Welcome to Christmas eve week and happy holidays to everyone! What better way to offset some holiday shopping with some winning picks to put some money back in your pocket? This week will feature some big time slates around the NHL and tonight it is just that with 11 games on the hockey docket. There are a handful of plays that I like that include a game total, and two Money Lines, plus the Dog of the Day play is back! If you like the rationale then tail the picks, if you don't feel free to fade as sometimes the best bets are the ones not taken!

  • Season Record: 49-46-2
  • Bankroll: +0.11 units
  • Dog of the Day Record: 2-3 (+0.5 Units)

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**all bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.

NHL Best Bets for December 19

New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs

This matchup is one of the best for tonight's Tuesday slate in the NHL and while most people may be expecting a crazy game I see the opposite as defense and goaltending have held the trends for each team of late. Over the past month the Maple Leafs have allowed just 2.3 goals per game and much of that has to do with bounce back goaltending and namely Martin Jones. Jones has played 3 games in Toronto and has a 1.89 GAA and .949 SV% heading into tonight. Don't mess around with a hot goalie and of course on the Rangers side we have Igor Shesterkin who has had to carry the load with the Rangers offense cooling off on the road with just 2.5 goals per game over the past month. The total is 6.5 and rightly so given the forwards in the game but I see it falling short tonight. 

Pick: Rangers & Maple Leafs Under 6.5 Goals (-110 on BetMGM)

 

Ottawa Senators at Arizona Coyotes

There's a phenomenon in hockey that after you fire your coach you get a big bump in play and it may be like that in other sports too but its noticeable in the NHL. Look at the Wild or the Oilers if you want examples this season and see the turnaround that immediately happened. Well, here we have the Senators that are super talented and under new direction and I see them bounce back in a big way today. It'll be an uphill climb against Connor Ingram in net but the Senators are built so deep right and ready to exercise some demons that have been building up. The Coyotes are also super low in xGF and Corsi and that will start to hurt them sooner rather than later so let's go Sens Money Line tonight. 

Pick: Ottawa Senators Money Line (-120 on Caesars)

 

Edmonton Oilers at New York Islanders

The Islanders continue to be a team I can't really sort out this season as their numbers aren't good overall but yet they keep winning games. Take for example that this season at home they score 3.06 goals per game and they allow 3.18 goals per game yet they are 8-3-6 overall. So they are under .500 on the record but they are playing in every single game tight to the margins. The Oilers on the other hand have won 8 of their last 10 games by dominating teams and outscoring the competition 44 to 18 in that span. Makes you wonder why the Oilers aren't favored by more tonight especially considering the backbone of the Islanders in Ilya Sorokin isn't having a great year with a 3.14 GAA. Strange stuff in this matchup but just give me the Oilers to win and be done with it. 

Pick: Edmonton Oilers Money Line (-140 on BetRivers)

 

NHL DOG OF THE DAY

Minnesota Wild vs Boston Bruins (+170 on DraftKings) Half Unit