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Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (12/5)

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The NHL season continues tonight, and we have a thrilling eight-game slate on the horizon. A few of the key matchups feature the Red Wings taking on the Sabres, the Wild squaring off against the Flames, and the nightcap sees a battle between the Devils and the Canucks out west.

Below, I’ll dive into all three games and lock in a bet for each. Let’s get into the picks and have a profitable Tuesday on the ice!

Tuesday’s NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)

Detroit Red Wings (-125) vs. Buffalo Sabres (+105) | 6.5 (-122/+102)

One of the better Eastern Conference matchups tonight sees the Red Wings make the trip to New York to take on the Sabres. Detroit comes into this game at 13-7-3 while Buffalo is currently 10-13-2. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 ET from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. 

The Red Wings are playing fantastic hockey as of late, winning five of their last six games. They’ll be getting an additional boost soon when Patrick Kane enters the lineup. However, I don’t believe the veteran will be making his debut this evening. Still, I’m not going to bet against the Wings at this point, and I’ll back them on the moneyline tonight. 

Ultimately, this Buffalo team simply hasn’t developed into what we expected this year. Between Tage Thompson’s injury (out) and a new injury to Alex Tuch (questionable), along with an underwhelming effort from the available skaters, the Sabres just don’t have it right now. They’re also riding a three-game losing streak, and they have not been able to keep the puck out of their own net. Buffalo comes into tonight’s action ranked 26th in goals against per game (3.32). Detroit is playing at a much higher level right now, so I’ll lock them in to collect the two points. 

Bet: Detroit Red Wings Moneyline (-125)

Minnesota Wild (-112) vs. Calgary Flames (-108) | 6.0 (-125/+105)

The John Hynes era in the Twin Cities is off to an excellent start, as his Wild have yet to lose (3-0-0) since he took the reins. The Wild travel to Alberta tonight to take on the Flames, who are coming off a 5-2 defeat to the Canucks on Saturday. This Western Conference showdown is set for 9:00 ET from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. 

There’s a realistic chance that the Wild improve to 4-0-0 tonight under coach Hynes. However, I’ve been impressed with the defense and goaltending, so I’m going to play the under in this game. Filip Gustavsson is confirmed to start tonight for Minnesota, and he has been awesome in his last two starts. The Swedish netminder has allowed just two goals in two winning efforts while making 49 saves on 51 shot attempts (0.961 SV%). 

On the flip side, neither offense has been very dynamic this year. The Wild are 17th in goals per game (3.1), while the Flames are 19th (3.0). In terms of the power play numbers, Minnesota is just 21st on the man advantage (18.29%), while Calgary is 26th (12.82%). I think we’re in for a lower-scoring affair tonight in Alberta, somewhere in the 3-2 range. 

Bet: Under 6.0 (+105)

New Jersey Devils (-110) vs. Vancouver Canucks (-110) | 7.0 (+110/-130)

The NHL action concludes out west with the Devils taking on the Canucks. New Jersey currently resides in seventh in the Metropolitan Division (23 points) while Vancouver is still in second in the Pacific (33 points). The nightcap is scheduled for 10:00 ET from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. 

It was pretty clear that the Devils’ biggest weakness entering the year was going to be their goaltending. I remember people saying, “If they can just find some netminding, they’ll be a Stanley Cup contender.” Well, New Jersey failed to address the need for a goalie, and they’ve paid for it. They’re currently 28th in goals against per game (3.36) while sitting at 25th on the penalty kill (75%). That won’t bode well against arguably the best offense in the league, a Canucks team that’s scoring 3.8 goals per game (second). 

However, the Devils have been excellent on the offensive end, averaging 3.6 goals per game (third). They also boast the league’s best power play, cashing at an insane rate of 36%. So, when the dust settles, I think we see at least eight goals on the scoreboard. I love the plus-money payout with this elevated over.

Vancouver’s definitely more refined defensively under Rick Tocchet, but there are still a lot of games where they like to play fast and trade chances all night. With these two powerful offenses, we should be in for a ton of scoring. 

Bet: Over 7.0 (+110)

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


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