Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (12/6)
With college football's regular season coming to an end and week 13 of the NFL in the books, the NHL takes center stage tonight with a nine-game slate. I've narrowed in on these three bets for tonight's action on the ice.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Blue Jackets have lost four out of their last five games and come into tonight's contest at 8-13-2 (18 points). The Penguins seem to be hitting their stride as they've gone 7-1-1 over their last nine games and reside in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-8-4 (30 points) record. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh for this divisional clash.
One of the most significant issues with Columbus this season has been their defense and goaltending. They're currently 31st in the league in goals allowed per game as they concede 3.83 per contest. That won't bode well for them tonight against a Penguins team that has home ice and enters with the ninth-best offense in the NHL (3.5 gpg). With the way Pittsburgh is trending right now, I expect them to take care of business tonight and stretch this lead out by a couple of goals. Let's ride with the Pens on the puck line.
Bet: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (-110)
Florida Panthers vs. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg's off to a 15-7-1 (31 points) start this season and they'll get set to host a Florida team that's 12-9-4 (28 points) out of the gate. This one is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
I'll back the Jets on the moneyline in this cross-conference showdown. Connor Hellebuyck is expected to get the nod between the pipes and he's been a force in net this year. He comes in at 12-5-1 with a 2.27 GAA (6th) and .931 SV%. Hellebuyck has been even better at home where he's gone 8-2-0 with a 1.30 GAA and .957 SV%. Thanks to his efforts and a strong defense in front, the Jets boast the fourth-ranked defense (2.43 opposing gpg) and they're also third on the penalty kill (83.8%). I think it'll be tough sledding for this Florida offense tonight and I'll take Winnipeg to record the two points at home.
Bet: Winnipeg Jets Moneyline (+100)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Hurricanes are a perfect 3-0-0 to start their six-game road trip out and they've collected wins over the Penguins, Blues, and Kings so far. They had a couple of nights off after the win in Los Angeles and they'll take the short trip to Anaheim to face the Ducks tonight. This game is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET from the Honda Center.
Simply put, the Ducks are atrocious this year. They're just 6-17-3 (15 points) and that's currently the lowest point total in the league this season. Anaheim is riding a six-game losing streak and they've gone just 1-7-2 over their last 10 games. I'm going to fade them while they're down and take the Canes on the puck line.
I'm very impressed by this Carolina team and I think they have a great opportunity to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup this year. They're a well-rounded team that plays great defense and typically always gets good goaltending. Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to get the start in net tonight and he's 5-1-3 with a 2.27 GAA and .919 SV%. He should have no issues shutting down a Ducks side that ranks dead last in goals per game at 2.4. I expect the Canes to dominate this game and win by at least two goals tonight.
Bet: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (+100)
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