NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Wednesday, December 18

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Updated on December 18, 2024 11:23AM EST

NHL Best Bets Tonight: Expert NHL Picks for
Wednesday, Dec. 18

The National Hockey League have five games on the slate Wednesday night. We're going to focus on the doubleheader which is televised on TNT and Max. The Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings mix it up at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. ET, and that game is also available on truTV, too. In the second end of the doubleheader, the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild tangle in the Twin Cities at 9:30 p.m. ET. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Picks Tonight

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings

The Flyers (14-13-4) and the Red Wings (12-14-4) meet at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on TNT, truTV and Max.

Philadelphia has won five of the past seven meetings in this series, including a 4-1 win in the first battle this season last Thursday at Wells Fargo Center as small favorites (-114) as the Under (6) cashed. The total has gone low in six of the past seven meetings dating back to Jan. 21, 2023.

In that Dec. 12 matchup, Aleksei Kolosov allowed just a single goal on 26 shots, while Cam Talbot deserved a better fate. He allowed only two goals on 24 shots, with Scott Laughton notched two empty-net goals. Laughton actually accounted for all four of the team's goals, including a shorthanded goal, too. It was Philly's first four-goal game since John LeClair lit the lamp four times Oct. 15, 2002, and the 17th time a Flyers player scored four or more in a single game in franchise history.

Philly is just 2-3-1 in the past six games, with the Over having a 3-2-1 edge in the span. For Detroit, it is just 2-4-2 in the previous eight outings, cashing low at a 4-1-1 clip in the previous six contests.

Samuel Ersson (6-4-2, 2.87 GAA, .891 SV%, 1 SO) is projected to start for the Fly Guys, while Ville Husso (1-4-2, 3.47 GAA, .877 SV%) is expected to be tabbed for the Wings.

Updated: Alex Lyon will return from a lower-body injury to start for the Red Wings.

The Red Wings are 1-2-1 in the past four at home, and they've struggled against the Flyers. We'll back Philly on the road behind Ersson, and going low is a good idea, too.

Flyers ML (-102 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 6.5 Goals (-140 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Florida Panthers at Minnesota Wild

The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers (19-11-2) and Wild (20-7-4) lock horns at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul. And, quick geography lesson, but many people think Minneapolis is the capital of Minnesota for some reason. It's actually St. Paul. Now, go win trivia night at the bar!

Back to hockey. The Panthers might have won it all last season, but it was no thanks to the Wild. Minnesota swept the season series a combined 8-4 last season, including a 2-0 victory at home Oct. 12, 2023 behind Filip Gustavsson, who made 41 saves.

On Oct. 22, the Wild picked up a 5-1 win in Sunrise as a moderate underdog (+133) as the Over (5.5) just came in. Marco Rossi and Marcus Johansson got things off on the right foot with two goals in a 22-second span midway through the first period. Matt Boldy added a power-play goal at 2:40 of the second period before Sam Bennett finally answered. That was all Florida could muster against Gustavsson, who turned aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced. Unfortunately for Gus, he's out with a lower-body injury so Marc-Andre Fleury will start Wednesday's game.

Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek put the game out of reach with two late second-period goals. Bennett spent all of the time in the penalty box for both teams, committing interference and slashing infractions.

Minnesota has alternated losses and wins in the past six games, going 3-3-0, while Florida has been equally confusing. The Panthers won 6-5 in Edmonton on Monday, exploding offensively after consecutive shutout losses at Vancouver and at Calgary.

The Under is 4-1 in the past five games for Florida. Minnesota is 8-3 in the past 11 contests. We'll go low on the total, and back the Wild until the Panthers can figure out how to get over the hump against Minnesota.

Wild ML (+116 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 6 Goals (-120 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Before placing a bet on your favorite sports betting apps ensure you have the latest NHL odds to help you craft a well-researched betting card.