This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Best Bets Tonight: December 8th
I'm excited to be back on the RotoWire site after a five-year hiatus, and even more excited to be part of the betting side of things this time around. Unfortunately, I'll be at a Ukrainian metal show in Greensboro, N.C. Thursday night, so I won't be able to catch any hockey, unless you count watching my men's league team playing at 11 p.m. ET after the concert. Yeah, I don't count that, either, as it barely qualifies as hockey. I hope to cash more winners in this initial offering of NHL plays, but the real guaranteed play is playing me and the over on beers drank at the Jinjer show.
Good luck with your plays! Let's get started.
Kings 
vs Maple Leafs
Backing the Leafs makes the most sense, as Ilya Samsonov has been red hot between the pipes when he has been healthy. He missed some time in November due to a knee injury, but he is 3-0-0 with a sparkling 1.51 GAA and .937 SV% in his past three starts. There is some risk here, as Samsonov fell on the road in Los Angeles in the first meeting on Oct. 29. But the Leafs are 6-0-1 across the past seven games overall, and Toronto is playing much more consistent hockey lately. Jonathan Quick allowed four goals on 31 shots in his most recent appearance against the Carolina Hurricanes, and you can expect similar shakiness against another potent offensive unit.
- Maple Leafs -1.5 PL (-175 at BetMGM)
Predators 
vs Lightning 
After slow starts by their standards, both Juuse Saros of the Predators and Andrei Vasilevskiy are playing much better in between the pipes. Saros, in particular, has been standing on his head, going 6-0-1 across his past seven outings. The lone setback in overtime was against the Lightning and Vasilevskiy in Smashville back on Nov. 19, a 3-2 decision in favor of the Bolts. The Under has cashed at a 6-2 clip in the past eight games against the Eastern Conference for the Preds, while going 7-3-1 in the past 11 against the Western Conference for the Bolts.
- Under 6.5 (-125 at SI)
Red Wings 
vs Panthers 
The Red Wings have had two games on the four-game road trip so far, and the boys with the winged wheel have picked up a pair of 4-2 victories in Columbus and in Tampa. Ville Husso improved to 11-4-3 with a 2.54 GAA and .916 SV% in his latest effort, a 44-save victory against the Lightning, besting the aforementioned Vasilevskiy. Husso has allowed three or fewer goals in six of his past seven outings, and he is going about as well as he did last season in St. Louis when he unseated Jordan Binnington for the No. 1 job. The Panthers showed some signs of life with back-to-back wins in Vancouver and Seattle Thursday and Saturday, but they were smacked back down in Winnipeg to close out the trip. Florida is 3-4-3 across the past 10 games, and might be sluggish after logging plenty of frequent flyer miles in the past week.
- Red Wings +165 ML (at DraftKings)
Jets 
vs Blues
The Jets' offense has been on point lately, going for five or more goals in five of the past six games, and, believe it or not, the only team to show any resistance was the Columbus Blue Jackets. CBJ allowed just one goal Dec. 2, which also happens to be the only game during the streak starter Connor Hellebuyck was rested. Hellebuyck has been on fire for Winnipeg, playing like the Jets are providing him with little support. He has won five in a row, which includes a shutout against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. The Michigander also posted a 25-save shutout Oct. 24 against the Blues in the first encounter. As hot as Hellebuyck is, Jordan Binnington is cold. He has dropped six straight starts, while conceding four or more goals in five of those assignments.
- Jets -115 ML (at BetMGM)
Senators 
vs Stars 
It's rather amazing, but Ottawa's Cam Talbot is 0-5-0 with a 3.48 GAA and .888 SV% in five home starts, and 4-2-0 with a 2.19 GAA and .928 SV% in six starts on the road. It's a good thing he and the Sens are far from home in the Metroplex. For the home side, Jake Oettinger is looking to get untracked after 4-0 setback at home to the Leafs last time out. He wasn't terrible, allowing just three goals on 28 shots, he there was no offensive support, obviously. The Under is the way to go here, cashing in 10 of the past 12 games for the Senators, including 6-0 in the past six on the road. And the Stars have hit the Under in four of the past five overall, too. Look for the tendies to run the show Thursday night in Big D.
- Under 6.5 (+100 at BetMGM)
