Saturday night December 4th is a full slate of games in the NHL. While many sports fans are going to be dialed into the College Football Championship games, there are also 10 games scheduled in the NHL. With the handful of games, bettors and sports fans alike will be looking for favorable matchups and mismatches that can lead to successful and profitable bets.
Under 5.5 – New York Islanders Vs. Detroit Red Wings
| Islanders stat line | 5 wins in 18 games | 2.75 goals per game | 3.13 goals against per game |
| Red Wings stat line | 12 wins in 24 games | 1.83 goals per game | 2.94 goals against per game |
The Islanders and Red Wings have both struggled immensely on the offensive end of the ice and the two defenses will look to take advantage. The Red Wings will limit the Islanders’ hapless off with Moritz Seider, Filip Hronek, and the rest of the defensive unit controlling the blue line and limit the Islanders from establishing an offensive zone presence. Moreover, the Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is having a great season and will blank the Islanders’ shots on the net and eliminate second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Islanders meanwhile should also limit the Red Wings offense with Adam Pelech, Noah Dobson, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone while limiting the Red Wings’ top-heavy offensive on the odd-man rush. The Islanders will also force difficult shots on the net, allowing Semyon Varlamov to step up in the net and have a great game, eliminating the Red Wings scoring chances.
The Under will cover in a low-scoring game controlled by both defenses.
Over 5.5 – Washington Capitals Vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
| Capitals stat line | 14 wins in 24 games | 3.54 goals per game | 2.50 goals against per game |
| Blue Jackets stat line | 12 wins in 21 games | 3.19 goals per game | 3.24 goals against per game |
The Capitals have played great on the defensive end of the ice this season and it’s easy to think that the upcoming game will be a low-scoring one. however, both these teams have been led by their forward unit and the two offenses look to find the back of the net throughout the game. The Blue Jackets will find plenty of goals on the odd-man rush with Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the forwards carrying the puck into the offensive zone. In addition, the Blue Jackets will create open shots off of strong passes near the net while defenseman Jake Bean fires shots from the point.
The Capitals meanwhile, will constantly find the back of the net with great puck movement in the offensive zone. Alexander Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and the rest of the forward unit create quick passes near the faceoff circles to find open shots against a Blue Jackets struggling defense. The Capitals will also create open shots from the point with a strong offensive zone presence to allow John Carlson and Nick Jensen to find space by the blue line.
The Over will cover in a high-scoring game with both offenses in control from the opening puck drop.
Boston Bruins (-125) Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
| Bruins stat line | 12 wins in 20 games | 2.90 goals per game | 2.65 goals against per game |
| Lightning stat line | 13 wins in 22 games | 3.14 goals per game | 2.73 goals against per game |
This is a great game between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning are coming off a big 4-2 victory but the Bruins can find favorable matchups on both ends of the ice. The Bruins will look to find the back of the net throughout the game with Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak, and the rest of the forward unit creating open shots with strong play on the wings while Charlie McAvoy and Derek Forbort find open shots from the point. Speaking of McAvoy and Forbort, they should lead the Bruins defense and create turnovers in the neutral zone to limit the Lightning from finding scoring opportunities on the odd-man rush, allowing goaltender Jeremy Swayman to have a great game in the net.
The Bruins will win the game with a great performance on their home ice.
Minnesota Wild (+100) Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
| Wild stat line | 16 wins in 23 games | 3.74 goals per game | 2.91 goals against per game |
| Maple Leafs’ stat line | 17 wins in 24 games | 3.08 goals per game | 2.17 goals against per game |
The Maple Leafs have looked like one of the best teams in the NHL and look to continue their winning way. The problem is that they are facing a Wild team that has won five consecutive games and look to overwhelm the Maple Leafs on both ends of the ice. The Wild will look to find the back of the net multiple times with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek creating quick scoring opportunities on the odd-man rush while Mats Zuccarello finds open shots in the center of the offensive zone. The Wild should also find plenty of scoring opportunities with Jonas Brodin and Mathew Dumba firing shots through traffic and finding open skaters near the net.
On the other end of the ice, the Wild will eliminate a top-heavy Maple Leafs’ offense with Mathew Dumba Jader Spurgeon and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting the Maple Leafs from carrying the puck past the blue line. Additionally, the Wild goaltender Cam Talbot has been great in the net this season and looks to cover up initial shots on the net, eliminating second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Wild will win the game and continue their hot streak.
Pittsburgh Penguins (-140) Vs. Vancouver Canucks
| Penguins stat line | 10 wins in 23 games | 2.78 goals per game | 2.70 goals against per game |
| Canucks stat line | 8 wins in 24 games | 2.42 goals per game | 3.13 goals against per game |
The Penguins are on the West Coast and playing a Canucks team that is eager for a win. The Penguins are significantly better than their record indicates and will look to exploit mismatches on both ends of the ice. The Penguins should find the back of the net at will with Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, Evan Rodrigues, and the rest of the forwards crashing the net and finding effective shots on the goal. The Penguins should also find scoring opportunities from the point with Kris Letang drawing skater to open up the offensive zone for great shots on the goal.
The Penguins should also limit the Canucks struggling offense with Marcus Petersson, Kris Letang, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the neutral zone while also disrupting passing lanes for the Canucks forwards, forcing them to take direct shots on the net. In addition, the Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry is having a great season and looks to continue to dominate in the net and make plenty of easy saves throughout the game.
The Penguins will win the game with a dominant performance.
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