Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – December 17th Edition

The Washington Capitals seem to have found their mojo, reeling off five wins in a row and taking eight of their last ten. They are the hottest team in the NHL’s Eastern Conference right now and lead the Metropolitan Division, six points ahead of Columbus. The Philadelphia Flyers just fired their head coach and have lost four in a row and seven of their last 10. In the Western Conference, Winnipeg is the hottest team, winners of five in a row and nine of 10, and they lead the Central Division by a point over Nashville. Dallas and Los Angeles have both strung together four-game losing streaks, as the Stars look to find a way to play defense for more than a few shifts at a time and the Kings deal with the realities of rebuilding. We have three quality NHL betting picks for you to consider in the week ahead.

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – December 17th Edition

In the latest NHL Power Rankings, @MikeyJ_MMA has an interesting stat or fun fact for each team. Presented by @almonds #OwnYourEverdayhttps://t.co/eJ3Fjsrx17

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 12, 2018

Monday, December 17

Boston at Montreal (7:30pm ET, ESPN+)

This Original Six rivalry is the NHL’s equivalent of the Red-Sox Yankees rivalry, as Montreal and Boston have met 920 times, including 177 times in the playoffs. Boston won the last time these two teams tangled, back on November 24, with a 3-2 win in Montreal. The Bruins return to take on Montreal to take on the Canadiens having dropped six of ten, while Montreal has won six of their last ten. The Bruins lost to Pittsburgh on Friday, 5-3, and then lost again to Buffalo on Sunday, 4-2 and face the Canadiens on the back end of a back-to-back. In that loss to the Sabres, Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots for Boston, and the B’s got goals from Steven Kampfer and Torey Krug, but the Bruins could not get stops on the back end, and that is the weakness that will keep Boston from contending. The Canadiens have won two straight, beating Carolina, 6-4, on Thursday and then topping Ottawa, 5-2, on Saturday. In that win over the Senators, Montreal scored four times in the third period to deliver the victory — Montreal’s third win over Ottawa in 12 days. They tied the game early in the third and then scored three times over 7:30 later in the third period to salt away the win. Carey Price only had to make 16 saves in the win. This combination of high-flying offense and gritty defense is what made the Canadiens contenders a couple seasons ago, and they look well assembled once again. NHL Betting Prediction: Montreal 4, Boston 2

Tuesday, December 18

Winnipeg at Los Angeles (10:30pm ET)

The Jets have scored 27 goals in their five-game winning streak, showing that their high-flying offense from last year is back. Their defense has been somewhat porous, as three of those five wins have happened in overtime. However, they are not whipping up on the cupcakes of the NHL, though, as their last win came over Tampa Bay in 5-4 overtime fashion, with Mark Scheifele firing home the game-winner in extra time. Scheifele has five goals and nine assists in his last five games. Connor Hellebuyck has stood in his head as of late, even if his GAA is a little high; against Tampa Bay, he stopped 43 shots. Los Angeles is on a four-game skid, including a 4-1 loss to Washington on Thursday and a 4-3 setback against the Penguins on Saturday. That loss to Pittsburgh took place in overtime, thanks to a game-winning goal with just over a minute left in the extra session. Jonathan Quick was more than adequate in net, stopping 32 shots, but the Kings aren’t showing the energy to keep up with opponents right now, and Winnipeg is a team that will make them pay dearly. NHL Betting Prediction: Winnipeg 4, Los Angeles 3

Wednesday, December 19

Pittsburgh at Washington (8:00pm ET, NBC Sports)

The seesawing Pittsburgh Penguins are on an upswing right now, winners of three out of their last four. That loss came in 6-3 fashion against a struggling Chicago Blackhawks team, but then the Pens delivered wins against Boston and Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday. They host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday before heading to Washington for Wednesday’s contest. In that win over the Kings, Phil Kessel scored the overtime winner, and Matt Murray was back in goal, stopping 39 shots and getting his first win since October 25. The Capitals are the hottest team in hockey right now, with five wins in a row, including a 6-5 win over Carolina on Friday and a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday. They have a few days off before they welcome the Penguins to town on Wednesday. Their win over the Sabres came in shootout fashion thanks to a winner from Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin leads the NHL with 29 goals this season and has points in 14 straight games. He was going for a hat trick in his third consecutive game, and he scored once in the second period before adding the winner in extra time. He has 17 goals and six assists during this 14-game streak. So while Pittsburgh is looking better, Washington is on fire right now. NHL Betting Prediction: Washington 5, Pittsburgh 3