NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, December 23

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Published on December 23, 2024

NHL Best Bets Tonight: Expert NHL Picks for
Monday, Dec. 23

There are 13 total games on the schedule for the National Hockey League on Monday. It's the final games before three-day league break for the Christmas holiday, as play won't resume until Friday, Dec. 27.

We'll avoid the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils (1 p.m. ET) and Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs (2 p.m. ET), but instead we'll choose three games from the evening slate for parlay opportunities. Let's get started.

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Best NHL Picks Tonight

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins

The Flyers (15-15-4) and the Penguins (15-15-5) meet in a Keystone State battle at PPG Paints Arena in the Steel City. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and like all games on this slate, it can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+.

This is the first meeting this season between these rivals. Pittsburgh has won five of the past seven meetings dating back to Nov. 25, 2022, although three of the past four games have been decided by a single goal, including two games in either overtime or a shootout.

Philadelphia is coming off a 5-4 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday as moderate favorites (-141) as the Over (6.5) cashed. The Flyers halted a three-game losing skid, while the Over has hit in three in a row. The Over is 6-2-1 in nine December games, too.

For the Penguins, they're coming off a 3-0 loss in New Jersey, which stopped a modest two-game win streak. The previous three games had also gone to overtime, with Pittsburgh winning two of those games.

Samuel Ersson (7-5-2, 3.09 GAA, .881 SV%, 1 SO) and Tristan Jarry (7-5-2, 3.51 GAA, .885 SV%) are the projected starting goaltenders.

We'll back the Penguins on home ice due to their dominance in this series, while going Over based on the recent results for the Fly Guys.

Penguins ML (-130 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Over 6.5 Goals (+100 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators

The Hurricanes (21-11-1) take on the Predators (10-17-7) at Bridgestone Arena at 8 p.m. ET.

Carolina picked up a 3-1 victory on the road against the rival New York Rangers, and now they face the quick turnaround in the Music City.

The projected goaltender for Carolina is Dustin Tokarski (1-0-1, 1.00 GAA, .964 SV%) because of the back-to-back situation. Tokarski stopped 27 of 28 shots he faced last Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets in his team debut. If he starts, it will be just his sixth NHL appearance, and his fourth start, since the end of the 2021-22 season when played his most meaningful action with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Predators figure to counter with Juuse Saros (7-14-6, 2.72 GAA, .907 SV%, 3 SO). Nashville has alternated wins and losses in the past six games, splitting a pair of overtime decisions in the past two games.

Carolina has won three of the past four games, while cashing the Under in six straight. Nashville has cashed low on the total in nine of the past 12 games. We can't really trust either side, but back the Under.

Under 6.5 Goals (-130 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks

The Sharks (11-19-6) and Canucks (16-10-7) hook up at Rogers Arena at 9 p.m. ET.

These teams met in the Bay Area on Nov. 2, with the Canucks coming away with a 3-2 victory as heavy favorites (-283), while the Sharks cashed on the puck line as underdogs. The Under (6.5) also cashed low.

Kevin Lankinen was able to kick aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced in that road victory, while Pius Suter scored two of the team's three goals, including the game-winning tally with 26 seconds left in regulation, while Jake DeBrusk also chipped in with a marker.

Vancouver has picked up points in two of the past three games, but it is 0-1-2 with a pair of OT losses. The Under is on a 3-1 run, as the Canucks are averaging just 2.2 goals per game (GPG) in the previous five outings.

San Jose is coming off a disappoiting 3-2 OTL in Edmonton, and it is 0-3-1 in the past four games, and 1-6-1 across the previous eight outings. The Under is 4-3 in the past seven outings, too.

Vancouver has won nine of the past 10 games in this series, with the Over going 7-2 in the past nine meetings. The Canucks are too expensive based upon their recent play, and the fact they barely scraped by the Sharks in the first meeting. Let's play it safe and simply look for plenty of goals in this battle in Vancouver, and it's a value at plus-money at FanDuel.