NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Sunday, December 22:
Here are today’s NHL predictions:
Los Angeles Kings at Washington Capitals (-160, 5.5)
5 p.m. ET
The Los Angeles Kings are making the final stop on their seven-game eastern road trip. The Kings are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday at Nashville and have a quick turnaround today in Washington. It’s not only games on back-to-back days but three games in four days and five games in nine days. With Darcy Kuemper getting the start on Saturday, David Rittich will be between the pipes for Los Angeles today. I don’t know what happens to Rittich when he plays away from Crypto.com Aren, but it isn’t good. He has a 1.51 GAA at home but a 3.49 GAA on the road. The Kings have lost by two or more goals in five of his six road losses, and he has given up four or more goals in four of the five losses. I like this spot for Washington to be able to beat a road-weary Kings time that has been away from Los Angeles for the past 19 days. The Caps are coming off a 3-1 win at home to Carolina. They have won five of their last seven games, giving up two goals or less in all five wins. The Kings have scored two goals or less in 12 of their 14 losses this season.
NHL Predictions: Washington Capitals -1.5 goals (+170) – 1 unit
Washington Capitals in Regulation (-105) – 1 unit
Los Angeles Kings TT Under 2.5 (-110) – 1 unit
Anaheim Ducks at Utah HC (-225, 6)
5 p.m. ET
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Ducks and Utah HC. Anaheim rallied for a 5-4 OT win back in early October. The Ducks two-game win streak ended on Friday in a 4-2 loss to Colorado. Overall, Anaheim has lost six of their last eight games. In eighteen of the Ducks’ 19 losses, they have scored two goals or fewer. Conversely, they are 11-1 when they score three or more goals.
Utah is riding a four-game winning streak and has won six of their last seven. Logan Cooley leads the team with 22 assists and has seven helpers in his last four games. Utah has scored four or more goals in 12 of their 16 wins this season. Anaheim has given up four or more goals in four of their last six losses.
NHL Predictions: Logan Cooley Over ½ assist (+120) – 1 unit
Anaheim Ducks TT Under 2.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Utah HC TT Over 3.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Seattle Kraken at Colorado Avalanche (-290, 6)
8 p.m. ET
It is one of the worst back-to-back situations a team must face when coming into the mile-high city without a day to prepare for the altitude adjustment. That is what the Kraken must cope with after playing in Las Vegas last night and losing, 6-2 to the Golden Knights.
This will be the Kraken’s sixth time this season playing games on consecutive days, and they have dropped the previous five games, shut out three times (all 2-0) and scored two goals in each of the other two defeats. Seattle has failed to cover the Puck Line (+1.5 goals) in four of the five losses. Overall, the Kraken have lost four consecutive games and five of their last six games, scoring just five goals. Colorado has covered the Puck Line in each of their last four victories.
NHL Predictions: Colorado Avalanche 1st period -1/2 goal (+110) – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche/Seattle Kraken 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-125) – 1 unit
Colorado Avalanche -1.5 goals (full game) (-112) – 1 unit
Ottawa Senators at Edmonton Oilers (-180, 6)
8 p.m. ET
Both the Senators and Oilers are playing games on consecutive days, and both needed overtime to win on Saturday. The Senators are the NHL’s hottest team, winners of six straight. Ottawa goalie, Linus Ullmark is riding a personal seven-game winning streak, giving up two goals or less in all seven wins that include a pair of shutouts. For his career, Ullmark is 3-3-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .889 save percentage against Edmonton. Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle, who has been one of my favorite prop targets, has four goals in five games against Oilers goalie, Stuart Skinner
The Oilers have been on quite a run themselves, winning 10 of their last 12 games. Their past two games have needed extra time with Edmonton winning both games by a 3-2 score.
Zach Hyman has found his goal-scoring touch with six goals in the past five games. Leon Draisaitl has 9 goals in eight games against Ullmark, while veteran Adam Henrique has five goals in 9 games versus the Ottawa netminder.
NHL Predictions: Tim Stutzle anytime goal (+275) – ¼ unit
Tim Stutzle Over ½ assist (+100) – 1 unit
Zach Hyman anytime goal (+140) – ½ unit
Adam Henrique anytime goal (+450) – ¼ unit
Leon Draisaitl anytime goal (+115) – ½ unit
