This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Betting: Free NHL Picks and Plays for Tuesday, December 6
Nine games of NHL action tonight, and I've got nine bets for ya! Let's get into it.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Sign up at DraftKings using the DraftKings Promo Code and get $150 in free bets when you wager $5 on any sport.
NHL Bets for Red Wings 
vs Lightning 
Believe it or not, this game actually matters big time for both teams. We're pressing through the meat of the regular season and it's interdivisional tilts like this that can make a huge difference come playoff time. The Wings trail the Lightning by just 2 points in the Atlantic division, and for 6th in the East. They roll into Tampa looking for a win over a potential playoff team, something they haven't done much of late. Going 5-3-2 in their last 10, of those 5 wins, two came against the Blue Jackets and two respectively against the Coyotes and Sharks. None of those clubs project to even sniff the postseason. The Wings topped the Predators the day before Thanksgiving and have since dropped games to the Leafs and Golden Knights. The Lightning are 8-2 in their last 10 and just knocked off a hot Maple Leafs team. Will this be a tightly contested Atlantic division bout, or will the Lightning flex their superiority on home ice?
- Lightning ML -230
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NHL Bets for Blackhawks 
vs Devils 
The Blackhawks have 1 win in their last 10 and are 1-8-1 in that span. The Devils are the polar opposite in their last 10 with an 8-1-1 stretch. And that's the story here: these teams are polar opposites. One team is very, very good. One team is very, very not good. Can Patty Kane and Jonathan Toews pull a rabbit out of their hats (and maybe one out of their jock straps) on the road? The glimmer of hope is that of the 5 games the Devils have lost so far this season, 4 of them have been on home ice.
- Devils PL -135
NHL Bets for Blue Jackets 
vs Penguins 
The Penguins have been hot of late. They've won 2 straight and are 7-2-1 in their last 10. The Blue Jackets are not hot, but somehow went into Winnipeg on Friday and pulled off a 4-1 upset. That was only their second road win on the season, and they have four regulation losses and one overtime loss to go with those two wins. Vegas is being diplomatic with their lines here. Despite setting the Penguins as the heavy favorite on the moneyline at -280, both teams are -110 on the puck line. I just don't know if I buy that the Blue Jackets deserve that kind of confidence, especially when the only other time these teams met was a 6-3 Penguins victory in Columbus. Just to stir the pot though, the Blue Jackets blew a 3-1 lead in that game…
- Penguins PL -110
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NHL Bets for Kings 
vs Senators
These clubs met in LA on 11/27 and the Senators walked out with a 3-2 win in a shootout. They've gone 2-1 in their three games since, splitting a home-and-home with the Rangers and topping the Sharks 5-2 on Saturday in Ottawa. The Kings head north of the border after dropping two of three since that shootout loss to the Sens, one of which was the 9-8 overtime extravaganza game against the Kraken which they came up on the losing end of. Vegas expects another tight battle between these two tonight with the Senators having the slight edge as a -120 favorite on the moneyline. Both teams love to chuck pucks on net playing run-and-gun style, so it should be an entertaining game to watch if you can fit it in.
- Kings ML +100
NHL Bets for Blues 
vs Islanders
These teams played in St. Louis on 11/3 and the Isles walked away with a 5-2 W. That was amidst the Blues' 8-game slide, which they followed up with a 7-game win streak. They roll into Long Island after a 6-4 loss at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers (where I picked them to cover the +1.5 puck line) and on a 4-game losing streak. They're streaky AF this year, what can we say? The Isles are 9-4 at home this year and are at full strength in their lineup, so this will be a tough test for the Blues on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Islanders ML -165
NHL Bets for Panthers 
vs Jets 
The Panthers have beaten their last two opponents, the Canucks and Kraken, by a combined score of 10-2 with two 5-1 results. Both of those games were on the road too, and these wins snapped a 3-game losing skid for the Cats. When they put it all together, they're a dangerous team, proving that with a 5-2 win over the Bruins on 11/23. But their inconsistency is why they're only 4-3-3 in their last 10. The Jets are 4-1 in their last 5, but that loss was a somewhat surprising 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jackets, a team that served the Panthers a 5-3 loss back on 11/20 too. If the Panthers can get out and make this a track meet-style game, their speed and skill can work wonders. But if the Jets can lock things up with their tough defensive structure and counterpunching attack, then I think they add another W to their 9-4 home record.
- Jets ML -105
NHL Bets for Maple Leafs 
vs Stars 
The Leafs haven't lost in regulation since 11/11, going 7-0-3 in their last 10 and ending the Devils' extended win streak at 10 on 11/23. They look impressive right now, the kind of impressive Toronto fans have so badly yearned for out of this star-studded roster. They roll into Dallas to take on the Stars who've got a great body of work but have been on the wrong side of some close battles of late going 5-1-4 in their last 10. They love to score goals, tallying a league-leading 98 tucks so far this season. The Leafs haven't exactly run up the score as much potting a modest 79 goals, but they win with strong defense having only given up 66 goals on the year which is top 5 in the league. Both teams are due to come out on the winning end of a close 1-goal game, so tonight will go to the last man standing.
- Maple Leafs -115
NHL Bets for Canadiens 
vs Kraken 
The Canadiens were cruising last night in Vancouver, up 4-0 after the 1st period. But then the Canucks scored 5 unanswered and the game ended up 6-6 in overtime where the 'Nucks ended it 13 seconds into the extra frame. Looney tunes. But if you read my article yesterday, you'd know that I took the Habs on the +1.5 puck line so hey, a winning bet is a winning bet. They hop over the border to Seattle to take on the Kraken. After a loss like the one suffered last night, they either come out of the gate guns blazing or absolutely flop. The Kraken are looking for a big bounce-back win on home ice after faltering 5-1 to the Panthers on Saturday. That game ended a 7-game win streak for them though, so this team is buzzing nonetheless.
- Kraken PL +110
NHL Bets for Hurricanes 
vs Ducks 
The Ducks are 4-6 on home ice this season and will welcome the Hurricanes to the Honda Center tonight. 4 of those 6 losses have been by 2+ goals, and all 4 of those wins were by 1 goal. The Hurricanes arrive in Anaheim on a 4-game win streak and have had 2 full days off to enjoy Southern California since dispatching the Kings 6-4 on Saturday. I live in Southern California, and let me tell you, there is a lot to accomplish in two full days off, and I don't even have a fraction of the cash in my bank account that the Canes players have. They probably checked out Manhattan Beach or Malibu. They might've even had the annual rookie party that each team throws for its young guns. Without all of that said, one would argue they'd be well-rested for this tilt tonight. But I said all of that for a reason… and I don't like it, but I'm going with my gut…
- Ducks PL -115
