Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets:
Chicago Blackhawks (25-30-12) at Minnesota Wild (39-18-12)
Embed from Getty ImagesBlackhawks (+200) at Wild (-250)
7:30 p.m. ET
This will be the fourth and final meeting this season between the two Central Division rivals. Minnesota has won each of the three previous meetings all by the same 4-3 score, and all three games have gone past regulation. Vladimir Tarasensko scored in the most recent meeting against Chicago and now has 21 goals in 38 career games against the Hawks.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar has been feeling it of late, scoring four goals in the past six games, including the goal that sent the previous contest between the two teams to overtime. Hawks’ defenseman Sam Rinzel has had at least two shots on goal in 12 of his last 14 games. Connor Bedard has put up 15 shots on goal (4,8,3) in the three games this season against Minnesota.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Connor Bedard Over 2.5 SOG/Rinzel Over 1.5 SOG (+144) – 1 unitVladimir Tarasenko anytime goal (+250) – .25Chicago Blackhawks Team Total Over 2.5 (+100) – .25Frank Nazar anytime goal (+320) – .10Frank Nazar assist (+176) – .15Regulation Draw (+340) – .10
Tampa Bay Lightning (41-21-4) at Vancouver Canucks (21-38-8)
Lightning (-315) at Canucks (+250) – Total 6 (Over, -120)
10 p.m. ET
This game has one of the most profitable betting trends this season. Play the underdog to score a goal in the first period with a favorite of (-300+). Of the 22 games this season with a (-300+) favorite, the underdog has scored a goal 18 times in the opening 20 minutes.
Tampa’s Jake Guentzel has tormented the Canucks, scoring 14 goals in 15 career games versus Vancouver. Nikita Kucherov scored in six of his last seven games against Vancouver.
The Canucks Marco Rossi has goals in three straight games and multi-assist games in two of the last three games. I am anticipating that Andrei Vasilevskiy gets the night off and backup Jonas Johansson will start in goal for Tampa. His last start was the 8-7 loss to Buffalo on March 8. His previous two starts were a 5-4 loss to Carolina and an 8-5 loss to Columbus. I am on the Over 6.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Vancouver Canucks to score a 1st period goal (-112) – 2 units
Tampa Bay Lightning/Vancouver Canucks Over 6 (-120) – 1 unit
Guentzel/Kucherov anytime goal parlay (+367) – .25
Jake Guentzel anytime goal (+165) – .50
Nikita Kucherov anytime goal (+120) – .50
Marco Rossi anytime goal (+420) – .10
Marco Rossi Over ½ assist (+220 – .20
Utah Mammoth (35-27-6) at Vegas Golden Knights (31-23-14)
Mammoth (+110) at Golden Knights (-135) – Total 6 (-110)
10 p.m. ET
The Mammoth have been off since Monday’s 6-3 upset of the Dallas Stars in Dallas as they snapped a four-game losing streak. The Golden Knights are coming off a 2-0 loss at home on Tuesday to Buffalo, halting their mini two-game winning streak. Vegas has tightened up defensively, giving up just six goals in their past four games (one was an empty-netter). I will pass on picking a winner as well as staying off the total.
There are some player props that grabbed my attention. Mikhail Sergachev has recorded at least two shots on goal in six of his last seven games overall and six of the last seven against the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has had four shots on goal or more in six of his last eight games against Utah and at least three shots on goal in eight straight versus the Mammoth. Logan Cooley scored four times in the previous meeting and has scored in four of the five games (seven total) he has faced Vegas. Dylan Guenther opened the scoring for Utah in the previous meeting and has scored Utah’s first goal in two of the last three games and 11 times for the season.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Mikhail Sergachev Over 1.5 SOG/Jack Eichel Over 2.5 SOG (+145) – 2 unitsLogan Cooley anytime goal (+340) – .25Cooley/Guenther point parlay (+158) – .25Jake Guenther anytime goal (+200) – .10Jake Guenther 1st Utah goal (+550) – .05
Buffalo Sabres (42-20-6) at San Jose Sharks (32-28-6)
Sabres (-146) at Sharks (+122) – Total 6.5 (Over, -140)
10 p.m. ET
These two teams met nine days ago in Buffalo as the Sharks were kicking off a five-game road trip. The Sabres doubled up the Sharks 6-3 in that game and were a (-205) home favorite. It seems like a cheap money line price on Buffalo, who are 20-11-3 on the road. The Sharks are 17-10-5 at home, and this will be the Sharks’ first home game after their five-game road trip. This being the case, I do like Buffalo to score the first goal of the first period. As I did in the meeting in Buffalo, I will grab the Sharks Team Total at Over 3 (-105).
On to the player props. Buffalo’s Josh Doan has had at least three shots on goal in six of his last seven games and four of his last five on the road. The Sharks’ Colin Graf has had at least two shots on goal in 11 of his last 12 games. The Sabres’ Alex Tuch has goals in six of his last seven games against San Jose. Lastly, Macklin Celebrini has goals in each of his last two games against Buffalo. He has goals in five of his last eight games overall and has scored the Sharks’ first goal in four of the last seven games.
NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Buffalo Sabres to score 1st goal/1st Period (+105) – .25
San Jose Sharks Team Total Over 3 (-105) – .25
Alex Tuch anytime goal (+190) – .25
Macklin Celebrini anytime goal (+135) – .25
Macklin Celebrini 1st San Jose goal (+450) – .05
Josh Doan/Colin Graf each Over 1.5 shots on goal (+140) – 1 unit
Best of the Rest:
Boston Bruins/Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line parlay (+146) – 1 unit
Bo Horvat (Islanders) anytime goal (+180)- .20 units
Bobby McMann (Seattle) anytime goal (+270) – .10 units
Seattle/Nashville 1st period Over 1.5 (-116) – .50
Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton) Over ½ assist (+165) – .50
Pizza Money plays:
Connor Bedard Over 2.5 SOG/Sam Rinzel Over 1.5 SOG/Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 SOG/Mikhail Sergachev Over 1.5 SOG/Jack Eichel Over 2.5 SOG – parlay pays (+927)
Chicago/Minnesota, Seattle/Nashville, Florida/Edmonton, San Jose/Buffalo – all teams to score 2+ goals – parlay pays (+380)
The post NHL Predictions: Expert Picks on Thursday, March 19 appeared first on VSiN.
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