After playing 5 of his last 6 games on the road, I feel now is the perfect time to buy back in on Jack Hughes, as the New Jersey Devils (NJD) return home to take on the Montreal Canadiens (MTL) tonight.
Hughes recorded no less than 2 points in 5 of his last 6 home games, including vs. much tougher opponents (NYR, COL, STL, VAN, TBL) than MTL.
Tonight, he gets the gift of facing MTL’s backup goaltender Sam Montembeault (7-13-1, 3.71 GAA, 0.894 SV%). The last time we saw Sam was March 15th when he allowed 4 goals on 7 shots before being pulled from the game. It’s been 12 days since then and he hasn’t played, making him a great target to fade tonight.
The last element I like relates to an individual matchup — that’s right — Jack Hughes vs. Cole Caufield. This dynamic duo grew up playing side-by-side in the US National Development Program and remain good friends to this day. I mention that because I view a little friendly rivalry between both teams’ top scorers as healthy.
Jack’s openly a very competitive person. When he played against his older brother Quinn, for example, they made a friendly bet regarding who would tally the most points. Jack proceeded to record 2 that night and cash a FlashPicks bet for us. I’m not aware of any side bets between Jack and Cole tonight but wouldn’t be surprised if there is one.
My official bet recommendation today is just for Jack Hughes to record 2+ points, but if you’re feeling risky, I also like him to score a goal and feel Cole Caufield has a good chance to do the same.
