NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Wednesday, March 12:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings (-145, 6.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Detroit Red Wings are in absolute freefall, losers of six straight, and they are now four points back of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their opposition tonight, the Buffalo Sabres, just snapped a six-game losing streak of their own with an impressive 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.
It looks like Petr Mrazek, acquired by Detroit at the deadline, will get the start tonight. For his career, Mrazek is 7-7-1 versus Buffalo. The Sabres will counter with Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen. “UPL” is 3-3-0 lifetime against the Wings. Seven of the last 10 meetings have gone Over the full game total, including two of three meetings this season. The Sabres have been a solid first-period team to the Over on the road, having cashed in five of their last six and 19 of 29 for the season.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin has goals in three straight games, as well as two goals versus Buffalo this season and three goals in four games against “UPL.”
A couple of Sabres props that have caught my eye. Newly acquired Josh Norris has seven goals in 10 career games versus the Red Wings. Centering the top line and being on the top power play unit makes him a strong candidate for an anytime goal. Tage Thompson is on pace for his second career 40-goal season. The Sabres leading goal scorer (33) has goals in four of his last five games and has found the back of the net three times against the Red Wings this season. Peyton Krebs has three goals in five games against Mrazek.
The Sabres have just one road win in the division this season in eight games. The Wings are the better team. I am willing to take a shot their losing streak comes to an end tonight.
NHL Predictions: 1st Period Over 1.5 (1 unit)
Buffalo Sabres/Detroit Red Wings Over 6.5 (-105) 1unit
Detroit Red Wings ML (-145) – 1 unit
Tage Thompson anytime goal (+175) -1/4 unit
Peyton Krebs (+850) – ¼ unit
Josh Norris anytime goal (+250) – 1/4 unit
Dylan Larkin anytime goal (+140) – 1/4 unit
Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames (-125, 5.5)
7:30 p.m. ET
The big story around this game is that we are likely to see the return of Quinn Hughes to the Canucks lineup. Hughes did make the trip to Calgary. Barring any setback, it would seem unlikely that Hughes is traveling to Calgary for a one-game road trip. Even with Hughes in the lineup, it’s not enough to sway me to bet on the Canucks tonight. Vancouver is a far better team with their captain, but they are 1-6 this season on the second half of a back-to-back. Hughes played in most, if not all, of those games.
At 38-24-2, the Flames are the second-best team to the Under this season, just behind the New Jersey Devils. The Under has cashed in eight of their last nine games overall. The Flames are 15-2 to the Under in Division games and a perfect 7-0 to the Under at home when it comes to games within the Pacific Division.
NHL Predictions: Calgary Flames ML (-125) – 1 unit
Calgary Flames Under 5.5 – 1 unit
Montreal Canadiens at Seattle Kraken (-145, 6)
10:30 p.m. ET
The Canadiens get right back at after doubling up Vancouver on Tuesday night, 4-2. The Canadiens have won six of their last eight games, scoring four goals or more in each win, while the Kraken have lost five of their last seven and given up four or more goals in each of their losses.
Seattle thumped the Canadiens 8-2 back in October at the Bell Centre. They have won two of the last three meetings between the two teams. The Canadiens are 6-5 this season on the second half of back-to-backs. They will turn to rookie Jakub Dobes in goal. Dobes has just one win in his last six starts and has given up the first goal in nine of his 11 starts this season.
NHL Predictions: Seattle Kraken to score the 1st goal of the game – 1 unit
Montreal Canadiens/Seattle Kraken Over 6 – 1 unit
