This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Betting: Expert Picks for Tuesday, December 13
What are some of the things you do to up your sports betting game (besides reading Rotowire for the best NHL bets)? Research, sharps, fading the public, injury reports. Yeah, those are all great. But want to know a secret weapon? I call it the shirt's off smorgasbord. It's when you look at all 12 games of NHL action and decide to bet the whole board. You do this with confidence, poise, and precision because you read Rotowire already, but you still might be sweating a bit. And that's where the "shirts off" part comes in. Let's get after it y'all, with big shirts off energy tonight. Here are your best NHL bets for every single game on the slate.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Ohio is just weeks away from launching sports betting and those located in the Buckeye State can jump in on the action with the DraftKings Ohio Promo Code.
NHL Best Bets Tonight
Islanders 
vs Bruins 
The Bruins are 2-1-1 in their last 5 and have only lost 5 total games so far this season. The Golden Knights handed them their first loss on home ice 4-3 in a shootout on 12/5. They followed that up by blanking an injury-riddled Avalanche squad 4-0 in Denver on 12/7, and then somehow dropped a game 4-3 to the Coyotes in Arizona on 12/9 despite outshooting the 'Yotes 46-16. They avenged their loss to VGK by going into Vegas on 12/11 and winning 3-1. Tonight they welcome the Islanders to town, a team that's 2-3 in its last 5. The Isles did go into the Devils' lair and walk out with a 6-4 victory just this past Friday, so they definitely have it in 'em to surprise some people on the road. Can they work some magic tonight in a game that no one really expects them to win?
- Islanders PL -150
Blue Jackets 
vs Panthers 
These clubs met in Columbus on 11/20 and the Blue Jackets pulled out a 5-3 win for its home crowd. The Panthers would've otherwise handled that game if it weren't for Blue Jackets netminder Daniil Tarasov standing on his head stopping 42 of 45 shots. Both teams have been a bit wobbly in their last 10 games, with the Panthers going 4-4-2 and the Blue Jackets going 4-5-1. The Cats have lost 2-straight and the Blue Jackets come in winners of their last 2. From my eyes, the bet really comes down to home versus away trends: will the Panthers add to the win column of their 7-3-3 home record, or will the Blue Jackets pull out their 3rd win for their 2-5-1 road record?
- Panthers PL -120
Blue Jackets fans will be able to bet on their hometown team as of New Year's Day. Get ahead of the game with the BetMGM Ohio Bonus Code
Ducks 
vs Maple Leafs
It's tough to find any reason to bet on the Ducks at this point, although sometimes they can be a sneaky nice bet when they play at home especially if the opponent played the Kings just up I-5 the night before. They're on the road tonight though and have posted a putrid 2-13-3 away record, including a 3-0 shutout loss to the Senators just last night. There are however many, many reasons to bet on the Leafs. They're arguably the hottest team in hockey right now with the hottest player. The team is 8-0-2 in its last 10 and hasn't lost in regulation since 11/11. Mitch Marner is on a 22-game point streak. There's so much to like about this team on all ends of the ice. Seems like an easy play then, right? Well, the Ducks did find a way to scrape out a 4-3 overtime victory over the Leafs in Anaheim on 10/30, just one night removed from the Leafs playing the Kings… Will the Ducks be competitive tonight?
- Maple Leafs PL -150
Kraken 
vs Lightning
This is a huge test for an up-and-coming Kraken team. No one really expected them to take the step forward they've taken this year, yet, here were are on 12/13 and they sit 4th in the Western Conference, have won 7 of their last 10 games, and are 9-2-1 on the road. They just went into the Panthers' building and stomped 'em 5-2 on Sunday too which ended a 3-game losing streak. Following that up with a big win over a proven elite club like the Bolts tonight would be huge. But the Lightning won't just roll over and let 'em take it. They're 7-3 in their last 10 games and boast a 10-4-1 home record. This is going to be a great game to watch.
- Kraken PL -155
Stars 
vs Devils
Both of these teams played last night and both suffered close defeats. Evgeni Malkin broke a tie game with just over 30 seconds left in the third period to beat the Stars, and the Rangers knocked off the Devils in overtime. Despite being on the second leg of a back-to-back for both clubs, this is one of the best games on the slate tonight. It's a potential Stanley Cup preview, as both the Stars and Devils have looked every part the conference champions they hope to be by season's end. The Stars have been a bit inconsistent of late, and sometimes their barrage of shots that they seem to consistently pepper the net with don't lead to wins at the final whistle as they're just 5-3-2 in their last 10. The Devils have cooled off a bit of late as well going 6-2-2 in their last 10.
- Devils ML -145
Kings 
vs Sabres
Two words: Tage Thompson. Google him or YouTube him. Check out his stats. The guy is worth the price of admission and is a major reason why the Sabres have potted 109 goals so far this season, good for most in the NHL. The Kings are right behind 'em at 106 total goals scored and are doing it with contributions from all up and down the lineup, not having any scorers in the top 10 in the goals, assists, or points categories. Both teams are trending in similar trajectories in their last 10, with the Sabres going 5-3-2 and the Kings going 4-3-3. Although I'm not big on betting over/under right now, I'd be disappointed just as a fan of high-scoring, high-drama affairs if this one didn't hammer the over 6.5 at -130.
- Kings ML -110
Hurricanes 
vs Red Wings 
The Hurricanes haven't lost in regulation 11/23 and are 6-0-2 since. They've looked impressive on the road too, posting a 10-3-2 record overall and haven't lost in regulation on the road since 11/12. They storm into Detroit tonight where the Wings are returning home to after a 5-game road trip where they went 2-2-1. They had an impressive victory over the Lightning in Tampa on 12/6 where goaltender Ville Husso had to post 44 saves for them to squeeze out the 4-2 road victory. He may have to work some magic again tonight. A sneaky stat to watch is the faceoff differential. The Canes are 5th in the league in Faceoff percentage while the Wings are 25th. What's that foreshadowing? Tons of possession time for a capable offensive unit and a defensive core that's 6th in goals against per game. If the Wings want to pull this one out, they'll need to grit and grind for it.
- Hurricanes ML -145
Golden Knights 
vs Jets 
The two top teams in the Western Conference do battle tonight in Winnipeg. If you just glanced at the Golden Knights' record, you'd see the top team in the West and a 12-2-1 road record. But a closer examination would show you that they've got some key injuries heading into this one, namely to Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo, with Shea Theodore and a few other depth players littering the list. The Jets are looking to bounce back after the Capitals handed them a 5-2 loss on home ice on Sunday, where they're 10-4 overall this season.
- Jets ML -130
Oilers 
vs Predators
The Predators played last night in St. Louis and lost 1-0… in overtime. And that's kind of their thing. They have the second-fewest goals scored in the NHL. They return home to Bridgestone Arena tonight where they're 7-4-2 on the year. They've faced off against the Oilers one other time this season on 11/1 and the Oilers dropped a 7-spot in a 7-4 win in Edmonton. If the Predators can slow down Connor McDavid and the Oilers' run-and-gun style, they should eek out a clunker of a victory. If the Oilers can open things up with their speed and get the Predators to play a high-scoring video game style, then they'll pull out another win in this matchup.
- Oilers ML -115
Capitals 
vs Blackhawks 
The Capitals are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. I repeat, the Capitals - despite having the longest injury report known to mankind - are the hottest team in the NHL. They've won 4 in a row, including impressive wins with a 5-2 tally against the Jets in Winnipeg and a 4-1 victory against the Kraken in DC. All this with their backup goalie and multiple AHL call-ups to boot. They look to continue their hot streak tonight in Chicago against a team that is as cold as the Windy City winter. The Blackhawks have 2 regulation wins in their last 15 games and are riding a 3-game losing streak heading into this tilt.
- Capitals PL +130
Capitals fans in Maryland can take advantage of the DraftKings Maryland Promo Code at signup for $200 in free bets.
Flyers 
vs Avalanche
If the Avalanche didn't get stung with the injury bug, I wouldn't even waste time writing more than a sentence for this matchup. But, they're banged up and without Nathan MacKinnon, who is arguably one of the top 5 most valuable players in the world (and his league-leading salary supports that notion). Because of this sting, the Flyers actually managed a 5-3 win against the Avs in Philly on 12/5. The Flyers are 0-2-1 since and the Avs are 1-1-1 since. This is honestly a toss-up.
- Flyers PL -140
Coyotes 
vs Sharks 
The best thing going for this game is the uniforms. Both teams feature elite designs and color palettes, with versatile retro options for alternate jersey nights. The Sharks have always had one of my favorite uniforms, so for that allegiance, I'm betting them blindly in this one.
- Sharks ML -165
