This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Betting: Free Expert NHL Picks for December 23
It's the Friday before Christmas, and I'm feeling generous. Here's your best bet for every single NHL game on the slate tonight. 11 games. 11 bets. Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NHL Best Bets Friday
Bruins vs Devils Pick
The best matchup of the night, hands down. The Bruins beat the Jets 3-2 in Boston last night, where they are an unreal 18-0-2 on the season so far. The Devils return home after beating the Panthers 4-2 which snapped their six-game losing skid. Lindy Ruff's bunch was the hottest team in the NHL next to the Bruins at one point, but they've come back down to earth only going 3-5-2 in their last 10. The Bruins have remained at the top of the league standings rattling off a 7-1-2 record in their last 10. They've only lost four games in regulation so far this season, and all of those came on the road. The Devils are a bit suspect at home though, only posting a 10-7-1 record. Not much separation between these squads on paper, so I'm going to favor the team that didn't play last night.
Devils ML -105
Flyers vs Hurricanes Pick
Rod The Bod's team is cooking with high heat right now. The Canes are on a seven-game win streak and are 9-0-1 in their last 10. Impressively, their last four wins came against the Kraken, Stars, and Penguins twice, including an overtime win on the road in Pittsburgh last night. They return home to host the Flyers tonight who lost in Toronto last night 4-3. These squads faced off in Philly way back on 10/29 and the Hurricanes took home a 4-3 win. The Flyers are 3-5-2 in their last 10 and are 4-7-6 on the road, so they do manage to play close games with all those overtime losses. The Canes are 9-3-1 at home though and haven't lost in front of their home fans in December yet. I don't think that'll change tonight.
Hurricanes PL -125
Jets vs Capitals Pick
Both of these squads played last night. The Jets went up 2-0 on the Bruins in the first 10 minutes of their tilt in Boston only to fall 3-2 after 60 minutes. The Caps nabbed a 3-2 overtime victory over the Senators in Ottawa. The Caps are hot right now. Alex Ovechkin is on the cusp of tying Gordie Howe with 801 goals for second all-time and he hasn't potted one in his last four games, so I'd argue he's due if you want to sprinkle an anytime goalscorer prop in there. These teams met in Winnipeg back on 12/11 and the Caps walked out with an impressive 5-2 win and have won four of five since. The Jets have gone 3-3 since. I gotta ride the hot hand.
Capitals ML -150
Panthers vs Islanders Pick
Both of these teams are looking to get back on the winning side of things. The Islanders lost 5-3 to the Rangers last night in Madison Square Garden and are only 3-5-2 in their last 10 with two straight losses. The Panthers had the night off last night after losing 4-2 at home to the Devils and that followed a 7-3 romping back by the Bruins in Boston. These squads faced each other way back on 10/23 and the Panthers won 3-2 in Sunrise. Both teams need a win. The Isles last played a back-to-back just last week, with a loss to the Coyotes followed by a big 5-2 win against the Golden Knights. The Panthers are shaky on the road with a 7-10-1 record. Even though I typically don't like betting on the team who's on their second game of a back-to-back, I got a feeling about the Isles tonight.
Islanders ML -105
Avalanche vs Predators Pick
The Avs are on a three-game win streak and dispatched the Predators in Denver to start that streak just a week ago. The Predators have won two straight since that one, outlasting the Oilers 4-3 in overtime and beating the Blackhawks 4-2 in Chicago despite giving up 39 shots to the worst team in the league. This is the third and final matchup in the season series between these squads, with the Avs winning the first two. Can they complete the season sweep? Bridgestone Arena will be rocking on a Nashville Friday night, so honestly, I just want to hear the Preds' Tim McGraw goal song go off as many times as possible.
Predators ML -105
Canadiens vs Stars Pick
The Canadiens are not supposed to win this game. On paper, they're outgunned. From the eye test, they're outgunned. The Stars crushed the Habs in Montreal 5-2 way back on 10/22. All of this points to why the Stars are -315 on the Moneyline while the Canadiens are +260, but will they cover? Five of their last 10 games have been decided by one goal. If it's going to happen, whoever Marty St. Louis slates in goal will need to absolutely stand on his head because the Stars are going to be buzzing.
Stars PL -120
Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks
This is a showdown in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. If you don't know who Connor Bedard is, YouTube him. He's going No. 1 overall in next year's draft and is projected to be one of the best talents to come into the league since Connor McDavid. The Blue Jackets and Blackhawks look likely to be vying for that lottery pick as both of them are in the bottom three of the NHL standings right now. They're a combined 3-17 in their last 20 games collectively. The Blue Jackets are on a five-game losing streak, and the Blackhawks have lost eight straight. Woof. I feel gross even trying to analyze this stinker, so… coin flip.
Blue Jackets ML -105
Canucks vs Oilers Pick
The Oilers' 6-3 win in Dallas on Wednesday looks really impressive, handing the team at the top of the Western Conference only its ninth loss in regulation this season. But that win followed three consecutive one-goal losses to the Blues, Ducks, and Predators, all teams that are lower in the standings than the Oilers are. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, the Oilers are inconsistent. The Canucks played last night, scraping out a gun-slinging 6-5 win in a shootout against the Kraken, and that win followed two straight 5-1 defeats at the hands of the Jets and Blues. It's hard to trust either squad, but I'm fading the team on the second leg of a back-to-back, especially after needing a shootout.
Oilers PL +105
Kings vs Coyotes Pick
The Kings have won four straight and are 6-3-1 in their last 10. One of those wins came in overtime last night against the Flames, so this is a back-to-back for them. They beat the Coyotes 5-3 in LA on 12/1 too. The Yotes are 3-5-2 since and have lost three straight. This game will be at Mullett Arena in front of a Friday night college crowd, so just looking at the numbers might sway you in the wrong direction. With this one, I'm going with an emotional play (without getting too carried away).
Coyotes PL -165
Blues vs Golden Knights Pick
The Blues had won four-straight road games before dropping the second night of a back-to-back to the Kraken on Tuesday. They head into the desert to take on the Golden Knights tonight that are only 9-9 in front of their home crowd. But they had at least one night off in the Sin City to "rest" before this tilt, so I'm prescribing a case of the Vegas flu…
Golden Knights ML -165
Flames vs Ducks
The Flames lost in overtime in LA last night, and the Ducks had the night off. The Ducks stink, but I like them to be competitive against a tired visiting team, especially a Flames team that's been plagued with inconsistency all season so far.
Ducks PL -130
