NHL Predictions – Expert Picks on Thursday, December 12:
Here are tonight’s NHL predictions:
Los Angeles Kings at New Jersey Devils (-148, 5.5)
7 p.m. ET
The Los Angeles Kings are on a six-game heater and will look to match their longest win streak in three years when they visit the Devils tonight in New Jersey. The Kings can attribute their success to a stingy defense that has given up two goals or less in nine of their last 10 games. Offensively, the Kings’ magic number is three. In games this season when they score exactly three goals, they are 6-1, and if they score three goals or more, they are 15-2. Pretty simple, if you have any chance of defeating the Kings this season, you better keep them below three goals. For their part, the Devils have limited their opponents to two goals or less in 14 of their 18 wins this season. The Devils have also covered the Puck Line (-1.5 goals) in 15 of their victories.
In addition to trying to knock off the hottest team in the NHL, the Devils need to figure out how to play much better at home. New Jersey has dropped back-to-back games at the Prudential Center and has just six wins in 15 games in the arena they call home. I do believe the Devils will put an end to the Kings’ six-game winning streak tonight. You can choose to play New Jersey on the Money Line and lay (-155), take the Puck Line (-1.5 goals (+170), or you can attack the Kings Team Total and go under 2.5 goals. As I referenced above, the Kings’ magic number for victory is three goals. They have only scored three goals or more in a loss twice (11 total losses).
Keep an eye on who starts in goal tonight for Los Angeles. If it is David Rittich, he has given up two goals or less in 11 of his 15 starts, but the four starts where he has given up three goals or more have all come on the road.
NHL Predictions: New Jersey Devils -1.5 goals (+170) – 1 unit
Los Angeles Kings TT under 2.5 (-120) – 1 unit
Pittsburgh Penguins (-120, 6.5) at Montreal Canadiens
7 p.m. ET
The good news for the Penguins is that they have won five of their last seven, but on the flip sid,e they have lost two of their last three. While the Penguins have hit a small bump, the Canadiens have earned wins in three of their last four games. Before you get too excited, the Canadiens’ wins have come against the Islanders, the 30th-ranked Anaheim Ducks, and the Nashville Predators, tied for the worst record in the league. The one loss came at the hands of the Washington Capitals.
This will be the third and final meeting this season between Pittsburgh and Montreal. The Pens have taken the first two meetings, covering the Puck Line in both games (3-1, 6-3) and won five straight overall against the Habs. Montreal has failed to cover the Puck Line in 13 of their 17 losses this season. The Penguins are 1-1 as the road betting favorite and 5-2 overall as betting favorite this season. Compare that with 4-14 in the underdog role. For those interested, the Canadiens are 6-8 as a home underdog.
Examining the prop market here is what stands out in this game. Sidney Crosby’s goalless streak has reached seven games. Sid, no longer the Kid has 25 goals in 51 career games against Montreal, and I believe tonight he scores number 26. Once again, if it’s a Canadiens game, we will turn to our favorite defenseman, Lane Hutson to record at least one assist. Hutson is tied for the team lead with 19 and picked up an “apple” in seven consecutive games.
NHL Predictions: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 goals (+205) – 1 unit
Lane Hutson Over ½ assist (+120) – ½ unit
Sidney Crosby anytime goal (+155) – ½ unit
Washington Capitals (-160, 6.5) and Columbus Blue Jackets
7 p.m. ET
The Washington Capitals will be paying a visit to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, seeking to extend the franchise record road win streak to 10 games when they take on the Blue Jackets. In addition to their road win streak, the Caps have earned points in seven straight (6-0-1). A win tonight by Washington would tie them with the Minnesota Wild for the most road wins (12) in the league. Washington has won eight of the last 10 meetings against Columbus, including a 7-2 thumping back in November as they erupted for five first-period goals. Fast starts on the road have been key for Washington. They are 6-2-5 on the road in the opening 20 minutes, and the Over 1.5 goals have cashed in 11 of 13 road games. The Blue Jackets have cashed in the first-period Over 1.5 goals in 10 of 13 games. Washington has scored four or more goals in 17 of their 19 wins this season while Columbus gave up 4+ goals in 12 of their 16 losses.
NHL Predictions: Capitals/Jackets 1st Period Over 1.5 (-140) – 2 units
Capitals/Jackets Over 6.5 (-115) – 1 unit
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars (-215, 6)
8 p.m. ET
The Nashville Predators may have won the offseason, but the regular season has been an unmitigated disaster for the organization, its players and fans. Nashville is tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for the fewest points, but its seven wins are the fewest among all 32 teams. The Preds have lost eight straight, scoring just 14 goals over that span. Now they head on the road for a pair of games in Dallas and Colorado and may have to play without captain Roman Josi, who left Tuesday’s game against Calgary in the first period and did not return with what was being called a lower-body injury. His status for tonight in Dallas is questionable. Nashville has lost six consecutive road games and has scored just six goals in the defeats. They will try to avoid a seventh consecutive road loss, but it won’t be easy facing a Dallas team against whom they have just three wins in their last 10 meetings.
Meanwhile, the Stars have the league’s best home team (11-2). They have won four straight at American Airlines Center, outscoring their opponents, 19-8. They have covered the Puck Line in 10 of their 11 home wins and 13 of their 17 wins overall.
NHL Predictions: Dallas Stars -1.5 goals (+136) – 1 unit
Nashville TT under 2.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets (-125, 6)
8 p.m. ET
It will be a battle of Western Conference heavyweights when the Golden Knights kick off their three-game road trip tonight in Winnipeg to play the Jets before having to face the Oilers and Wild on back-to-back days. From my good friend and a great follow-on X, @SinBin.vegas, the Golden Knights franchise record with 4+ days off is 17-7-4. Vegas has won three straight (giving up just three goals) and five of their last seven, including wins over Edmonton, Dallas, and tonight’s opposition, the Winnipeg Jets.
Captain Mark Stone returned to the lineup against Dallas in the Knights final game before the five-day break. His impact was noticeable on the Vegas power play where he earned an assist on one of the two goals with the extra man and was a key factor on the other goal with the extra man. Pavel Dorofeyev leads Vegas with 82 shots on goal and has hit his shots on goal prop of Over 2.5 in seven of his last eight games, including the only meeting with the Jets this season. If you want a larger sample size, he has had at least three shots on goal in 19 of his last 26 games. As always, shop around. I found (+100) at bet365. Our friends at DraftKings are at (-105).
Winnipeg is coming off an 8-1 thumping of the Boston Bruins on Tuesday and have won three of their last four after losing four straight. Kyle Connor has goals in back-to-back games, tying him with Mark Scheifele for the team lead with 16. His 11 career goals (18 games) versus the Golden Knights are more than any other Jets player.
NHL Predictions: Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 SOG (+100) – 1 unit
Edmonton Oilers (-140, 6) at Minnesota Wild
8:30 p.m. ET
The Oilers opened anywhere from a -125 to -130 road favorite and have been bet up across the board to as high as (-150). Edmonton is taking just 49% of the bets but 80% of the money, according to our VSIN Betting Splits page. Both teams enter tonight’s matchup winning six of their past seven games and given up two goals or less in five of the seven games.
Minnesota has won eight of the past 10 against the Oilers, including a 5-3 win last month in Edmonton. Examining the Wild’s betting splits, they are 7-2 as the home favorite but 0-2 as the home underdog, with losses to Dallas and Winnipeg.
NHL Prediction: Oilers ML (-145) – 2 units
Florida Panthers (-155, 5.5) at Vancouver Canucks
10 p.m. ET
This is stop number two on Florida’s five-game western road swing as they visit Vancouver for a game against the Canucks. The Panthers are riding a three-game win streak and have won six of their past seven games and hope to snap a three-game skid against Vancouver. Florida is 5-2 as the road betting favorite, while the Canucks are 0-5 as a home dog this season. The Canucks have given up four goals or more in all 5 of their losses as the home underdog. For the season, the Panthers have scored 4+ goals in 16 of their 18 wins, while the Canucks have surrendered four or more goals in 11 of their 13 losses.
Early goals have been a theme in the Panthers’ games lately. Eight of their last 10 games have featured a goal in the first 10 minutes, and the first-period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in 10 of their 13 road games.
NHL Predictions: Panthers/Canucks Goal 1st 10 -Yes (-140) – 1 unit
Panthers/Canucks 1st period Over 1.5 (-125) – 1 unit
Florida TT over 3.5 (+125) – 1 unit
