Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets

San Jose Sharks (38-35-8) at Winnipeg Jets (35-34-12)

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Sharks (+135) at Jets (-165) – Total 6 (Over, -125)

8 p.m. ET

The Sharks are coming off a 5-2 loss at Chicago last night. They close out the season in Winnipeg, playing on back-to-back nights and three games in four days. It’s just an awful spot for the visitors who will be facing a Jets team that has had a disappointing season, but I am sure will play hard in front of their home crowd. 

The Jets’ Kyle Connor is one goal away from consecutive 40-goal seasons, and that’s a milestone number that players like to hang their hat on. I expect Connor to shoot from anywhere and everywhere. With Connor going for 40, it’s likely he’s center and Jets captain Mark Scheifele is teeing him for the goal, so I will parlay a Scheifele assist and a Kyle Connor point. 

Tonight, we could also be the final game of Jonathan Toews’ career. I will sprinkle on Toews to score a goal and his shots on goal prop (Over 1.5) when it becomes available. The Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini is one shy of 45 goals.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Winnipeg Jets 1st period -1/2 (+150) – .25
Winnipeg Jets Team Total Over 3.5 (-105) – .25
Kyle Connor anytime goal (+115) – .25
Connor point/Scheifele assist/Jets ML +120 – .50
Jonathan Toews anytime goal (+400) -.05
Macklin Celebrini anytime goal (+143) – .10
Connor/Celebrini SOG parlay each Over 2.5 SOG (-119) – 2 units

Anaheim Ducks (42-33-6) at Nashville Predators (38-33-10)

Ducks (-110) at Predators (-110) – Total 6 (Over, -125)

8 p.m. ET

The Anaheim Ducks enter the final day of the regular season having lost eight of their last nine games, yet with a win in any fashion tonight, they will guarantee themselves either second or third place in the Pacific Division. Nashville blanked Anaheim 5-0, nine days ago in Anaheim, but the Ducks have won six of the prior seven meetings, including a 5-2 win back in October. 

The Ducks have been hemorrhaging goals of late, giving up four or more goals in seven of their past nine games. Eight of the Ducks’ last nine games have had a combined six goals or more, and seven of the nine have combined for at least seven goals. 

Anaheim’s Mason McTavish scored both the Ducks goals in Tuesday’s loss at Minnesota. He has five goals and 10 points in 11 career games versus Nashville. His shot volume of late has been pretty good, with three shots on goal or more in three of his last five games. Cutter Gauthier has goals in three of his last four games. Leo Carlsson has goals in three of his last five. Check my Twitter/X feed later today for Ducks player props.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Over 6 (-125) – 1 unit

Los Angeles Kings (35-26-20) at Calgary Flames (33-39-9)

Kings (-135) at Flames (+110) – Total 6 (Under, -115)

9 p.m ET

How crazy is the fact that with a win tonight, the Los Angeles Kings could find themselves finishing the season in second place in the Pacific Division and home ice advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning on Saturday? No matter how things shake out on Thursday, all I ask is that we don’t get the Oilers and Kings in round one for a fifth consecutive season. 

This is not a gimme for Los Angeles, even though the Flames are 29th overall in league standings. LA has come out on the short end in each of their last seven trips to Calgary and has lost seven of their last nine overall to the Flames. Calgary has won two of the three meetings this season, with both wins coming in overtime. 

Quinton Byfield has scored goals (three) in back-to-back games and scored both Los Angeles goals against Calgary when the two teams met back on March 24 (3-2 overtime loss for LA). Alex Laferriere has goals in each of the last two games and points in three of the last four, and Adrian Kempe has goals in back-to-back games and three of the last four.

Late news out of Calgary has Arseni Sergeev making his NHL debut for Calgary tonight between the pipes. The Russian netminder spent two years at U. Conn and one year at Penn State.  

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Regulation Draw (+320) – .05Adrian Kempe anytime goal (+165) – .05Quinton Byfield anytime goal (+225) – .05Quinton Byfield Over 2.5 SOG (+120) – .20Alex Laferriere Over ½ assist (+150) – .05Ryan Strome anytime goal (+410) – .05

Vancouver Canucks (25-48-8) at Edmonton Oilers (40-30-11)

Canucks (+250) at Oilers (-325) – Total 6.5 (Over, -125)

9 p.m. ET

An Edmonton Oilers win or overtime loss, and they lock up second place in the Pacific Division. A regulation loss by the Oilers and it opens the door for both the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings to slide into the second spot in the Division and leaves open the possibility of a fifth consecutive first round match-up between the Oilers and Kings. Please, NO!!

After missing the past five games with an injury, Zach Hyman returns to the Oilers and joins Connor McDavid and Matt Savoie on the top line. Jack Roslovic moves from the fourth line to the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. His shot volume tends to increase as he moves higher in the lineup. 

With the Oilers being a (-325) favorite, it triggers our system play (24-11) where we play the Underdog to score a first-period goal. The Canucks have scored a goal in the opening 20 minutes in nine of the last 12 games, and in seven of their last 10 games, the first period Both Teams To Score prop has also cashed. 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vancouver Canucks 1st period Over ½ goal (-121) .25
1stperiod BTTS (+155) – .25
Regulation Draw (+440) – .05
Zach Hyman anytime goal (+121) – .10
Jack Roslovic anytime goal (+265) – .10
Matt Savoie assist (+180) – .10
Hyman 2+ shots/McDavid 3+ shots/Oilers ML (+115) – 1 unit

Best of the Rest
Pavel Buchnevich anytime goal (+320) – .10
Colorado Avalanche 1st period -1/2 goal (+135) – .25
Colorado Avalanche 1st period (-1 goal) +335 – .10

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