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Top NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (12/21)

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Welcome back to the latest edition of NHL odds, picks, and predictions! Here, we’ll dive into Thursday’s massive 12-game slate and dig up some of the best bets to wager to earn winnings during the holiday season.

Last week, we once again went 1-2 with our NHL picks, as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs exchanged blows in a thrilling 6-5 overtime outing, easily cashing over 6.5 total goals. The other two weren’t far off, as St. Louis thrashed Ottawa 4-2 after the firing of their former head coach, coming one goal shy of cashing over 6.5 total goals. Calgary went on the road to Minnesota and briefly took a third-period lead before ultimately losing 2-1 in a shootout.

We’re due to smash and go 3-0 with NHL picks this week, with a ton of value on the board on Thursday’s 12-game slate. Make sure to follow Matt MacKay on Twitter to get more free plays and NHL best bets.

Thursday’s NHL Best Bets

Toronto Maple Leafs (-152) vs. Buffalo Sabres (+126) | O/U 6.5 (-148/+120)

We’re going right back to the well and investing in the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road against the spiraling Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Buffalo just got embarrassed by Columbus, losing 9-4 on Tuesday night, with the expectation of once again starting goaltender Devon Levi in the net, who surrendered four goals in under 28 minutes.

Auston Matthews is red-hot, scoring a goal in five consecutive contests, but the Maple Leafs are coming off of a 5-2 loss at home to the New York Rangers. Prior to this loss, they dominated Pittsburgh 7-0, demonstrating their volatility on a per-game basis. Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov is equally porous defending the net lately, allowing ten goals in his past two starts, so we’re going to stake two units on over 6.5 total goals at -148 odds.

Bet: Over 6.5 Total Goals (-148)

Carolina Hurricanes (-134) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (+112) | O/U 6.5 (-105/-115)

One of my favorite games on this slate features an Eastern Conference matchup between Carolina and Pittsburgh. We’re already seeing a ton of line movement, indicating oddsmakers are struggling with this handicap. Fortunately, we’ve already found a betting line that is guaranteed to cash during this tilt at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh has lost their last six night games at home following a home win, while Carolina has won five consecutive games against the Penguins. After dropping two games in a row, Carolina bounced back with a dominant 6-3 win at home on Tuesday. The Penguins, meanwhile edged out Minnesota 4-3 in regulation at home on Monday, so this fits the trend of losing at home. Plus, the Hurricanes are simply a better team with a quality goaltender.

Unders have also cashed in this head-to-head matchup, but we’re solely focused on Carolina’s moneyline, sitting at a solid -134 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s smash this play and stake three units on the Hurricanes’ moneyline.

Bet: Carolina Moneyline (-134)

Edmonton Oilers (-110) vs. New Jersey Devils (-110) | O/U 6.5 (-170/+138)

Two teams that have failed to meet their huge expectations set this offseason will compete on the ice in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday night. The Devils host the Edmonton Oilers in a pick’em, valued at -110 on their moneyline odds. Both of these teams have lost multiple games in a row, so it’ll be intriguing to see how productive both offenses look on the ice at the Prudential Center.

Interestingly enough, New Jersey has failed to cover the puck line in 15 of their last 16 home games. The underdogs, in this case, Edmonton, have won three straight games during the Oilers’ last three contests. Goaltending has been a glaring issue for both sides, which is why over 6.5 total goals is so highly juiced at -170 odds. Here, we’ll parlay two juiced lines to get plus odds, combining over 6.5 total goals at -170 odds with the Oilers’ puck line at -245 odds, resulting in +121 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Bet: Parlay – Over 6.5 Total Goals + Oilers Puck Line (+121)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:


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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.

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