NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (12/15)
We have a slate of exciting games in the NHL on Sunday. We'll break the slate down and give you our best NHL bets.
Sundayâs NHL Best Bets
(Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
New York Islanders (-180) at Chicago Blackhawks (+150) | O/U 6.5 (-105/-115)
Chicago recently made a coaching change, but that has not worked out, as they are 1-7-0 in their last eight. The problem is that this offense has not been great. They are last in expected goals percentage (42.9%), with only Connor Bedard having at least 20 points and only Ryan Donato with double-digit goals this year.
Petr Mrazek has been a respectable goalie for the Blackhawks with a 2.83 GAA and a .906 save percentage, but now that heâs on injured reserve (IR), Arvid Soderblom has been the primary goalie. He has just a .877 save percentage in his last three appearances.
If weâre going to mention underperforming offenses, the Islanders have to be mentioned. They have three players with 20 points to their credit, but they are 23rd in expected goal percentage and 26th in goals per game.
Their last matchup was surpassingly high-scoring, but we'll see a much different result in this game. These teams know each other a little better and they each have respectable defenses.
Pick: Under 6.5 Goals (-115)
New York Rangers (-142) at St. Louis Blues (+120) | O/U 6 (-112/-108)
The Rangers just took a 5-1 loss 24 hours ago and now have to go on the road to St. Louis. They matched Los Angeles' 32-shot effort and won the faceoff advantage (62%), but it was a brutal performance by Igor Shesterkin, who allowed five goals and was pulled early in the second period.
The good news is they are going from facing one of the best offenses in the league to one of the worst. The Blues are 27th in expected goal percentage (47%). While they have some excellent playmakers like Jordan Kyrou and Dylan Holloway, they aren't seeing enough consistency.
The same goes for the goaltending. That's been a problem with Jordan Binnington; he goes on runs where he's amazing and then goes on a huge slide.
The Rangers will likely put Shesterkin back in net after only a short appearance. He should have a bounce-back game.
Pick: Rangers Moneyline (-142)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Sunday: