NHL Best Bets, Odds Today: Matchups, Picks, Predictions for Tuesday
There are nine games on Tuesday’s NHL schedule, including a handful that look like mismatches. Read on as we offer up our best bets and top NHL picks.
Hefty favorites highlight the Tuesday NHL docket – but bettors who like prefer evenly-matched teams won't be disappointed, either.
While New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Seattle and Carolina are all sitting at -235 or lower (and in the case of the Devils, much lower), fans and bettors can anticipate less one-sided matchups between the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, and the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets.
Here are our best bets for Tuesday’s NHL slate (odds via DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Tuesday’s NHL Schedule and Odds
(odds via FanDuel)
- Chicago Blackhawks (+330) vs. New Jersey Devils (-430)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (+230) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-285)
- Detroit Red Wings (+190) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-235)
- Los Angeles Kings (+100) vs. Ottawa Senators (-120)
- St. Louis Blues (+146) vs. New York Islanders (-178)
- Florida Panthers (-118) vs. Winnipeg Jets (-102)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (-110) vs. Dallas Stars (-110)
- Carolina Hurricanes (-310) vs. Anaheim Ducks (+245)
- Montreal Canadiens (+215) vs. Seattle Kraken (-265)
Tuesday’s NHL Best Bets
- Total: Blue Jackets-Penguins Over 6.5 (-125 via DraftKings)
- Spread: Devils -1.5 (-140 via Caesars)
- Upset: Stars (-105 via DraftKings)
- Prop bet: Martin Necas Over 0.5 Goals (+205 via Caesars)
NHL Top Picks for Tuesday
Total: Blue Jackets-Penguins Over 6.5 (-125) ★★★★
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ defense is missing four regulars and heads into Pittsburgh with starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins returning from injury.
Merzlikins, who last played on Nov. 15, has struggled this season. In nine games, he has a .864 save percentage and has yet to have a game in which he played more than two periods and still allowed fewer than three goals.
The Blue Jackets are allowing 3.92 goals against per 60 minutes, the second-highest rate in the league.
Although No. 1 defenseman Kris Letang is injured, the Penguins still have ample firepower. They rank sixth in the league with 3.48 goals per 60 minutes and have hit a total of seven goals or more in seven of 11 home contests.
While FanDuel has the Over set at -128, the other top
sportsbooks – DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet – all have the O6.5 at -125.
Spread: Devils -1.5 (-140) ★★★★
After a surprising start to the season, during which they won four of six games, the Chicago Blackhawks have won just three of 18 games since. And they've dropped seven of their past 10 by multiple goals. No bueno.
Chicago is also one of two teams in the league managing to convert fewer than 40% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals.
That stands in stark contrast with the New Jersey Devils, the team with the best expected goals percentage in the league (61.5 xGF%). The Devils lost their first two games of the season and have won 20 of 23 games since, with 12 of those 20 victories coming by multiple goals.
FanDuel and BetMGM are offering the Devils -2.5 (+126) but that is an enormous spread for an NHL game. DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet are all going with the Devils -1.5 (-140), which is on the low end value-wise for a puckline play but feels relatively safe here.
Upset: Stars (-105) ★★★★
Picking against the Toronto Maple Leafs these days is hardly a path to riches. The Leafs have gone 11 straight games without a regulation loss and have an impressive 7-3-3 road record, controlling 52.1% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals in those 13 road contests.
The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, are 7-2-3 on home ice despite controlling
just 50.8% of the five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals. The Stars
have one regulation loss in the past 11 games, and they own the league's No. 3 goal differential (+26).
The Stars are a strong enough squad that the opportunity to get them as a home underdog offers good potential value. Dallas is priced at -105 at DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet. FanDuel initially had the Stars priced at -102 but that quickly shifted to -110.
Prop bet: Martin Necas Over 0.5 goals (+205) ★★★★★
In the midst of a breakout season, Necas has scored 12 goals and 28 points in 25 games for the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes. He has also recorded at least one goal in seven of 16 road games.
Necas gets the benefit of facing the Anaheim Ducks, a team that is allowing a league high 4.11 goals against per 60 minutes. The Hurricanes should dominate territorial play against Anaheim, offering plenty of scoring chances for Carolina’s second-leading goal scorer.
A price of +205 carries an implied probability of 32.8% – and Necas has been scoring at a better rate than that on the road. Factor in the Ducks’ obvious defensive deficiencies, and a Necas anytime goal has good value.
Caesars has a Necas anytime goal at +205, slightly better than PointsBet (+200) and FanDuel (+198). It is significantly more appealing than DraftKings or BetMGM, both priced at +165.
Where to Bet on NHL Picks
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
NHL odds and best bets from 12/6/2022 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
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