Top 2 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (12/28)
Tonight’s NHL slate sees ten teams take the ice, and one game in particular sticks out on the schedule: Bruins vs. Devils. I’ll break down my best bet for that Eastern Conference showdown and provide a play in the Canadiens vs. Lightning game.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Top 2 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (12/28)
Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Bolts come out of the break with a three-game homestand where they’ll host the Canadiens, Rangers, and finish with the Coyotes on New Year’s Eve. They’ve been playing well this season, and their 41 points see them with a comfortable lock on third place in the Atlantic. The Canadiens have dropped off a bit and enter tonight’s game in last place in the division with 33 points. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Montreal has won just one out of their last six games, a 3-2 overtime victory against the lowly Coyotes on the 19th. Over the six-game sample, the Habs are averaging just 1.83 goals per game. That figure is down from their season mark of 2.7 goals per game, which represents the 28th-best offense in the league.
Goals won’t come any easier tonight, as the Canadiens will likely be running into one-time Vezina-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian-born netminder has been excellent this season, posting a 13-9-1 record to go along with a 2.53 GAA and .917 SV%. I like for Tampa to stifle this Montreal offense and stretch their lead out by multiple goals. Give me the Bolts on the puck line.
Bet: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-140)
Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils
The night’s marquee matchup sees the top-ranked Bruins take on the slumping Devils. This one gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Presidential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Boston’s coming off of a 3-2 shootout loss last night to the Senators. The loss moved them to 6-0-2 in their last eight games, and they reside in the number-one spot in the league with 57 points. I’m going to back them to come away with the two points tonight against a Devils team that’s just 1-6-1 over their last eight games. This is New Jersey’s first game out of the break, and their most recent game was a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Bruins on the 23rd.
Linus Ullmark will likely get the start tonight, considering Jeremy Swayman went for the B’s last night. Ullmark has been spectacular this year, going 19-1-1 with a 1.94 GAA and .936 SV%. You take a shot whenever you can get a guy like this with an even-money payout. Let’s lock in the Bruins against a struggling Devils squad.
Bet: Boston Bruins Moneyline (+100 via DraftKings)
Join the BettingPros Discord Chat for Live Betting Advice >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts