There are eight games scheduled for tonight’s NHL schedule, and three of the most exciting matchups will take place tonight. The red-hot Rangers will play the Penguins in a divisional matchup, the Maple Leafs will play host to the Lightning in Toronto, and the Devils will play the Hurricanes.
Here are my top three picks for tonight’s action on the ice, should you choose to take any of them.
Tuesday (12/20) Top 3 NHL Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions for the Game
The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the New York Rangers.
In a dominating performance against the Blackhawks in Chicago on Sunday night, the Rangers won their seventh game in a row by posting a 7-1 victory. As for the Penguins, their winning streak of seven games was broken on Sunday when they were defeated by the Hurricanes by a score of 3-2.
This matchup in the Metropolitan Division will take place at PPG Paints Arena at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There is not much of a gap between these two teams, and this is reflected both in the standings and on the stat sheet.
The Rangers are currently ahead of the Penguins in the standings by one point, their power play is performing 2.7% better, and they are allowing 0.13 fewer goals per game than the Penguins. On the other hand, Pittsburgh is scoring 0.20 more goals than New York, and they are performing significantly better when it comes to killing penalties (1.88%).
Having said all of that, I’m going to put my money on the Penguins to win tonight and pick up the two points. The only real advantage that I can identify is their advantage from playing on their home ice. This season, Pittsburgh has a record of 9-3-2 when playing at home, and they have a record of 6-1-1 in their last eight games played at home.
Tonight’s starting goaltender is likely to be Tristan Jarry, who has posted a record of 8-1-0-1 at home this season with a 2.25 goals against average and a.934 save percentage. Join me in following the Penguins.
Bet: Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline (-135)
also read: OKBET Ice Hockey Championship odds and best bets to win the NHL Stanley Cup in 2022
Competition between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes
After getting off to an incredible start to the season, the Devils have seen their play suffer as evidenced by the fact that they just lost their fifth consecutive game to the Panthers on Saturday night. The Hurricanes have been performing very well as of late, and their victory over the Penguins by a score of 3-2 on Sunday moved them into a first-place tie with the New Jersey Devils.
Both teams currently have 44 points. This means that the winner of tonight’s game will go home in sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan division. The opening faceoff will take place at PNC Arena in Raleigh at seven o’clock in the evening.
Tonight, I’m putting my money on the Hurricanes to win the puck line. They have been on a tear recently, winning their last ten games (going 9-0-1 in those games) and collecting points in each of their last 11 games (also earning points).
Taking into consideration how poorly the Devils have played over the course of the past two weeks, I believe that now is an excellent time to lay 1.5 goals. During their current losing streak of five games, they are allowing 4.0 goals per game while only scoring 2.2 of their own. The gist of this situation is that New Jersey is not nearly as polished as Carolina, and Carolina is much more physical.
The fact that they are playing on their home ice gives them an advantage, but I still think we have a good chance of winning this puck line bet.
Place your money on the Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 at +190.
The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning are on a roll right now, as they have won their last five games in a row. In the meantime, the Maple Leafs have now suffered back-to-back losses after compiling points in ten consecutive games. The puck will be dropped to start tonight’s game in Ontario at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Over the course of their last five contests, Tampa Bay has outscored their opponents 24-7, giving them the appearance of being unbeatable. They are succeeding in every facet of the game and appear to be picking up steam at the appropriate moment.
As was the case with the previous games played tonight, there is not a great deal that differentiates these two camps. On special teams, however, I believe we have an advantage over the Bolts that will allow us to ride with them.
On the power play, Tampa Bay has an advantage over Toronto because they have converted 27.43% of their opportunities while Toronto has only converted 23.30% of theirs. The Lightning have the eighth-best penalty kill unit in the league with an efficiency of 81.00%, while the Maple Leafs are ranked 14th with a percentage of 79.59%.
As an underdog this evening, I feel confident taking a shot on Tampa Bay despite the fact that they currently have the advantage on special teams and are playing very well overall.
Bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning at +120 on the moneyline.
