Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.

Tampa Bay Lightning (-120) at Montreal Canadiens (+100)

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Total 5.5 (Over, -130)Series tied at 1

7 p.m. ET

The Bell Centre in Montreal will be rocking tonight for Game 3 of this opening round series. Playoff hockey is always better when we get to take in a Canadiens home playoff game. If you are a Montreal Canadiens fan and want to take the glass-half-full approach, coming away with a split of the first two games in Tampa was a success for the Canadiens. The flip side is that Montreal was seven and a half minutes from taking a commanding 2-0 series lead and could not put the Lightning away. Both teams leave South Florida with an overtime victory as the series now shifts to Montreal. 

In fact, three of the last five meetings overall have gone past regulation. With Montreal having the last change, look for head coach Martin St. Louis to do his best to keep the Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovsky line away from Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel. Both Caufield and Suzuki have yet to find the back of the net through two games and have combined for five total shots on goal. Josh Anderson has goals in each of the first two games of the series and has goals in three of his last four overall, which includes the regular season.

The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov snapped a 16-game goal drought when he scored the tying goal in game two. Kucherov has registered five shots on goal in each of the first two games. Defenseman Darryn Raddysh also has 10 shots on goal (4,6) through the first two games and has four shots on goal or more in each of his last four games dating back to the regular season.

Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has been “eating pucks” through the opening two games of the series with nine blocked shots.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Regulation Draw (+310) – .05Nikita Kucherov 4+ shots on goal (-110) –.25Darryn Raddysh 4+ shots on goal (+110) – .25Mike Matheson 3+ blocked shots (+115) – .25Montreal 1st goal/1st period (+135) – .25 Josh Anderson anytime goal (+625) – .10Juraj Slafkovsky anytime goal (+160) – .50 

Vegas Golden Knights (-110) at Utah Mammoth (-110)

Total 5.5 (Over, -130)Series tied at 1

9:30 p.m. ET

The Utah Mammoth are just hours away from their first-ever home playoff game. After winning game two of the series Tuesday night in Vegas, they have taken over home ice advantage in the series. Logan Cooley, who scored Utah’s first-ever playoff goal in game one, scored the game-winning goal in game two and has six goals in five games this season (regular season and playoffs) against the Golden Knights. He has goals in six of the eight games he has faced Vegas. 

The Golden Knights’ Mark Stone has continued his goal-scoring prowess against Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka and the Mammoth. Stone scored in each of the first two games and now has five goals in seven games against the Utah netminder and has goals in six of his last eight games overall. Ivan Barbashev has goals in three of the last four meetings versus Utah and three of his last four overall.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Logan Cooley anytime goal (+220) – 1 unitMark Stone anytime goal (+230) – 1 unit

Edmonton Oilers (-135) at Anaheim Ducks (+110)  

Total 6.5 (Over, -155)Series tied at 1

9:30 p.m. ET

If you like offense, and who doesn’t, this is the series to watch. There have been 17 goals scored through two games, with each team scoring a minimum of three goals, as the Over 6.5 has cashed in both games. With the Over 6.5 being juiced to (-155) and the Over 7 sitting at (-105), the value is with Both Teams to Score 3 goals (+128). 

Will one of the three Edmonton goals come from Connor McDavid is one question for me. You have to go down 17 spots on the Oilers statistic sheet to find McDavid’s name, as he has 0 points. Will tonight be his breakout night? It’s been the Oilers second line of Draisaitl, Kapanen and Podkolzin that has done the damage, combining for three goals and 10 points. 

Troy Terry, Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Poehling each have two goals for Anaheim. Terry, along with Jackson LaCombe, leads the team with four points. He has points in eight of his last nine games against the Oilers and an assist in seven of the nine. Gauthier has goals in four of his last six games against the Oilers and 11 of his last 14 games overall at home.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: 
Both Teams to Score 3 goals (+128) – 2 units
Jackson LaCombe Over ½ assist (+108) – 1 unit
Jackson LaCombe anytime goal (+700) – .10
Cutter Gauthier anytime goal (+140) – 1 unit
Kasperi Kapanen anytime goal (+450) – .50
Kasperi Kapanen Over ½ assist (+270) – .50
Vasily Podkolzin anytime goal (+330) – .50
Vasily Podkolzin Over ½ assist (+220) – .50

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