Parlays

The opening round of the College Football Playoff is behind us, and there are now just 8 teams remaining in the pursuit of a National Championship. Earlier this month, the 5th-seeded Oregon Ducks made quick work of James Madison to advance to this round, while the 4th-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders had a bye in the opening round following a 12-1 season and a routine victory in the Big 12 title game. Which of these teams will come out on top in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day and advance to the semifinals? It’s almost time to find out. 

Given that this is the shortest spread on the board for the CFP quarterfinal round, this has the feeling of a game that should come down to the wire. Therefore, it’s hard to find a ton of clear advantages for either side in Thursday’s game. However, Oregon has a few edges that it should be able to exploit in this matchup. For starters, the Ducks have the better quarterback in the game, and Dante Moore should also be getting back 2 of his top 3 wide receivers in Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. for this matchup. The jury is still out on if Evan Stewart is going to suit up on Thursday, but considering that Stewart hasn’t played for the entire season to this point, his absence isn’t anything new for Will Stein’s offense. With Moore and Bryant Jr. joining the dynamic and explosive Malik Benson in the lineup, this gives the Ducks a formidable trio of targets on the outside, to go along with All-American tight end Kenyon Sadiq at the tight end spot. Oregon is expected to have its top 3 running backs available for this matchup as well, so it’s hard not to be confident in the Ducks’ ability to manufacture offense in this one, even against an excellent Red Raiders defense. 

While Joey McGuire’s defense has been one of the top 5 units in the sport this season, Texas Tech’s issue in this game could be its offense. The Red Raiders certainly have a good offense — albeit one that has been the beneficiary of a somewhat weak schedule of opposing defenses — but there have been clear limitations for this group both on the ground and inside the red zone this season. After all, Texas Tech is just 50th in rushing success rate and 28th in points per drive on offense. In a game that is projected to be close throughout, just one or two failed red zone trips could decide the outcome. With that in mind, I can only side with Oregon to knock off the Red Raiders and advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Oregon vs Texas Tech prediction: Oregon ML (-125) available at time of publishing. Playable to -135.

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The opening round of the College Football Playoff is behind us, and there are now just 8 teams remaining in the pursuit of a National Championship. Earlier this month, the 9th-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide rallied from a 17-0 deficit against Oklahoma to knock off the Sooners and advance to the quarterfinal round, while the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers had a bye in the opening round following an undefeated regular season and a victory in the Big Ten title game. Which of these teams will come out on top in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day and advance to the semifinals? It’s almost time to find out. 

Heading into the season, I was very high on Alabama’s chances of capturing a national championship given all of the talent on the roster and the upside of what this team could be. However, the Crimson Tide have not exactly been the team I thought they would be prior to the campaign. With that in mind, it’s hard to ignore the value that we’re getting on Indiana to win Thursday’s contest by only a touchdown in a game where the Hoosiers should hold plenty of advantages. Not only do the Hoosiers have Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza on their side, but Indiana’s extremely balanced offense (2nd in success rate, 2nd in EPA per play, 3rd in points per drive) should see consistent success against an Alabama defense that has struggled at points against teams with strong passing attacks. The Crimson Tide are also operating at a significant disadvantage on special teams in this game, and that is certainly a factor that could rear its ugly head on Thursday. 

While the Alabama defense can be inconsistent, it’s still a solid unit across the board all things considered. However, the Crimson Tide have more questions on offense, if you can believe that. After all, Kalen DeBoer’s team has not been able to effectively run the ball all season long, and those struggles continued into their matchup with Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Jam Miller has been banged up, and even if he does end up playing in this one, it’s far from a guarantee that Alabama will suddenly see success on the ground against an Indiana defense that is 3rd in rushing success rate allowed and 2nd in opponent EPA per rush. Ty Simpson has struggled when pressured this season and the Hoosiers secondary just performed well against Ohio State’s outstanding trio of wide receivers, so I wouldn’t expect them to be intimidated by the Crimson Tide wideouts. Ultimately, I can only look toward laying the points with the top-ranked team in the nation.

Alabama vs Indiana prediction: Indiana -6.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to Indiana -7

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The Ole Miss Rebels meet the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl in a rematch from a regular season matchup that saw the Bulldogs come away with an 8-point win in Athens. While the Ole Miss offense found a ton of success in the first meeting, being one of only three team to score more than 20 points against the Bulldogs in 2025, I expect a different outcome this time around. The Georgia defense has been on an absolute tear; the Bulldogs allowed just 7.25 points per game in their last four games and rank top-25 in EPA/rush, EPA/dropback and quality drive rate allowed. 

On the other side of the ball, the Rebels’ defense has had its moments, but also its fair share of struggles. Georgia remains one of the most well-rounded teams in the country, also holding top-25 marks in all three aforementioned categories on offense. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss and company looked the part in round one against an inferior Tulane squad, but this is a different level. I’ll lean on the coaching of Kirby Smart and the playoff experience on this UGA roster in a rematch while the Rebels are without Lane Kiffin. I’ve got Georgia covering on Thursday.

Ole Miss vs Georgia prediction: Georgia -6.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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Since the Falcons shocked bettors and beat the Rams on Monday Night Football, the race for the NFC South crown just got more complicated. In simpler terms, Tampa’s chances of making the playoffs just decreased significantly. Even if they win this game on Saturday, they need the Saints to knock off the Falcons (at Atlanta) on Sunday to win the division. 

Regardless, motivation will be at its peak on Saturday afternoon as these 2 NFC South rivals clash in the final week of the 2025 NFL season. The Bucs’ demise has been startling. Halfway through the season, they looked like one of the league’s most dangerous outfits (they were 6-2 entering Week 10). They have only 1 victory since, and December has churned out one perplexing loss after another (at home fails against New Orleans and Atlanta and last week falling to the Fins in Miami). They also dropped their first clash against the Panthers just 2 weeks ago, thanks to a Baker Mayfield interception on what could have been the game-winning drive. Since Week 10, they’ve been the favorite in 6 out of 8 contests, a designation they’ll receive once again at home in this crucial battle. Not once have they covered the spread since Week 10, either.

Injuries to key players on both sides of the ball have been their biggest challenge, but we also can’t ignore the absence of Liam Coen, the distinguished offensive coordinator who left to coach the Jaguars this season. Jacksonville now sits 12-4 and is one of the top seeds in the AFC.

The Panthers have rarely played consistently well this season, either, but their journey to the top of the NFC South has been far more impressive than their rival. Halfway through the season, they were 4-4, a nice surprise considering their downtrodden years prior. Key wins at Lambeau Field, at Atlanta, at home against the Rams and most recently against the Bucs have carved a path for Dave Canales and his roster. Much to the chagrin of Tampa and their other rivals, the Panthers simply won’t go away. Anchored by a defense that plays its best in the clutch (they’re 13th in opponent red-zone success) and a formidable rushing attack (11th in rush yards per game), they’ve only lost consecutive games once this season, in Weeks 1 and 2. In his 3rd year, Bryce Young has also emerged as a more dependable thrower, although his numbers are never eye-popping (21st in yards, 24th in turnovers, 23rd in total QBR).

It’s really hard to support Tampa right now, especially as the chalk. They’re just 2-7 against the spread as the favorite this season, while Carolina revels in the underdog role (8-5 ATS). All things considered, the Panthers feel like the right side to be on.

Panthers vs Buccaneers prediction: Panthers +3 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 2.

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NFL schedule makers have done it again, as 2 NFC titans will clash for not only the claim of NFC West champions but the #1 seed in the conference. Both rosters are rounding into their best form to end the season. As if this game wasn’t hard enough to predict, the home team has been great in front of their fans, 5-2 straight up, while the Seahawks have been road warriors all season (7-1). In a span of 2 days, Seattle has moved from a slight underdog to a slight favorite. We wouldn’t be surprised at all if that switched again before kickoff. 

Look at either program, and you will see nothing but wins throughout December and beyond. After a 2-point loss to the Rams in Week 11, Seattle has won 6 straight games. They had a memorable comeback win against the Rams in the rematch and proceeded to display impressive margin victories over the Vikings, Falcons and Panthers in recent weeks. Just 2 years in, coach Mike Macdonald has taken full advantage of his defensive talent, the side of the ball where he has the most expertise, and newcomer Sam Darnold proved his worth immediately. He’s looking to achieve his 2nd straight 14-3 season with 2 different teams. Even better, the Seahawks are one of the healthiest teams in the NFL, sprinting full speed towards the postseason with very few holes on their roster. Their offense has sputtered here and there down the stretch (now 16th in total offensive EPA), but they have more than enough firepower to get the job done when they need to.

Like the Seahawks, the 49ers’ last loss was against the Rams in Week 10, but since then, they’ve been relatively flawless. An easier schedule has certainly helped, but with Brock Purdy back in the fold, San Francisco has gone 6-0, winning by an average margin of +14.3 points per game. That doesn’t happen by accident. Even with virtually no defense last Sunday, the 49ers scored at will on the Bears at home, putting up 42 points and going 5-5 in the red zone. Their Achilles heel will continue to be their defense, which was heavily injured midway through the season, but their offense is firing on all cylinders (now 6th in total EPA).

This is a very tough pick and would probably work better as a teaser (San Francisco from +1.5 to +7.5 feels ideal), but since we must pick a side, we’ll go with the visitors, who are a more complete operation right now.

Seahawks vs 49ers prediction: Seahawks -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Iowa’s recent bowl history includes more SEC opponents than not, and much of the same is true this year when the Hawkeyes meet the Vanderbilt Commodores in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Iowa finished the season 8-4 with losses to Iowa State, Indiana, Oregon, and USC. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt finished just outside of the College Football Playoff at 10-2, losing at Alabama and Texas. This game represents a strength-on-strength battle when Vanderbilt’s offense goes up against Iowa’s defense, but also a weakness-on-weakness battle when the Hawkeyes go up against the ‘Dores defense. 

Vanderbilt stud TE Eli Stowers will not play in this game, which will be a big loss for the ‘Dores. However, assuming everyone else plays, which is expected as of Monday morning, Vanderbilt still should have plenty in the tank offensively. Heisman-hopeful QB Diego Pavia is expected to be under center in what figures to be his final collegiate game, and he will be surrounded by capable playmakers at Vanderbilt’s skill positions in RB Sedrick Alexander, WR Tre Richadson, and WR Junior Sherrill. It is Alexander that I believe will be the catalyst for Vanderbilt’s success in this game, as Iowa’s weakest defensive attributes are on the ground. For reference, Iowa is outside the top 50 in PPA per rush and rushing success rate allowed this season, and it was even worse down the stretch – as Hawkeyes are 83rd in PPA per rush and 75th in rushing success rate allowed since Week 9. Furthermore, they haven’t generated a ton of havoc in that stretch, which should give Pavia more time to operate as the maestro of this offense – a unit that finished the season 1st in PPA per play, 2nd in success rate, and 5th in points per quality drive outside of garbage time. 

On the other side of the ball, Vanderbilt is nowhere near the same level of efficiency defensively as it is offensively. However, Iowa hardly poses a threat when it has the ball. The Hawkeyes are 95th in yards per play and 121st in total offense this season, as well as outside the top 50 PPA per play and success rate since Week 9. The strongest part of this offense is its run game, which just so happens to be the best attribute of Vanderbilt’s defense. The Commodores are top-15 in rushing yards allowed per game, and they are top-35 in PPA per rush outside of garbage time since Week 9. 

So long as Pavia and Alexander play, I trust Vanderbilt’s offense way more than Iowa’s, even if the Commodores struggle defensively. Look for Pavia and the ‘Dores to play with a chip on their shoulders in a win and cover over Iowa. 

Iowa vs Vanderbilt prediction: Commodores -4 (-110) at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better. 

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Texas is being priced here as though it is should have been in the College Football Playoff — but that makes sense, the Wolverines are in a transition period from a coaching perspective. But a closer look suggests the Longhorns may be riding perception more than reality. Michigan enters this matchup as mentioned surrounded by noise: the coaching turmoil, the fallout from Sherron Moore’s firing, and the Ohio State loss. Texas meanwhile has gripes about not making the CFP.

But semantics inside, what has Texas truly done to justify laying this kind of number? Yes, the ‘Horns own top-10 wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M — but each comes with context. Oklahoma’s offense was compromised and its flaws obvious all season. John Mateer was also banged up in the Red River matchup. Texas A&M largely beat itself in Austin. And Vanderbilt? The ‘Dores nearly erased a 24-point deficit in the DKR. Meanwhile, Texas also needed overtime to escape both Mississippi State and Kentucky — 2 losing teams — and lost to a 4-win Florida side in Gainesville in addition to getting dismantled by Georgia. That résumé hardly screams “trustworthy favorite laying more than a touchdown.” Michigan still plays elite defense, controls the trenches and is a physical bunch. That profile travels — especially as an underdog. The Wolverines don’t need to win outright to be in position here; they simply need to play their brand of football. With Texas likely overpriced and Michigan undervalued, the points are a steal.

Michigan vs Texas prediction: Michigan +7.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +7.

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The College Football Playoff resumes on Wednesday after a much-too-long break between the first round and the second round. There will only be one CFP matchup on New Year’s Eve before the final 3 quarterfinal games are played on New Year’s Day, and that lone matchup pits the 11-2 Miami Hurricanes and the 12-1 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Hurricanes come into this playoff matchup on the heels of a 10-3 first-round win over Texas A&M in College Station, but they were outgained, had 9 fewer first downs, and converted just 25% of their third downs. The keys to victory were the 3 turnovers they forced and the 6.3 yards per rush they averaged against the Aggies defense. 

At 87th nationally in giveaways per game, the Aggies were very much turnover-prone this year. Ohio State is a completely different animal, as the Buckeyes average just 0.7 giveaways per game – good for 4th nationally. Much of that is due to OSU QB Julian Sayin’s ball security, as the first-year starter has just 6 interceptions on 6 turnover-worthy plays. Compare that to TAMU QB Marcel Reed, who finished the year with 12 interceptions and 22 turnover-worthy plays – tied for 3rd-most nationally. Considering Sayin finished the season with no more than 1 turnover-worth play in any game, it’s hard to imagine Miami capitalizing on turnovers like it did against Texas A&M. 

It’s also difficult to envision Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. having as much success on the ground against the Buckeyes as he did against the Aggies. For reference, Fletcher averaged just over 10 yards per carry and accounted for 172 of Miami’s 278 total yards. He attacked the weakness of Texas A&M’s defense (104th in PPA per rush this season) I mentioned in my Miami-Texas A&M preview, which ultimately was the reason – along with Reed’s turnover propensity – we played Miami plus the points. This time around, Fletcher and Miami will face an Ohio State run defense that is 5th in rush yards allowed per game and 6th in yards per attempt this season, not to mention being 1st nationally in scoring and total defense. Moreover, the Buckeyes are 10th in PPA per rush and 18th in standard downs PPA allowed since Week 9, so they are in great form coming into this game. Without a reliable run game, more pressure will be thrust onto Carson Beck’s shoulders, which isn’t very settling for Miami given Beck’s hit-or-miss play against above-average defenses.

On the other side of the ball, Miami grades very well. The Hurricanes are top-12 in yards per play, scoring, and total defense, but they showed some deficiencies against capable offenses like Louisville and SMU. Ohio State has the best offense of any that Miami has seen to this point, even if the Buckeyes are outside the top 15 in scoring and total offense due to their slow pace of play. Since Week 9, the Bucks are top-10 in PPA per play, success rate, and points scored per quality drive, and they are notably good on passing downs, which has been an area of weakness for Miami’s defense. 

Miami has star power similar to that of Ohio State, but for my money, the Buckeyes are the more complete team with a more reliable head coach, and they are better than the Hurricanes in almost every aspect on both sides of the ball. Look for OSU to suffocate Miami in a win and cover to advance to the semifinals. 

Miami vs Ohio State prediction: Buckeyes -9 (-110) at the time of publishing. Playable to -9.5.

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The Golden State Warriors wrap up a three-game road trip in the Queen City against the Charlotte Hornets, before hopping on the charter and heading home to ring in the new year on the west coast. Golden State dropped a 141-127 game in OT at Toronto to open the trip on Saturday, before rebounding for a 120-107 victory in Brooklyn on Sunday. Despite that cover, the Warriors are still just 2-6 against the spread (ATS) in the past eight games, and 6-12 ATS in the previous 18 outings. So, it is going to take a bit of a leap of faith to back the Warriors. However, Golden State is 5-0 SU/ATS in the past five meetings, including two wins in a row in Charlotte, both wins by 18 points.

The Hornets were tripped up 123-113 at home by the Milwaukee Bucks, halting a 3-0 ATS run, and they’re 7-3 ATS in the past 10 outings. However, Ryan Kalkbrenner is out due to a sprained elbow, rookie Kon Knueppel is nursing an ankle, but expected to play, while both Miles Bridges and Pat Connaughton carry questionable tags into the game. Meanwhile, the Warriors are mostly healthy, and ready to go. Take Golden State to get the job done, even though Charlotte has been a little hot against the number lately. That’s likely why you can get the Warriors at such a low number, and such a good value.

Warriors vs Hornets prediction: Warriors -6.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -7.5.

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The Phoenix Suns make their fourth and final stop on the road trip, and they’re 3-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) so far on the trip. In fact, Phoenix has covered six in a row since Dec. 18. Phoenix has scored 115 or more points in each of the past five games, and it is 2-1 SU/ATS in three games against Eastern Conference teams this season. The Suns have picked up three wins in the past four games, while winning seven of the previous 10 installments in this series. The Suns are still without Jalen Green due to his strained right hamstring, while Grayson Allen is doubtful to go due to his ongoing knee issue.

The Cleveland Cavaliers posted a 113-101 win in San Antonio, salvaging one on the three-game road trip. Still, despite the cover on the Alamo, the Cavs have managed a 2-8 ATS in the past 10 games, while going 4-12 ATS in the past 16 games, and 10-24 ATS overall on the season. Cleveland is just 4-5 ATS in nine tries against Western Conference teams, while going just 1-4 ATS in the past five on its home court. For Cleveland, all integral parts are expected to be available, while Sam Merrill is the only notable player on the injury report. He is probable due to a sore left hip, so he should be in there, too. Still, while Cleveland is maybe as healthy as it has been all season, Phoenix is red-hot. Back the Suns.

Suns vs Cavaliers prediction: Suns +5.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to +4.5.

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The Knicks have won 3 straight and 4 of 5 games, overcoming quite a few injury issues along the way. Right now they have 5 players who are potentially out for this game, including Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. You’d think at some point those absences will come back to bite them, maybe as early as New Year’s Eve against the Spurs? This will be the first match-up following that NBA Cup Final duel which saw the Knicks lift the trophy, you just know the home team will be extra motivated to get one back here.

Losing to the Cavaliers and Jazz wasn’t a good look for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs who looked pretty lethargic in both of those games. The good news is they’re still playing at home here and the Knicks haven’t been all that dominant in road games at just 7-7 SU. Wembanyama also got inserted back into the starting line-up a couple of games ago, his playing time should also go up over the 30 minute mark as he ramps up production going into the New Year. Mitchell Robinson not playing really hurts the Knicks here as they don’t have enough bodies to put on Wembanyama down low. I fully expect the Frenchman to assert his dominance close to the basket.

Playing in San Antonio just hasn’t been a good experience for the Knicks who are 1-10 SU in their last 11 visits. I’ve mentioned their road record earlier, on top of that they’ve also not been reliable against the spread lately, failing to cover in 7 straight games and in 2 of 7 meetings vs the Spurs. Jalen Brunson is their only hope in this game, unless he goes nuclear I see the Spurs narrowly winning this one.

Knicks vs Spurs prediction: Spurs -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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It’s an ACC battle as Clemson gets ready to take on Syracuse on Wednesday night. The Tigers are coming off a few close calls over the last few games, beating Cincinnati by just three points and South Carolina by seven. Clemson isn’t known for an explosive offense, averaging just 79.7 points per game, but they’ve held their own this season with strong defensive play. The Tigers play tough man-to-man defense, holding opponents to a 39.7% shooting percentage and just 65.8 points per game. 

Syracuse isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard either, averaging 74.6 points per game. However, they did beat then-No.13 Tennessee earlier in the year by two points and lost to then-No. 3 Houston by just four in overtime. This is an evenly matched battle between both clubs, and Syracuse is a slight underdog at home, which is surprising to me. The Orange have the depth to give Clemson a tough time in this matchup, and this will likely be a low-scoring game, seeing how both teams’ defenses have played this season. William Kyle should be able to clean up the glass and generate a few extra second-chance opportunities, which will be the difference maker here. For that reason, I’ll be backing Syracuse to keep this game close in front of their home crowd.

Clemson vs Syracuse prediction: Syracuse +1.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The North Texas Mean Green hit the road for Memphis to battle the Tigers at the FedEx Forum. North Texas has lost both meetings in Memphis, including last season’s 68-64 setback as 8-point underdogs on Jan. 5. They’re 1-1 straight up (SU) in two meetings since becoming conference rivals with the Tigers, while going a perfect 3-0 against the spread (ATS) in three meetings since March 16, 2007. More importantly, UNT is looking for its 10th victory of the season, and it is aiming for a third straight cover. It suffered a 63-60 loss on a neutral floor against Santa Clara, covering as a 12.5-point underdog.

Memphis is having a rough year by its standards, winning just five times in 12 games. Six of the seven losses have been against power conference schools, while also suffered a 92-78 loss at home against UNLV on Nov. 16. The Tigers have dropped three of the past four games, with the lone victory against Alabama State as a 20-point favorite last time out. The Tigers are just 2-2 ATS in the past four games, and they’ve scored 73 or fewer points in three of the past four outings. Memphis has no business laying double digits to anybody, but even less business against a team with a 9-4 record, much superior to its 5-7 mark.

North Texas vs Memphis prediction: UNT +11 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +9.5.

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A New Year’s Eve, Big East clash between the 12-1 UConn Huskies and the 9-4 Xavier Musketeers tips off at 5:00 pm ET on Peacock, kick-starting the second half of the season for both teams. The Huskies went into the holiday break on an 8-game winning streak, with their most recent wins over DePaul, Butler and Texas. The Musketeers went into their break winners of 6 out of 7 after a 3-3 start. This will be the first of two meetings between these teams, and it will be played at Xavier’s Cintas Center. 

The atmosphere in the arena may not have the same type of juice as it would in late January since students are still on winter break and due to the fact that it’s New Year’s Eve. That may hurt Xavier’s home-court advantage, but I still lean to the Muskies to keep it close on Thursday. UConn is undoubtedly one of the best defenses in the country, sitting 3rd nationally in effective field goal percentage and 4th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency. However, Xavier is a senior-leaden team that is 10th nationally in turnover rate, top-85 in three-point percentage with multiple 38%+ shooters, and top-40 in opposing offensive rebounding rate. Those are good recipes for success as an underdog with a double-digit spread. For what it’s worth, Xavier is 4-1 ATS as an underdog this year.

UConn vs Xavier prediction: Xavier Musketeers +12.5 (-110) at the time of publishing. Playable to +11.

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Two teams heading in different directions are set to meet when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Tampa Bay enters this contest riding a 4-game win streak, while Anaheim has dropped 3 games in a row and 5 of its last 6. The Ducks have slipped out of the top spot in the Pacific Division, a position they have held for most of the season up to this point. Defense and goaltending continue to plague Anaheim, as the Ducks are allowing a league-high 3.51 goals per game. Their penalty kill also ranks near the bottom of the NHL with a killing percentage of just 75.8%. That is not a sustainable trend, and the Ducks could be in more trouble with the Lightning coming to town on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay has picked things up after a relatively slow start to the season, and is now sitting in 3rd in the Atlantic Division with 47 points on the season. Andrei Vasilevskiy started slow, but has really kicked things into gear with a .928 save percentage in November and a .905 save percentage through a pair of December starts. The Bolts have been great on the road so far in 2025, owning a strong 11-4-3 record away from Tampa. The Lightning are rolling right now, while the Ducks are in a funk. Back the Bolts.

Lightning vs Ducks prediction: Lightning ML (-140) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks are set for a New Year’s Eve showdown at SAP Center on Wednesday afternoon. These teams last met back on November 11, with the Sharks prevailing by a score of 2-1 in overtime. This matchup could feature more goal-scoring this time around. Minnesota has been lighting the lamp early and often on a nightly basis with superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes in the mix. Hughes has 7 points in 8 games with his new team, and the Wild have potted 4+ goals in 6 of 8 games with Hughes patrolling the blue line. The Sharks are a poor defensive team who give up plenty of great scoring chances to their opponents on a nightly basis. Look for the Minnesota offense to keep rolling in this one.

The Sharks have also been on a role offensively, having scored 11 total goals over their last 2 games. Only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon have more points on the season than Macklin Celebrini, who leads a well-rounded San Jose scoring attack. Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt has cooled off by allowing 7 goals over his last 2 outings, so the Sharks could be catching him at the right time. Look to the over in this Western conference matchup.

Wild vs Sharks prediction: Over 6.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings face off on New Year’s Eve in the NHL. This is the first of two matchups this season, as both look to end the new year with a win to build towards a hopeful eventual playoff appearance. Here is our expert Jets vs. Red Wings prediction.

I think this will be an extremely close battle with two teams who are highly capable of winning, so the game choice comes from the totals markets. These teams have performed similarly this year, in ways of not filling the nets of opponents. Detroit comes into this one with the 15th-highest goals per game average (3.08), and Winnipeg has been even worse with the 22nd-highest average (2.86). Winnipeg has given up just 19 goals in their last seven games (2.71 per game), as they desperately try and save their season. However, in that same span they’ve scored 16 goals (2.28 per game), proving their low-event games. Detroit has seen some average results on both ends of the ice, which should further keep this game total at bay. In what will be a maximum effort from both, I think goals will be few and far between. Take the under 6.0 for this matchup.

Jets vs. Red Wings prediction: Under 6.0 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that total to (-120).

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