Top 3 NHL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (12/21)
All eight NHL favorites won last night, with seven teams covering the puck line. We had a profitable 2-1 night with our bets, and I’m back with another trio of plays for tonight’s seven-game slate.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Top 3 NHL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (12/21)
New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers
The Devils’ woes continue as they’ve dropped their last six games and only have one point during the stretch. As for the Panthers, they’ve alternated wins and losses over their previous five games and are coming off a 7-3 beatdown at the hands of the mighty Bruins. Puck drop for this Eastern Conference clash is set for 7:00 p.m. ET tonight from Sunrise.
I’ll continue to fade the Devils while they’re down, so I’m going to back Florida on the moneyline tonight. New Jersey has been outscored 24-12 during the six-game skid, which translates to being outscored an average of 4.0 to 2.0 each game.
Being that they’re on a back-to-back, the Devils will likely turn to Mackenzie Blackwood to handle the netminding responsibilities tonight. He’s 4-2-0 with a 2.80 GAA, which is respectable. However, his SV% is just .879 over the eight games he’s played this year. Florida brings in the 10th-ranked offense (3.3 gpg), so look for them to pepper Blackwood all night and outpace the Devils on the scoreboard.
Bet: Florida Panthers Moneyline (-135 via DraftKings)
Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
The Stars have been on a roll this season, coming into tonight’s Western Conference matchup leading the Central at 19-8-6 (44 points). The Oilers, on the other hand, are just 17-14-2 (36 points) out of the gate, and that’s good enough for fourth place in the Pacific. This one gets underway at 9:30 p.m. ET tonight from the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Okay, I’ll say what we’ve all known for years and continues to be true to this day. The Oilers are top-heavy, they don’t get help from their bottom six, and their defense isn’t anywhere near championship caliber. Even with Connor McDavid (64 points) and Leon Draisaitl (54) playing out of their minds, their Herculean efforts are only good enough to place them in the second Wild Card spot at this point of the year. It must be frustrating as an Oilers fan to see the same front-office blunders being made every year.
If you couldn’t deduce my bet from that paragraph, I’m taking the Stars to collect the two points tonight. Dallas is a much deeper, well-rounded team, and they should have no issues getting it done tonight against a mediocre Oilers team. Defense is still a top priority in Dallas, as they’re the ninth-best team defensively, allowing just 2.61 goals per game. Jake Oettinger will likely get the nod tonight, and he’s 13-4-3 with a 2.35 GAA and .922 SV%. I expect the Stars’ defense and goaltending to carry them tonight, and they should be able to hand the Oilers their fourth straight loss.
Bet: Dallas Stars Moneyline (-140 via DraftKings)
Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Wild start a three-game road trip tonight, which requires stops in Anaheim and San Jose and finishes up in Winnipeg on the 27th. They’re riding a five-game win streak and square off against the lowly Ducks tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Anaheim has played 33 games this year, and they have a -59 goal differential coming into tonight’s action. While they may not touch the record of -265 by the 1974-1975 Capitals, the Ducks have a shot at finishing the year as a bottom-five team in the goal differential category.
If Anaheim continues this pace, then fading them on the puck line should be a profitable endeavor all year. I’m locking in the Wild to win by at least two goals tonight. They’ve won five straight games, four of them by at least two goals. Minnesota’s offense is finally finding its groove, as they’re averaging 3.8 goals per game over their last 11 contests. Look for a barrage of goals tonight against an Anaheim team that ranks dead last defensively (4.0 opposing gpg).
Bet: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
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