This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
11 games on the NHL slate tonight, and I've got a bet for every single one of 'em. Some interesting matchups tonight, where I actually like a few of the underdogs and goal spreads. Or in other words, I think I'm smarter than the bookmakers. Let's see who's right.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. If you're in Ohio, you'll be able to legally bet on sports by the new year and you can sign up at DraftKings using the DraftKings Ohio Promo Code.
NHL Best Bets Tonight
Senators vs Capitals
Both of these clubs are playing great hockey right now. As I've said the last few times I've written about them, the Caps are probably the hottest team in the NHL over the last month. They're 9-1 in their last 10, are on a 5-game win streak and are 11-1-1 in the month of December. That stretch includes an overtime win in Ottawa on 12/22. The Senators come to DC tonight fresh off a big shootout win against the Bruins on Tuesday, and their 12/22 loss to the Caps was their last game before that. It's hard to bet against the Caps right now, but they did just lose top defenseman John Carlson to long-term IR which is a big gap in their lineup. The Sens topped the Caps 5-2 way back on 10/20, which was another lifetime ago for the guys from DC, but Ottawa's bench seems to match up well with the Caps. It's also worth noting the Sens are 5-2-1 in their last 8 road games, and 4 of those games were decided by 1 goal.
- Senators PL -175
Rangers vs Lightning
The Bolts played at home last night and scorched the Canadiens 4-1, scoring their first goal less than 2 minutes into the contest and going up 4-0 until the Habs notched a late third-period tally. Jon Cooper's bunch looks really good, going 7-3 in their last 10-game stretch and winning their last 5 home games. The Broadway Blue Shirts come to town tonight licking their wounds from a 4-0 trouncing on home ice on Tuesday by the Capitals. But, for whatever reason, the Rags are much, much better on the road where they are 11-5-1. This will be a tough test for the Lightning on the second game of a back-to-back, and the Rangers will be hungry for a win to get back their swagger back since before that loss to the Caps they were 8-1 in their previous 9.
- Rangers ML +120
Canadiens vs Panthers
Talk about two teams who need a win badly, and you get these clubs. They have similarly bad trends over their last 10, with the Habs going 3-6-1 with 2-straight losses and the Cats going 3-7 with 3-straight losses. The Canadiens just slipped into last place in the Atlantic Division after last night's 4-1 loss in Tampa, and the Panthers are just 1 point ahead of them. The good news for the Panthers is they'll get captain and superstar Aleksander Barkov back tonight, which should be a huge boost for a team that is looking for any sign of life on home ice where they're a mediocre 4-4-2 in their last 10 home games. It's kind of ironic that the Canadiens are also 4-4-2 in their last 10 road games though…
- Panthers PL -115
Red Wings vs Sabres
The Red Wings went down 4-0 in the first period to the Penguins last night, only to storm back with 4 unanswered goals to send the game to overtime, where they would top off a dramatic comeback with their 5th goal earning them their 2nd win in a row. They head up to Buffalo to take on the Sabres who are on a 4-game win streak and winners of 7 of their last 10. These clubs have faced off twice already this season, with the Sabres winning both by scores of 8-3 on 10/31 and 5-4 on 11/30. Dropping 13 goals in two games on any opponent is impressive, and those marks are illustrative of the Sabres' scoring prowess this year as they are 4th in the NHL with 127 total goals scored. I like their high-powered offense's chances against some tired legs tonight.
- Sabres ML -150
Blue Jackets vs Islanders
The Blue Jackets are 2-10-1 on the road this season and have lost 6 road games in a row. The Islanders are 11-6 at home this year and have won 5 of their last 8 home games, including an impressive 5-1 win over the Penguins on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets are also on a 6-game losing streak overall, and the Isles have won 2-straight and are 3-1-1 in their last 5. These teams have played twice already this season, and the Isles have taken both games by 1 goal respectively, with a 4-3 win on 11/12 and a 3-2 win on 11/25. I don't like the Blue Jackets to win this game outright, so the question is: will they cover the +1.5 puck line at -125?
- Islanders PL +105
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Canucks vs Jets
The Canucks are sneakily one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now, which is a bazaar thing to say considering how tumultuous their season has been thus far. They're 7-3 in their last 10 and are riding a 3-game win streak. They head into Winnipeg tonight to take on a Jets team that's looking to get hot again. They were one of the NHL's best through October and into November, but have cooled off in December going 4-6 in their last 10 games, and have lost 3 in a row. The Jets were also one of the best home teams before this month, but are just 4-4 at home in December. One of their wins this month did come in Vancouver with a convincing 5-1 victory on 12/17. The Canucks - rather surprisingly - have won their last 7 road games too. Can the Jets temper their swagger?
- Jets ML -155
Stars vs Wild
Speaking of two hot teams facing off tonight, the Stars and the Wild enter their tilt with similar trajectories down the stretch. The Stars have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 and have won 2-straight, and the Wild have gone 7-3 in their last 10 and have won 7 of their last 8. One of their biggest wins in the last month was on 12/4 where they walked out of Dallas with a 6-5 shootout victory despite blowing a 4-goal lead in the third period. The Wild have won 7 straight home games as well, so with that on top of the other trends, Vegas has them as the slight favorite at -120 on the moneyline. The Stars are no slouches on the road, and are hot away from home of late with a 4-0-1 mark in their last 5 road games. One of these teams will have their trend snapped tonight.
- Stars ML +100
Blackhawks vs Blues
At this point, any time you're betting on the Blackhawks you're basically deciding whether or not they'll cover the +1.5 puck line as the underdog. They seldom win outright, given they're the worst team in the NHL with only 8 wins so far this season. They're 1-9 in their last 10 and that lone victory came against the Blue Jackets who are only 2 points ahead of them for second-to-last in the league. Despite losing 3 in a row, the Blues look to be due for a win since one of those losses was in a shootout against the Golden Knights and the other in overtime against the Maple Leafs, both perennial powerhouses this season. Before this 3 game skid, the Blues had won 4 in a row too. The only other time these two teams met this season, the Blues won 5-2 in Chicago on 11/16.
- Blues PL -105
Maple Leafs vs Coyotes
Maybe playing in a college barn is the best thing to happen to the Coyotes franchise since they brought back the kachina coyote logo on their sweaters. The Yotes are 5-1-1 in their last 7 home games, and even have wins over the Bruins, Kings, and Avalanche in that span. They've got a tough test with the Maple Leafs coming to town tonight, especially with the Leafs on a 3-game win streak. The Maple Leafs are one of the best teams in the NHL overall, but they weren't playing that way when the Coyotes came to Toronto and handed them a 4-2 loss way back on 10/17. Times have changed though, and even in front of a raucous college crowd, the Leafs have a good chance to win big tonight.
- Maple Leafs PL -120
Kings vs Avalanche
Both of these teams are defying odds of late. The Kings were getting awful goaltending for most of the season, and have recently turned to career AHLer Pheonix Copley in net who is 7-1 with 5-straight wins. Copley's helped the Kings go 6-2-2 in their last 10 and 8-3-2 in December overall, slotting them at 3rd in the West. The Avs have been without superstar Nathan MacKinnon, but that hasn't seemed to phase them as they're 6-3-1 in their last 10 and have won 4 of their last 5. Both teams have been playing tight games though. 5 of the last 8 games have gone to overtime for the Kings, and 3 of the last 4 have done the same for the Avalanche. I expect another tight tilt in this one and will give a slight edge to the home team.
- Avalanche ML -145
Flyers vs Sharks
The last 6 road games for the Flyers have been decided by 1 goal, and they've only come out with a win in 1 of those which was 2-1 on 12/15 over the Devils. However, they have losses to the Golden Knights in overtime, the Coyotes in overtime, and the Avs, Leafs, and Canes in regulation - sort of respectable to be honest. The Sharks are only 4-10-5 at home this year, so…
- Flyers ML +135
