NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Tuesday, April 1:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Washington Capitals (-220, 5.5) at Boston Bruins
7 p.m. ET
Alexander Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record (894) makes its next stop tonight at the TD Garden Arena in Boston when the Capitals face the Bruins. Ovi has 29 goals in 68 career games against the Bruins, but this is not the same Boston roster that he has faced in seasons past, especially on the blue line. With injuries to their back end, the Bruins’ top pair of Nikita Zadorov and Henri Jokiharju would be a third pairing on most NHL teams. This can help open the door for Ovechkin to have a big night.
On Monday, I outlined Ovechkin and the Capitals’ remaining schedule, and at his current pace, he is going to need to have at least one multi-goal game and/or score in back-to-back games if he wants to break the record this season. As always, I will attack the Ovechkin props from multiple angles.
But it’s not just about Ovechkin tonight. Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas has points in 10 of his last 13 games, and tonight will mark the debut of Boston College standout and Amherst, Mass., native Ryan Leonard. Pretty cool for the Massachusetts native to play his first NHL game in front of family and friends. Leonard will skate on a line with Protas and Dylan Strome. On Monday night, Leonard was seen at a local Boston establishment with Ovechkin.
Washington Capitals games are on an 18-4 run to the first-period Over 1.5 goals.
NHL Predictions: Alexander Ovechkin anytime goal +115 – ¼ unit
Ovechkin third-period goal +390 – ¼ unit
Ovechkin last goal +750 – ¼ unit
Ovechkin 2+ goals +650 – ¼ unit
Ryan Leonard anytime goal +460 – ¼ unit
Aliaksei Protas Over ½ point +130 – ¼ unit
Washington Capitals/Boston Bruins first-period Over 1.5 goals (-130) – 1 unit
Detroit Red Wings at St. Louis Blues (-180, 5.5)
8 p.m. ET
The Blues ran their winning streak to nine games (11-1-1 last 13) on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche and are seeking their first 10-game winning streak since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019. The Blues will eventually lose a game, but I am not interested in betting against them. They face a Detroit team that has lost four of its last six games and finished March with just four wins in 14 games. The Blues trail Minnesota by one point in the standings for the No. 1 wild-card spot, but with Minnesota currently owning the tiebreaker (more regulation wins), the Blues must finish ahead of the Wild if they want to be wild card No. 1. The top wild-card team in the Western Conference will face the Vegas Golden Knights (or whoever wins the Pacific Division) while the second wild-card team will get the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1. I guess I shouldn’t overlook the Calgary Flames, who are still within striking distance of catching both the Blues and the Wild.
We have another U.S. college player making his debut tonight. Jimmy Snuggerud, a Hobey Baker Award finalist (College hockey version of the Heisman) who had 24 goals and 27 assists in 40 games for the University of Minnesota, will be on a line tonight with Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc. I will be playing Snuggerud for an anytime goal and parlay him with the Capitals’ Ryan Leonard. Other Blues player props include Dylan Holloway to record at least one assist and to score a goal. Holloway has an assist in seven of his last nine games and has scored four goals in four games against Detroit. The Blues’ Jake Neighbours has three goals on six shots against expected Wings starting goalie Cam Talbot. Robert Thomas has been an assist machine, getting two or more assists in four consecutive games.
If you want to bet on the Blues, maybe target their team total of Over 3.5. Thirty of Detroit’s 39 losses this season have seen them give up four goals or more.
NHL Predictions: Jimmy Snuggerud anytime goal +400 – ¼ unit
Snuggerud/Ryan Leonard (Washington) anytime goal parlay prop +2432 – .10 units
Dylan Holloway anytime goal +190 – ¼ unit
Holloway assist +170 – ¼ unit
First-period Over 1.5 goals (-128) – ½ unit
Robert Thomas Over 1.5 assists (+400) – ¼ unit
Marco Kasper anytime goal (+430) – ¼ unit
Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings (-120, 5.5)
10:30 p.m. ET
I will be in the house for this one tonight. The Kings are one of three teams the Jets have failed to beat this season (Vegas and Anaheim are the others). The Jets have been held to one goal in each of their two losses to the Kings, and both games have stayed Under the total (4-1, 2-1). The Kings have gone four straight and 12 of their last 13 games without giving up a goal in the opening 20 minutes. In fact, their 42 goals against in the opening 20 minutes is the fewest in the NHL. I see this as another low-scoring affair, so I am going to pass on player props.
NHL Predictions: Winnipeg Jets first-period Under ½ goal +108 – ½ unit
Winnipeg Jets/Los Angeles Kings Under 5.5 (-140) – ½ unit
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