Our free NHL betting picks went 2-1 for the third straight time yesterday, coming within one Minnesota Wild goal from the 3-0 sweep.
Combined with the Under 53.5 winner that we posted on Sunday’s Grey Cup, it’s now a 7-3 run since we resumed posting betting picks on the site, so hopefully you’ve been able to cash a few winners.
On to tonight, where there are 10 National Hockey League games to bet on. Let’s take a look at the odds for all of those matchups, then make three more NHL betting predictions for tonight.
NHL Betting Odds For Tonight
Here’s a look at the odds for each of those games at www.BetOnline.ag as of Tuesday morning.
(For the latest odds, visit our Live Odds page.)
NHL Predictions For Tonight
Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets
Lost in the Blue Jackets’ 6-game winning streak that ended last night in Montreal has been how anemic Columbus’ offence has been. Over their last 9 games, the Jackets have scored 1 goal in regulation time on 6 different occasions. That’s not enough to win games consistently in the first 60 minutes, no matter how good your defence is playing.
Carolina, on the other hand, is playing with plenty of confidence offensively. The Hurricanes have scored at least 3 goals in 9 of their last 10 outings, keying a 6-3-1 spurt over that span. They’ve also won 6 of their last 8 visits to Columbus, including a 3-1 victory earlier this month.
Much of Columbus’ recent defensive prowess has been on the back of Sergei Bobrovsky, but he’s not expected to get the start here tonight as the Jackets play for the second straight night. With Columbus struggling to generate offence and the likelihood of the Hurricanes getting at least a couple of goals tonight, we’ll simply ask Carolina to not lose this game in regulation.
Prediction: Hurricanes +0.5 (regulation time) -140
Florida Panthers at New York Rangers
Florida delivered a spirited effort last night in New Jersey, outshooting the Devils 31-10 over the first 2 periods and 38-25 on the evening.
However, the Panthers had to sweat out a 3-2 victory because their offence simply isn’t converting many of its opportunities. Over their last 4 games, the Cats have fired 171 shots on goal, yet they’ve scored just 7 times. They’re also particularly impotent on the road, where they’re averaging just 2.08 goals on the year.
New York has turned things around since an early-season skid that nearly cost Alain Vigneault his job. A third-period comeback at home against Vegas on Halloween night has spurred a 10-2 streak in the Rangers’ last 12, and while the Rangers have been scoring plenty of goals during the hot streak, improved defensive play has also played a role. New York has limited 6 of its last 8 opponents to 2 goals or less, and it’s allowed just 7 goals in its last 5.
We don’t want to touch the full game Under here because Florida is likely to start James Reimer, and the Rangers moneyline is pretty pricey at close to -200. Instead, let’s just bet on the Panthers’ offence struggling again.
Prediction: Panthers Team Total Under 2.5 +100
Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas has been a difficult team to figure out all year, but only because we tend to view them through the lens of an expansion team. The Golden Knights continue to prove that they are not a typical first-year franchise, having won 5 consecutive games and scoring at least 4 goals in 6 of their last 7.
Dallas, meanwhile, has some of the most extreme home/away splits that you’ll see in the NHL. At home, the Stars have been fantastic. But on the road, they’re 3-8-1 on the year, and they’ve been outscored 18-5 in their last 4.
Yet, oddsmakers have made Dallas a very slight road favourite here against a Vegas team that is 9-1 in its own rink. We’re going to take that as an indication that the sportsbooks expect the Stars to pull this one out, given that the odds on the Knights look a bit too good to be true. Dallas may win this game, but the Stars will likely have to score a lot of goals to get the job done. We like the Over here.
Prediction: Over 6 -110