This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Best Bets: Expert Hockey Parlay Pick for Thursday, December 28
The National Hockey League has just four games on tap Thursday, with three of the games with a puck drop of 10 p.m. ET or later. We'll focus on the West Coast trio of games to put together a two- or three-part parlay. Let's get started!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Flyers 
vs Canucks
The Flyers were on the short end of a 7-6 shootout loss in the first stop on a six-game road trip in Detroit. After allowing a total of just 12 goals in seven games from Dec. 4-19, the Fly Guys coughed up 11 goals in the two games prior to the holiday break. The seven goals allowed matched a season high, with Philly suffering a 7-4 loss against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 28.
The Canucks were on the short end of a 2-0 loss at Wells Fargo Center on Oct. 17 in the first meeting, as Carter Hart shut down Vancouver as the Under (6.5) easily cashed. Thatcher Demko deserved a better fate, as turned aside 40 of the 42 shots he faced. Hart was back in the crease last time out, but he allowed six goals on 37 shots, so it's likely Samuel Ersson's net on Thursday.
Ersson has allowed three or fewer goals in all six of his starts in December, going 4-1-1 with a 2.27 GAA and .919 SV% with a shutout. He has a 7-1-1 record in the past nine starts, too. With Ersson playing well, and Demko posted a 12-3-0 record, 2.17 GAA and .929 SV% with 3 SO at home, the Under is your best bet.
- Under 6.5 (-128 at FanDuel)
Kings 
vs Golden Knights
The Kings and Golden Knights each played on Wednesday night. We should have some tired legs at The Fortress, although it will be somewhat mitigated by the fact both teams just came off the holiday break.
Jiri Patera is expected to get the start, as Logan Thompson was in between the pipes in the loss in Anaheim, returning from an upper-body injury. It's extremely unlikely VGK would push him in a back-to-back situation.
Cam Talbot (14-6-2, 2.06 GAA, .925 SV%, 2 SO) is expected to go, and he looks to duplicate the success he had on The Strip back on Nov. 8, when he kicked aside 37 of the 38 shots he faced. The road team has won six of the past nine outings, and the slight 'dog is worth a look here, as VGK has dropped four in a row.
- Kings ML (-108 at FanDuel)
Oilers 
vs Sharks 
The Oilers stroll into the Bay Area with plenty of rest, coming off a 4-3 win on the road against the New York Rangers last time out on Dec. 22 behind Stuart Skinner. Edmonton has won two in a row, while going 10 of the past 13 games overall.
For the Sharks, they're coming off a dismal 5-1 setback in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and now they face the Oilers on no rest. San Jose actually won last time out on no rest, topping the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Nov. 25, but that also was a back-to-back at home. San Jose is 1-2-0 with the Under going 2-1 on no rest.
Edmonton will cost you four times your potential return on the moneyline, and that's not a good bet. But the Oilers are a better value laying the goal and a half, even on the road.
- Oilers PL (-1.5, -160 at FanDuel)
Check out RotoWire's NHL parlay optimizer and parlay calculator to get the best odds for your parlays. Keep our NHL odds and NHL player props pages bookmarked to find the best odds across the best sports betting sites.
NHL Parlays Tonight
Three-Team Parlay (+457 at FanDuel)
- Kings ML (-108) at Golden Knights
- Flyers at Canucks Under 6.5 (-128)
- Oilers PL (-1.5, -160) at Sharks
Three-Team Parlay (+243 at FanDuel)
- Kings ML (-108) at Golden Knights
- Flyers at Canucks Under 6.5 (-128)
