NHL Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Friday
Friday is unusually busy in the National Hockey League, with 10 games on the schedule. Read on as we offer up our best bets and top NHL picks.
While there are some competitive matchups on the board Friday, the Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights, and Boston Bruins are all favored by -250 or more, so there are some lopsided games on the docket, too.
There is one matchup involving teams that are both in playoff position: the Minnesota Wild at the Edmonton Oilers.
Here are our best bets for Friday’s NHL slate (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Friday’s NHL Schedule and Odds
(odds via FanDuel)
- Calgary Flames (-265) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (+215)
- New York Islanders (+168) vs. New Jersey Devils (-205)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (-160) vs. Buffalo Sabres (+130)
- Seattle Kraken (+126) vs. Washington Capitals (-152)
- Winnipeg Jets (-142) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (+118)
- Minnesota Wild (+110) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-132)
- New York Rangers (-154) vs. Colorado Avalanche (+128)
- Boston Bruins (-360) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+280)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+215) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-265)
- San Jose Sharks (-120) vs. Anaheim Ducks (+100)
Friday’s NHL Best Bets
- Moneyline: Rangers (-149 via BetMGM)
- Spread: Bruins -1.5 (-125 via DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Upset: Kraken (+126 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Prop bet: Pierre-Luc Dubois Over 0.5 Goals (+172 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
NHL Top Picks for Friday
Moneyline: Rangers (-149) ★★★★
Even though they have generally underachieved this season, the New York Rangers are 8-4-1 on the road. They have controlled 52.8% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals, so they are working with an above-average statistical base.
The Rangers are taking on a Colorado Avalanche team that is barely a shell of last season’s Stanley Cup champions. A wild run of injuries leaves the Avs with a few stars and a bunch of guys who would otherwise be filling out the bottom of the depth chart or playing in the AHL. Colorado has lost three straight and it likely won’t get better until they get healthy.
BetMGM has the best price on the Rangers, at -149, but is only slightly better than DraftKings (-150), FanDuel (-154), Caesars and PointsBet (-155). If the Avalanche were to suddenly get multiple players back from injury, these odds could shift. Otherwise, the odds could keep shifting towards the Blueshirts.
Spread: Bruins -1.5 (-125) ★★★★★
These are two teams that are practically playing a different sport. The Bruins have a 7-3 road record and are getting 56.5% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals. Six of Boston’s seven road wins have been by a margin of multiple goals.
Returning home after a 14-game road trip, the Arizona Coyotes have only played four games at home this season. Arizona has 13 losses overall and 10 of those losses have been by more than one goal. They are pulling less than 40% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play.
DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM all have the Bruins -125 on the puck line. PointsBet (-131) and FanDuel (-138) are charging a greater premium for Boston.
Upset: Kraken (+126) ★★★★
The Seattle Kraken have been crushing it on the road, posting an 8-1-1 record. With 53.0% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play, the Kraken have the underlying numbers that befit their status as a playoff contender.
After posting a 3-2-1 record during a six-game road trip, the Capitals return home, where they have a 7-4-1 record. Washington is pulling 49.3% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play.
The bigger challenge for the Capitals is that they are still without starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Backup Charlie Lindgren has a .902 save percentage in 10 games
The moneyline was priced around +105 to +110 at top sportsbooks, then jumped to +130 at DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet before coming back down to -125. FanDuel at +126 has the longest odds for the underdog Kraken.
Prop bet: Pierre-Luc Dubois Over 0.5 goals (+172) ★★★★★
After burying a pair of goals in Thursday’s win at St. Louis, the Winnipeg Jets center has scored at least one goal in five of 12 road games.
This will be the second game of a back-to-back situation for Dubois and the Jets. However, they are facing a Chicago Blackhawks team that has allowed 3.70 goals against per 60 minutes on home ice, which ranks 26th.
FanDuel offers the best price (+172) on a Dubois anytime goal, slightly longer than Caesars and PointsBet, both at +170. DraftKings and BetMGM have a Dubois goal priced at +160.
Where to Bet on NHL Picks
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
NHL odds and best bets from 12/9/2022 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
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