After only three games, the NHL is back with a strong slate of the games for December 16th. 10 games and scheduled with 20 of the 32 teams playing on Thursday night, leaving plenty of intriguing matchups and mismatches for fans and bettors alike. It must be noted that unfortunately, many teams are currently dealing with Covid-19 outbreaks, forcing games to be postponed and rosters to lose players for some of the upcoming games. If you bet on a game and the game is subsequently postponed, the bet will be voided but it’s important to stay up-to-date with which players aren’t available in the upcoming games until the opening puck drop.
Philadelphia Flyers (-140) Vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Flyers stat line | 11 wins in 27 games | 2.63 goals per game | 3.22 goals against per game |
| Canadiens stat line | 6 wins in 30 games | 2.13 goals per game | 3.57 goals against per game |
The Flyers and Canadiens are both trying to make up ground in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are looking to win on their home ice but the Flyers can find favorable matchups on both ends of the ice. The Flyers will find the back of the net throughout the game with Cam Atkinson, Claude Giroux, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and finding open shots on the net while establishing a strong offensive zone presence against the backend of the Canadiens defense. The Flyers will also eliminate and potentially shut out the Canadiens hapless offense with Travis Sanheim, Justin Bruan, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the neutral zone and defensive zone alike while limiting shots on the net, allowing Carter Hart to have a great performance in the net.
The Flyers will win this game with a great performance on the road.
Los Angeles Kings (+170) Vs. Florida Panthers
| Kings stat line | 12 wins in 27 games | 2.63 goals per game | 2.59 goals against per game |
| Panthers stat line | 18 wins in 28 games | 3.64 goals per game | 2.89 goals against per game |
The Kings and Panthers have both looked promising to start the season and the upcoming game should be a great one. The Panthers have been one of the best teams in the NHL but the Kings can exploit mismatches on both ends of the ice. The Kings will look to find the back of the net with Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, Andrian Kempe, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots off quick passes against the Panthers strong defense.
The Kings defense meanwhile, should eliminate the Panthers offense with Matt Roy, Alexander Edler, Michael Anderson, and the rest of the Kings defensive unit stepping up and cutting off angles to the net on the odd-man rush. In addition, the Kings’ deep defensive unit should create turnovers in the defensive zone and limit shots on the net while goaltender Jonathan Quick blanks the Panthers’ initial shots on the net and eliminates second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Kings will win the game and provide great odds in the process as road Underdogs.
Also Consider: Under 5.5 – The Kings and Panther have two great defensive units and goaltenders that should control the upcoming game.
Under 5.5 – Boston Bruins Vs. New York Islanders
| Bruins stat line | 14 wins in 25 games | 2.76 goals per game | 2.60 goals against per game |
| Islanders stat line | 7 wins in 24 games | 2.13 goals per game | 2.92 goals against per game |
The Bruins and Islanders are both desperately trying to make up ground in the standings and hoping to win the upcoming game. Both offenses look to step up but both teams are led by their defenses that look poised to control the upcoming game. The Islanders should limit the Bruins offense with Adam Pelech, Noah Dobson, and the rest of the defensive unit stepping up at the blue line to limit the Bruins from establishing an offensive zone presence. In addition, Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin is having a great season in the net and should blank the Bruins shots on the net throughout the game.
The Bruins meanwhile should eliminate the Islanders struggling offense with Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Mike Reilly, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the neutral zone and limiting the Islanders from making plays on the odd-man rush. Likewise, the Bruins will create turnovers in the defensive zone and limit shooting lanes for the Islanders forwards, allowing goaltender Linus Ullmark to have a great game in the net.
The Under will cover in a low-scoring game controlled by both defenses.
Colorado Avalanche (-150) Vs. Nashville Predators
| Avalanche stat line | 17 wins in 26 games | 4.31 goals per game | 3.31 goals against per game |
| Predators stat line | 17 wins in 28 games | 2.86 goals per game | 2.68 goals against per game |
The Avalanche has looked unstoppable in recent games and looks to overwhelm the Predators on both ends of the ice in the upcoming matchup. The Avalanche will look to limit the Predators struggling offense with Erik Johnson and Devon Toews creating turnover in the defensive zone and eliminating the Predators’ forwards on the rush while Darcy Kuemper steps up in the net.
On the other end of the ice, the Avalanche will run up the score with the potent offense finding the back of the net throughout the game. Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and the rest of the forward unit will find open shots off of quick passes in the offensive zone and off the odd-man rush as well. Moreover, a strong offensive zone presence will allow Cale Makar to pick apart the Predators’ defense from the point, finding open skaters near the net and shots off of great puck movement.
The Avalanche will win this game with a dominant performance on both ends of the ice.
Also Consider: Over 6 – The Avalanche have the league’s best offense and should pile on the goals while the Predators add on a few of their own.
Vancouver Canucks (+115) Vs. San Jose Sharks
| Canucks stat line | 13 wins in 30 games | 2.43 goals per game | 2.90 goals per game |
| Sharks stat line | 15 wins in 29 games | 2.62 goals per game | 2.72 goals per game |
The Canucks have drastically improved since hiring Bruce Boudreau as their interim head coach, winning five consecutive games. In the upcoming game, the Canucks look to exploit mismatches on both ends of the ice against an inconsistent Sharks team. The Canucks will look to find the back of the net throughout the game with JT Miller and Bo Horvat crashing the net on the odd-man rush while establishing a strong offensive zone presence, allowing Quinn Hughes to find open skaters from the blue line. The Canucks will also eliminate and potentially shut out the Sharks top-heavy offense as Hughes along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers create turnovers in the defensive zone and cut off passing lanes, forcing the Sharks to take direct shots on the goal and allowing Thatcher Demko to make plenty of easy saves throughout the game.
The Canucks will win the game to continue their winning streak and provide great odds in the process as road Underdogs.
Also Consider: Under 5.5 – Both teams are led by their defenses and the Canucks and Sharks should both step up and limit the offenses in this game.
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