This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
We've got 4 games of NHL action to sink our teeth into tonight. A few teams are on back-to-backs, we've got a big Pacific Division bout in Vegas, and the lines are actually looking pretty juicy. Let's dive into the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
Best NHL Bets Tonight
Hurricanes -1.5 PL (-105 on FanDuel)
I'm going against one of my betting principles with this pick. The Canes played on the road last night in Nashville, but looked excellent doing it, dispatching the Predators 6-3. The Preds came into that bout as one of the league's hottest teams too. The Canes return home to take on the Canadiens who did not play last night. The Habs are surprisingly better on the road than they are at home, boasting an 8-4-3 record overall. The Hurricanes are tough in their own barn though at 9-3-3, and they have beaten the Canadiens in 6 straight and 9 of their last 10. 6 of those wins were by 2+ goals, including 4 in a row in Raleigh.
Kings, Golden Knights Under 6.5 (-124 on FanDuel)
This is the best matchup of the night from a sheer fan's perspective. The road to the Cup will have to go through one or both of these cities out West come spring time. The Kings are the best road team in the league right now, touting a 13-1-1 record overall. The Golden Knights are one of the best home teams at 12-3-2, but they've lost 4 straight games and need a spark. Both teams played last night so I expect a knockdown, drag-'em-out kind of slugfest in this one where both sides are just trying to get through the night.
Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Elias Pettersson over 2.5 shots on goal (-140 on DraftKings)
Pettersson nabbed this prop in 6 of his last 10 games overall and dropped a whopping 7 shots on goal in his last home outing. The Flyers have given up 30+ shots in 7 of their last 10 and dropped 2 games in a row heading into the Christmas holiday. I like the Canucks at home tonight, and I love Pettersson to be a big reason why.
Leon Draisaitl over 1.5 points (+114 on DraftKings)
Check the game notes, Leon loves playing against the Sharks. I mean, everyone in the league loves playing against the Sharks this year, but Leon got 14 total points in his last 10 games overall against them. He got 2+ points in 3 of his last 5, and the Oilers have been playing with much more swagger since their coaching change. One of the final nails in the former regime's coffin was a putrid 3-2 loss to the Sharks, which I don't expect to happen again tonight.
