Mark Lammey
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It’s not often we get early afternoon hockey in the middle of the week, but that’s exactly what we have today. The NHL will be off over the Christmas weekend, so we’re jam-packed with action over the next two days. Although we aren’t targeting that first game in our mega parlay, we are looking to the third and final Battle of New York for this season. Along with a Central Division clash and the nightcap in Los Angeles, we’ve got 3 different markets on deck. With that said, let’s dive into the 3 plays we feel have the best value.
Along with our mega parlay, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
New York Rangers 3-way ML (+100) over New York Islanders
It’s surprising that these cross-town rivals will already be meeting for the last time this season. As unfortunate as that is, it’s an opportunity for the Rangers to get their revenge. They lost each of the first two meetings, but they’ve been playing far better since then. Although they fell in their most recent game by 1 goal to a tough Pittsburgh Penguins team, they had won 7 straight prior to that. That included scoring 13 goals across just 2 games prior to the Pens matchup. They also took down some of the best teams in the NHL during that span.
New York defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs by multiple goals, the New Jersey Devils, the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on the road and the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights 5-1, also away from home. Now the Rangers get to bring their strong form back to Madison Square Garden and show the Islanders how much they’ve improved since their last meeting. It’s also worth noting that this will be the Islanders’ 5th straight road game, and they were shut out on Monday night. We’re expecting a low-scoring contest, but one the Rangers can take on home ice.
Vancouver Canucks ML (+100) over Seattle Kraken
We’ve got a Central Division clash taking place in the Pacific Northwest tonight. While it may not be the marquee matchup as we approach the holiday weekend, it’s one that has value. There’s no doubt the Kraken are a much more formidable opponent than they were last season, but they haven’t looked as strong as of late. They were able to bounce back in their last 2 games, but they had lost 5 of 6 prior to that. One of those defeats came at home to a very mediocre Montreal Canadiens team.
One of their key skaters has also not looked 100%, as Andre Burakovsky saw just 12 minutes of ice time in their most recent game. We’re not making the argument that the Canucks are a great team, but they can capitalize on the Kraken’s decline in goaltending. Over their last month of games, Seattle is allowing 3.77 goals per game, the 5th-most in the NHL. Vancouver’s recent defeats certainly don’t look good, but they should be welcoming back Elias Pettersson to the ice tonight. He leads the team with 34 points in 29 games, and should play a vital role in a bounce-back game for the Canucks at home.
Don’t miss out on our NHL player props for today’s action!
Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+150) over San Jose Sharks
In another Western Conference battle, we’re actually supporting the team on the second night of a back-to-back. While that may not always be the right call, the Sharks are simply sinking too quickly right now. They have just 10 wins on the season, and have lost each of their last 3 contests. To make matters worse, each of their last 2 losses were to the Calgary Flames in which they allowed 12 total goals. With the Wild scoring the 5th-most goals per game over the last month, they can easily make up for any goaltending issues they would have on a back-to-back.
However, we don’t expect there to be those issues. Starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury struggled to begin the season, and the team then leaned on Filip Gustavsson to lead the team. He’s done 7-4 in his 11 starts this season, proving he is more than capable of leading Minnesota to wins. Although he’s not perfect, the Sharks goaltending is far worse. They’re tied for the 2nd-most goals allowed per game over the last month and key skater Tomas Hertl missed their last game. As long as Minnesota shadows Timo Meier when he’s on the ice, they can take this game in high-scoring fashion.
Be sure to check out our Minnesota Wild vs San Jose Sharks prediction
Thursday’s NHL mega parlay (12/22)
Rangers 3-way ML (+100)
Canucks ML (+100)
Wild -1.5 (+150)
Parlay odds +900
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