NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (-165, 6)
7 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs begin life tonight without Mitch Marner as Toronto’s “core four” of Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares is no longer with Marner now residing in Vegas. The Canadiens come to Toronto looking to build off last season’s success that saw them return to the playoffs after watching from home the previous three years. Following their opening round defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis told his players, “The pain you feel right now is not close to the joy that is coming.” The Canadiens wouldn’t mind duplicating last season’s opening night, 1-0 win over Toronto but that game was at home. This year, the teams open in Toronto, where Montreal has lost 10 straight games.
Overall, the Leafs have won the last three meetings and eight of ten. Five of the last six and seven of the last 10 contests have gone under the total. I don’t have a strong feeling about the side or the total, but there is a laundry list of prop plays that have got my attention. Let’s start with Auston Matthews, who has been a shot volume machine in his first game of the season over the past six years, having registered six, eight, five, eight, seven and eight shots on goal. Matias Maccelli, acquired from Utah in the offseason, gets first crack on the Leafs’ top line to fill the spot opened by the departure of Mitch Marner to Vegas. Maccelli has five points in seven career games versus the Canadiens. Maccelli will also see time on the second power play unit.
One other Leafs player on my list is Bobby McMann, who has three goals in five games against Habs starting goalie, Samuel Montembeault. A couple of Montreal forwards that have caught my attention are Cole Caufield (3), Nick Suzuki (3) and Jake Evans (3), who have nine of the twelve Montreal goals (of the current rostered players) scored on Leafs starting goalie Anthony Stolarz. Noah Dobson, who makes his Canadiens regular-season debut, has 13 points in 12 career games against Toronto.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Auston Matthews Over 3.5 SOG (-114) – 1 unit
Auston Matthews Over 4.5 SOG (+188) – .50 units
Auston Matthews Over 5.5 SOG (+360) – .25 units
Auston Matthews Over 6.5 SOG (+750) – .10 units
Matias Maccelli Over ½ assist (+200) – .25 units
Bobby McMann anytime goal (+350) – .10 units
Cole Caufield anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Nick Suzuki anytime goal (+270) – .10 units
Jake Evans anytime goal (+850) – .10 units
Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals (-190, 5.5)
7:30 pm ET
Alexander Ovechkin begins his quest to reach the 900-goal plateau tonight when the Capitals host the Boston Bruins. Ovi is just three goals shy of the mark and has scored just two goals in the eight games that he has gone head-to-head against Bruins starting goalie, Jeremy Swayman, but he has scored in eight of the Capitals’ last 12 home openers. Though Swayman is just 3-6 lifetime versus Washington, he has a 1.98 goals against average versus the Caps. Washington has won seven of their last 10 home openers, while the Bruins have lost six of their last eight road openers. The Under has cashed in seven of the B’s last 10 opening games.
I believe the Capitals take a step back this season, and I have the Bruins finishing once again out of the playoffs. I am laying off sides and totals and will focus on prop plays for tonight’s contest. Boston’s David Pastrnak has just one goal on 21 shots in his career against Logan Thompson, but if you do the math, he is averaging five shots a game with Thompson in net. For his career, Pasta has averaged 3.54 shots per game against the Capitals. A couple of under-the-radar players for the Bruins include Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittlestadt. Arvidsson has 17 points in 17 games against Washington, and Mittlestadt has three goals in four games against Thompson.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Alexander Ovechkin anytime goal (+115) – .20 units
Alexander Ovechkin Over 3.5 shots on goal (-102) – .25 units
David Pastrnak Over 3.5 shots on goal (+102) – .50 units
David Pastrnak Over 4.5 shots on goal (+230) – .20 units
Viktor Arvidsson anytime goal (+390) – .10 units
Viktor Arvidsson Over ½ assist (+330) – .10 units
Casey Mittlestadt anytime goal (+450) – .10 units
Casey Mittlestadt Over ½ assist (+310) – .10 units
Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers (-220, 6)
7 p.m. ET
Oilers fans breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when Connor McDavid signed his two-year extension, and I am sure when 97 is introduced tonight, the building will absolutely erupt. The Oilers are notoriously slow starters, but opening against their Alberta neighbors will be all the motivation Edmonton needs to start on the right track. The Oilers have won three of the last four and seven of the last 10 meetings against the Flames and Leon Draisaitl has scored in four of the last five games between the two teams. The Oilers will load up their top line tonight with Draisaitl, McDavid and Trent Frederic. I like McDavid and Draisaitl to both put up two points, and I will grab Trent Frederic for an assist as he will be the third member of the line. Former Calgary Flame Andrew Mangiapane plays his first game as a member of the Oilers against his former team (he has faced Calgary when he played for Washington) and has great value for an anytime goal (+390). On the Calgary side, I like a couple of Nazem Kadri props. Kadri has 22 points in 26 games versus the Oilers. Last season, he led the team with 279 shots on goal.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl parlay Over 1.5 points (+130) – 1 unit
Trent Frederic Over ½ assist (+280) – .35 units
Trent Frederic anytime goal (+1800) – .10 units
Oilers -1.5 goals (+118) – .25 units
Andrew Mangiapane anytime goal (+390) – .10 units
Connor McDavid Over 3.5 SOG (+162) – .25 units
Nazem Kadri Over ½ point (-136) -. 25 units
Nazem Kadri Over 3.5 SOG (+125) – .25 units
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights (-220, 6)
10 p.m. ET
The Mitch Marner era begins tonight in Vegas as the Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are coming off a disappointing loss last night at home to Colorado, losing 4-1. Up front, this is arguably the deepest team that the Golden Knights have had as they enter their ninth season, evidenced by Mark Stone playing down on the third line. Eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams have gone Over the total, including five straight in Vegas.
Marner will be on the Knights’ top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev and will also play the point on a new-look Vegas power play that will feature five forwards. With Darcy Kuemper getting the start last night, I am anticipating Anton Forsberg making his LA Kings debut tonight in Vegas. That should be music to the ears of both Tomas Hertl and Brandon Saad, who each have four goals in four games against the netminder. On the LA side, Anze Kopitar has 12 goals in his last 15 games against the Golden Knights and Warren Foegele has three goals in six games against Vegas goalie, Adin Hill.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Mitch Marner Over ½ assist (-136) – 1 unit
Mitch Marner anytime goal (+170) – .50 units
Tomas Hertl anytime goal (+210) – .10 units
Brandon Saad anytime goal (+375) – .10 units
Jack Eichel anytime goal (+160) – .10 units
Anze Kopitar anytime goal (+375) – .10 units
Warren Foegele anytime goal (+400) – .10 units
Los Angeles/Vegas Over 6 (-105) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 goals (+120) – .25 units
