Ryan Hodges
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The week of Christmas kicks off with a solid 8-game slate in the NHL. With plenty of star power and teams playing with a bit more urgency, there is plenty to watch for on Monday. Several teams are less than 10 games away from the halfway point of their season. There are plenty of moves to be made in the standings, and most teams on this slate need to either move up or further solidify their position. We’re in store for some very good good hockey to start the week. If you are looking to combine some picks from these games, check out this NHL mega parlay that has +1077 odds with DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Dallas Stars -1.5 (+110)
Boston Bruins ML & Under 6.5 (+200)
Sabres vs Golden Knights over 6.5 (-115)
Parlay odds: +1077
Get our NHL picks for all of tonight’s games
Dallas Stars -1.5 over the Columbus Blue Jackets (+110)
Put plainly, the Stars have been one of the better teams in the NHL this season and the Blue Jackets have been one of the worst. Columbus makes for a favorable matchup for most teams in the league and Dallas is no exception. The Blue Jackets have lost 9 out of their last 12 games entering this game. They have the 3rd-fewest points in the NHL and are 11-19 against the spread this season. Among NHL ranks, the Blue Jackets are 27th in goals scored per game and shots on goal per game, 31st in shots allowed and goals allowed per game, 29th in power play, 23rd in goals scored 5 on 5, and last in goals allowed 5 on 5. They will have an uphill battle against the Stars.
The Stars lead the Central Division and are 2nd in the Western Conference. They have points in 8 out of their last 10 games and in 4 of their last 5 road games. Dallas ranks top 10 in the NHL in goals scored per game, goals allowed per game, power play, penalty kill, faceoff percentage, goals scored 5 on 5 and save percentage. The Stars have been good against the spread as well, especially on the road. They are 19-13 against the spread carried by a record of 12-5 against the spread on the road. Getting plus-money odds to pad their stats against the Blue Jackets is good value.
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Boston Bruins ML over Florida Panthers and under 6.5 goals (+200)
It is nearly Christmas and the Bruins still have not lost in regulation at home this season. Boston is 16-0-2 at home as part of a 24-4-2 overall record this season. That is good for the best in the NHL by 5 points over the 2nd-best Golden Knights with 3 fewer games played than Vegas. The Bruins rank top 3 in the NHL in goals scored per game, goals allowed per game, power play, penalty kill, face-off percentage, goal differential, shot differential and save percentage. With an average goal differential per game of +1.67, Boston also has been great against the spread. The Bruins are arguably the most reliable play on any given night but especially at home.
The Panthers have middled this season. They are 15-13-4 overall and are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. Florida is also dealing with several injuries. Their volatility and banged-up players have brought some lower totals lately. The under has hit in 5 of the Panthers’ last 6 games. They are 3-3-0 in those games with both good and bad offensive performances, and both good and bad defensive performances. Regardless of the Panthers’ lack of consistency, their games are going under lately. The under has also hit for the Bruins in 4 of their last 6 games. In these teams’ respective last 10 games, the over/under record is 6-12-2 in the combined 20 games. The current form of both teams should reinforce those trends.
Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights over 6.5 (-115)
The Sabres and Golden Knights have played each other once this season in a game that Vegas won 7-4. That result is reflective of Buffalo’s strength of goal scoring and weakness of goal prevention. That combination usually makes for high game totals. The Sabres are atop NHL rankings in goals scored per game with 3.97. They have the league’s 2nd-best power play, the 5th-most goals 5 on 5, and the 10th-most shots on goal per game. Buffalo will do their part in getting this game over the total. The over has hit in 10 of the Sabres’ last 14 games, and their game totals over their last 10 have averaged 8.2. The Sabres will be the primary driver behind a high total on Monday.
The Golden Knights have scored or allowed 4+ goals in 7 out of their last 9 games. They have the 2nd-most points in the league despite being a bit banged up. Vegas is a very good team and in their only game against Buffalo this season, they hit the game total over on their own. If the Sabres can hold to their recent offensive averages, that will be a good start toward the over. It would also force the Golden Knights to adjust their game to a more aggressive offensive style to keep up in an offense-heavy game. This Vegas team is more than capable of keeping up in a high-scoring game. Pure matchup and recent trends look good for the over in this one.
Be sure to check out our full Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights predictions
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