either, just nine wins in 24 games away from home and (4-11) as a road underdog. Even with that, the Bruins are worth a shot.
While the money line has shot up, the total has dropped, going from 6.5 to 5.5. The Devils are on an 18-2-1 run to games going under the total. In addition, the first period Under 1.5 goals has cashed in 16 of the last 19 New Jersey games. A goal in the first ten minutes has cashed in 10 of the last 11 Bruins games.
Tonight’s goaltending matchup has Jeremy Swayman for the Bruins and Jacob Markstrom for the Devils. David Pastrnak has five goals and 11 points in the last four games. Pastrnak has 11 career goals versus New Jersey. His teammate, Pavel Zacha. has three goals in five games against the Devils.
On the New Jersey side, there are three players with some nice prices for anytime goals that caught my eye. Paul Cotter has three goals in three games versus Swayman, Tomas Tatar has five goals in eight games, while Dawson Mercer has two goals in three games versus the Bruins netminder.
NHL Predictions: Paul Cotter anytime goal (+440) – ½ unit
Dawson Mercer anytime goal (+340) – ½ unit
Tomas Tatar anytime goal (+600) – ½ unit
David Pastrnak anytime goal (+160) – ½ unit
Goal 1st 10/Yes (-140) – 1.5 units
1st Period Under 1.5 goals (-110) – 1.5 units
Boston Bruins/New Jersey Devils Under 5.5 (-102) – 1.5 units
Boston Bruins ML (+180) – ½ unit
Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs (-200, 6.5)
7:30 p.m. ET
Toronto opened as a (-235) home favorite, but with the announcement of Dennis Hildeby being announced as the Leafs starter, we have seen that line dip a little to (-200). Columbus has been awful on the road, with just six wins in 23 games as compared to 16 wins in 24 home games. The Jackets have played to the Under on the road, and the Leafs are more of an Under team at home than they are on the road.
A couple of player props that I will target include Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli of the Blue Jackets. Johnson has seven points in six games against the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs Auston Matthews (five goals in the last four games) and Mitch Marner (seven assists in the last four games) have both put up big numbers against the Jackets in their careers.
Matthews has 13 goals in 16 games against the Jackets, while Marner has 18 assists in 20 games. I usually don’t parlay player props, but I will in this case so we can get a plus money return on our wager.
Lastly, Maple Leafs games have featured a goal in the first 10 minutes in nine straight and 17 of the last 20 contests.
NHL Predictions: Goal in the 1st 10/Yes (-166) – 1.5 Units
Auston Matthews anytime goal/Mitch Marner Over ½ assist (+124) – 1.5 units
Adam Fantilli Over ½ point (-115) – ½ unit
Kent Johson Over ½ point (+122) – ½ unitBest of the Rest:
Adrian Kempe Over ½ assist (+124), anytime goal (+190) – both ¼ unit plays
Carter Verhaeghe Over ½ assist (+200), anytime goal (+280) – both ¼ unit plays
Aleksander Barkov anytime goal (+250), Over ½ assist (+118) – both ¼ unit plays
