This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Expert Picks for December 22nd
There are three games on the NHL slate on Thursday night with a puck drop at 10 p.m. ET or later. If things don't go well during the early window, bettors have a good chance to chase and recoup some early losses, or it can finish up strong, with plenty of games on the late-night slate.
NHL Best Bets Tonight
Kraken vs Canucks Picks
The Kraken take the short jaunt up Interstate 5 to Vancouver (OK, they're probably flying), as Seattle looks for a third consecutive victory. Seattle went 1-3-0 in a recent four-game Eastern Conference road swing, but it has won six of the past nine overall away from home. The Canucks posted a 5-4 win at Climate Pledge Arena back on Oct. 27 in Seattle in the first of four regular-season meetings. The Kraken have registered victories in seven in a row against Western Conference foes, while going 6-0 in the past six inside the Pacific Division, too. And the Kraken have followed up wins with more wins, going 11-3 in the past 14 games following a victory.
Like their counterparts, the Canucks have been hot against Pacific opponents, going 4-0 in the past four inside the division. However, Vancouver has dropped 13 of the past 18 games against teams with a winning overall record, while going just 2-6 in the past eight skates on home ice. While Vancouver has dominated this budding Pacific Northwest rivalry, winning five in a row, Seattle has a tremendous young star with Matty Beniers, jelling nicely with steadying veterans like Andre Burakovsky, Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, etc.
The Kraken are projected to start Philipp Grubauer (3-5-1, 3.30 GAA, .882 SV%), with the Canucks going with Spencer Martin (9-5-1, 3.59 GAA, .885 SV%). Both tendies might have sunburn on the back of their necks from the goal light going off so much. As such, playing Over is the best bet here, with Kraken ML (-118).
Over 6.5 +100
Flames vs Kings Picks
The Flames kicked off its four-game Golden State road trip with a two-game sweep in San Jose Sunday and Tuesday, outscoring the Sharks 12-5 with a pair of Over results. After a little bit of an offensive slump in late November into December, the Calgary offense has started to come alive lately. The Flames have lit the lamp 36 times across the past 10 outings, or 3.6 goals per game (GPG). On the flip side, the Flames have conceded three or fewer goals in 13 of the previous 16 games dating back to Nov. 21.
The Kings will be looking to extinguish the Flames, while Los Angeles looks for a fourth consecutive victory. While wins over the Anaheim Ducks and Sharks might not be terribly exciting, the Kings do have a road win over the Boston Bruins during the three-game win streak, too. Pheonix Copley has been on fire for the Kings, but he is likely to get a rest here, as Jonathan Quick goes Thursday, and Copley gets a favorable start against the lowly Arizona Coyotes.
Calgary has dropped six of the past eight games on the road, and it is just 3-8 in the past 11 games against teams with a winning overall record. Los Angeles has picked up wins in four of the past five against Western Conference foes, while winning five of the past seven against losing teams. L.A. will get it done on home ice Thursday.
Kings ML -105
Wild vs Sharks Picks
The Wild have been white-hot lately, picking up six consecutive wins heading into SAP Center in San Jose Thursday night. Minnesota last lost Dec. 9 in Edmonton, before rattling off the six straight wins while outscoring the opposition by a 21-6 margin. The goaltending duo of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson have been standing on their collective heads, while the offense has provided more than enough offensive support. It's been a great recipe for success. The schedule also helps, as the Wild have been picking on the dregs of the league, with just two quality opponents (Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers) among the six victories.
The Sharks are licking their wounds after a 7-3 loss at home against the Calgary Flames Tuesday, and it suffered a two-game sweep against the Flames, also losing 5-2 on Sunday. Overall, San Jose has managed just a 2-5-2 record across the past nine games overall, and the Sharks are good for three or fewer goals in seven of the previous nine contests.
Oddly enough, these teams met on Nov. 13 at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, and the Sharks skated away with a 3-2 shootout victory as the Under connected. James Reimer did a good job that night, although Kaapo Kahkonen (3-7-2, 3.83 GAA, .872 SV%, 1 SO) is projected to start here. Gustavsson (7-4-1, 2.31 GAA, .922 SV%, 1 SO) is confirmed to start for the Wild, and he will keep the win streak going. Surprisingly, the streaking Wild are still just moderate favorites, so take advantage of the holiday gift from the books.
Wild ML -155
