Top NHL Betting Picks & Predictions of the Week – December 26th

Now that Christmas has come and gone, while your loved ones are out combing the stores for those post-holiday shopping specials, it’s time for you to lock in your NHL betting wagers for the week. In the National Hockey League, the Western Conference has tightened up significantly, as seven teams are within five points of the lead, and three are tied with 48 points (St. Louis, Vegas and Los Angeles although Vegas has played only 34 games, while St. Louis has played 38 and Los Angeles has played 37). Tampa Bay continues to run away with the East, having won nine of ten and leading the conference standings by seven points over New Jersey. Let’s look at some solid wagering picks from the ice for the coming week.

Top NHL Betting Picks & Predictions of the Week – December 26th

NHL Power Rankings: It’s the Lightning, then everybody else. https://t.co/fK42Cm4xrC pic.twitter.com/iEnsU3qtUA

— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) December 14, 2017

Wednesday, December 27

Dallas at Minnesota (8:00pm ET, FSSW / FSN+)

Dallas will have had four days off after a riveting 4-3 shootout win over Nashville on Saturday night. The inconsistency of the Stars shows in their record (20-14-3) and in their league rankings — either 14th or 15th in goals scored, goals permitted, power plays converted and penalty kill percentage. John Klingberg is the poster boy for the team’s personality, as he loves to jump into the offense from the blue line but makes crippling mistakes on defense that lead to opposing teams scoring. They head north to the place where their own franchise started to face a Wild team that took a 3-0 beating at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The Wild dominate on the penalty kill, ranking #3 in the league with an 84.5% rate, but their scoring (2.8) and goals permitted (2.9) are just slightly below what Dallas does. The Wild tend to get up for Dallas, and the Stars are dreadful on the road this season. So look for the Stars to come out of the Christmas break with another road loss. NHL Betting Prediction: Minnesota 4, Dallas 3

Thursday, December 28

Vegas at Los Angeles (10:00pm ET, NBC Sports)

You might wonder how Vegas is winning games at such a rapid clip. They are a team built from the players that the rest of the league was willing to expose in an expansion draft. They have no big names. They have an eye-popping 14-2-1 record at home (which could result from teams running into some distractions the night before games in the City that Never Sleeps). However, Marc-Andre Fleury has played well in net, and the team is full of players signed to short-term deals that could be playing hard for free agency. They visit Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles on Thursday (one night after playing the Ducks in Anaheim). The Kings have the top defense in the NHL, permitting just 2.3 goals per game) and the top penalty kill (86.5%). The Kings did lose in San Jose Saturday, 2-0, but they will have five days of rest coming into this tilt, and I see them motivated to make a statement against a team that is still an upstart. NHL Betting Prediction: Los Angeles 3, Vegas 2

Friday, December 29

Buffalo at New Jersey (7:00pm ET, MSGB / MSG+)

The Buffalo Sabres are in eight place in the Atlantic Division with just 25 points on the season, in 34 games. They lost on Saturday night by a 4-2 margin in Carolina, and they face the Islanders in Brooklyn before heading across the river to face New Jersey on Friday night. The Sabres are dead last in the league in goals scored (2.2) and are also near the bottom in goals permitted (3.3). That sort of differential just won’t work when they visit the Metropolitan Division leaders. New Jersey routed Chicago on Saturday, 4-1, and they host lowly Detroit on Wednesday before welcoming the Sabres. If they have a little rust out of the break, they should shake it against the Red Wings. They score 3.1 goals per game (ninth overall) and have a penalty kill that is fifth in the league (83.7%). I see the Devils winning big here. NHL Betting Prediction: New Jersey 4, Buffalo 1