Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets:

Washington Capitals (32-27-7) at Buffalo Sabres (40-19-6)

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Capitals (+170) at Sabres (-210) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)

7 p.m. ET     

The Buffalo Sabres will look to extend the league’s current longest winning streak to nine games tonight when they host the Washington Capitals. Washington is coming off a 4-1 loss last night to the Philadelphia Flyers despite jumping out to a 1-0 lead. The Caps are 3-7 in the second halves of back-to-backs this season. 

With Logan Thompson getting the start against the Flyers, it will be Charlie Lindgren between the pipes tonight for Washington. Lindgren has given up four goals or more in four of his last six starts. Buffalo will counter Ukka Pekka-Luukkonen. 

The Caps’ Tom Wilson scored six goals in six games versus the Sabres’ netminder and Pierre Luc-Dubois, who assisted on the Capitals’ lone goal (it was a power play goal) last night. He has 19 points in 18 games against the Sabres. Once again, we are getting his power play point at tremendous value (+575 at DK). Buffalo has surrendered a power play goal in each of the last three games. 

A couple of Sabres player props. Alex Tuch has 10 goals in 13 games against the Caps and five goals in six games against Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren. Jason Zucker has four goals in five games against Lindgren and a goal in five consecutive home games.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Buffalo Sabres Team Total Over 3.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Buffalo Sabres 1st period -1/2 goal (+120) – 1 unit
Alex Tuch anytime goal +180 – .25 units
Jason Zucker anytime goal +240 – .25 units
Pierre Luc-Dubois Over ½ point +132 – .15 units
Pierre Luc-Dubois Over ½ power play point +575 – .10
Tom Wilson anytime goal +280 – .15 units

Anaheim Ducks (36-25-3) at Toronto Maple Leafs (27-27-11)

Ducks (-110) at Maple Leafs (-110) – Total 6.5 (Over, -120)

7 p.m. ET

A fishy line to say the least. The Maple Leafs have lost eight consecutive games and scored two goals or fewer in all eight defeats and lost by at least two goals in six of the eight losses. So why is this game a pick ‘em? You can only attribute this to the Leafs’ dominance of Anaheim, having won each of the last five meetings and eight of the last ten. Not a chance I will wager on the Leafs to win tonight, despite their recent success over Anaheim. I will grab Anaheim on the Puck Line and their team total Over 3. 

A couple of player props on my card. The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke, who is from Toronto, will play his first NHL game in his hometown, so that makes him an automatic play for me. Cutter Gauthier has goals in four of the last six games (all four were the Ducks 1st goal). Defenseman Jackson LaCombe has points (all assists) in eight of his last 10 games. Toronto’s Matias Maccelli has goals in three of the last four games (all Leafs first goals). 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Anaheim Ducks -1.5 goals (+188) – 1 unit
Cutter Gauthier anytime goal (+140) – .25 units
Cutter Gauthier 1st Ducks goal (+490) – .05 units
Beckett Sennecke anytime goal (+220) – .20 units
Matias Maccelli anytime goal (+340) – .10 units
Matias Maccelli Over ½ assist (+270) – .10 units
Matias Maccelli 1st Toronto goal (+1100) – .05 units

San Jose Sharks (30-26-6) at Boston Bruins (36-22-6)

Sharks (+135) at Bruins (-160) – Total 6.5 (Over, -115)

7 p.m. ET

Tonight is game two of the Sharks’ five-game road trip that started off with a 6-3 loss in Buffalo to the Sabres, who extended their winning streak to eight games. Now they head into Boston, where the Bruins are riding a 13-game home winning streak, and the Sharks have dropped eight straight and ten of their last eleven in Boston. San Jose has won each of the last two meetings (both in San Jose) versus Boston, by identical 3-1 scores that included a win this season. 

This will be the second game each for Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) and Will Smith (born in Boston) back in Boston. Smith scored a goal and added an assist in his first game in his hometown. Celebrini was held off the scoresheet but has had multi-point games in the two games against Boston in San Jose. The Sharks’ leading scorer and my pick to win the league’s MVP (if San Jose makes the playoffs) has points (nine) in six consecutive games and goals (five) in four straight and five of the last six games. Celebrini has scored the Sharks’ first goal of the game in each of the last three games and four of the last six games. 

This is also a homecoming for two other Sharks players. Colin Graf (Lincoln, Mass) and Adam Gaudette (Braintree, Mass). The Bruins’ David Pastrnak must like to use the Sharks’ goalies for target practice. He has recorded 6,5, 6,4,5,2 and 7 shots on goal in his last seven games against San Jose. I will also dabble in a pizza money parlay as we have both Geekie brothers in action tonight. Morgan with the Bruins and Connor with Tampa. 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Adam Gaudette anytime goal +750 – .05
Colin Graf anytime time goal +310 – .05
Colin Graf Over 1.5 shots on goal (-115) – .50 units
Will Smith anytime goal +210 – .10 units
Macklin Celebrini anytime goal +130 – .25 units
Macklin Celebrini 1st Sharks goal +490 – .05 units
Sna Jose Sharks Team Total Over 3 (-105) – .50 units
Zacha/Arvidsson point parlay +177 – .25 units
Pastrnak/Celebrini Over 2.5 shots on goal parlay (-139) – 1 unit
Morgan Geekie/Connor Geekie (Tampa) ATG parlay +2518 – .05

Philadelphia Flyers (30-23-11) at Minnesota Wild (38-16-11)

Flyers (+200) at Wild (-250) – Total 6 (Under, -115)

8 p.m. ET

The Flyers are coming off a 4-1 upset win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night and now head into Minnesota facing the Wild on the back end of a back-to-back and third game in four nights. Philadelphia has just three wins in nine games on the second half of back-to-backs this season, having given up five goals or more in five of the six losses. The Wild are coming off a 5-0 win over Utah on Tuesday and have won three of their last four games and sit three points behind Dallas (four with the tiebreaker) for second place in the Central Division, and the Stars have a game in hand. 

Bobby Brink, acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, scored in his Minnesota Wild debut and now gets to face his former team, and that is always worth a shot at playing his anytime goal prop (best price available is at Draft Kings). I look for the Wild to jump on Philadelphia right from the start. I will take the Wild to win the first period. Lastly, the Flyers have given up a power play goal in each of their past five games, and the Wild have scored a power play goal in eight of their past ten games (prop available at DraftKings under the goalscorers tab). 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Minnesota Wild 1st period -1/2 goal (+115) – 1 unit
Minnesota Wild 1st period (-1 goal) +285 – .25 units
Minnesota Wild Over ½ power play goal (-130) – .50 units
Minnesota Wild Team Total Over 3.5 (-128) – 1 unit
Bobby Brink anytime goal (+450) – .25 units

Edmonton Oilers (32-25-8) at Dallas Stars (40-14-10)

Oilers (+105) at Stars (-130) – Total 6.5 (Over 6.5, -130)

8 p.m. ET

One of the marquee games of the night. Edmonton is coming off a 4-3 regulation win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday as they dealt the Avs just their fifth home regulation loss in 32 games. The win over Colorado followed a win at Vegas, and now the Oilers are seeking just their second three-game winning streak of the season. It’s not going to be easy against a Dallas team that has knocked off the Oilers twice this season (8-3,4-3). 

The Stars have won 13 of their past 15 games, and 11 of their past 15 games have been decided by one goal. Three of their four multi-goal wins during this recent run came against Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle. I understand that you can only play who is on your schedule, and the Stars have built up their impressive run against some of the weaker teams. The Oilers’ big issue is keeping the puck out of the net, and Dallas has scored at least four goals in both meetings this season. Ten of the last 13 head-to-head meetings have had seven goals or more. Thirteen of the last 14 Edmonton games have had a combined seven or more goals. 

Connor McDavid has had his way with the Stars, recording multi-point games in six of the last eight meetings. Evan Bouchard has an assist in eight consecutive games. A couple of Dallas Stars who I have on my card: The veteran Jamie Benn has three goals in five games against Oilers goalie Jamie Benn. Colin Blackwell has three goals on 8 shots versus the Oilers netminder. It’s forward Oskar Back’s birthday, no better present than a goal for the birthday boy.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Edm/Dal and CBJ/Florida – all teams to score 2+ goals (+107) – 2 units
McDavid/Bouchard each over ½ assist (+105) – .50 units
Connor McDavid Over 1.5 points (+102) – .50 units
Zach Hyman anytime goal (+160) – .10 units
Jamie Benn anytime goal (+340) – .05 units
Oskar Back anytime goal (+950) – .05 units
Colin Blackwell anytime goal (+800) – .05 units

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