NHL Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Friday
Friday is the last night of NHL hockey before the holiday break, so that means an 11-game schedule before a three-day hiatus. Let's dive into our best NHL bets based on the latest odds.
It appears to be a relatively competitive night on the ice, with four of the favorites priced at either -115 or -120 through Caesars.
That includes games at both ends of the standings spectrum.
The league-leading Boston Bruins visit the New Jersey Devils, the team with the fourth-best record. Boston is a slight favorite.
At the other end of the standings, the 30th-place Columbus Blue Jackets are in Chicago to take on the last-place Blackhawks. In a rare occurrence, Chicago is a small favorite.
The Blackhawks favored? It’s a Christmas miracle!
Here are our best bets for Friday’s NHL slate (odds via Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our NHL best bets.
Friday’s NHL Schedule and Odds
(odds via Caesars)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+240) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-305)
- Boston Bruins (-115) vs. New Jersey Devils (-105)
- Winnipeg Jets (+143) vs. Washington Capitals (-170)
- Florida Panthers (-120) vs. New York Islanders (+100)
- Colorado Avalanche (-120) vs. Nashville Predators (+100)
- Montreal Canadiens (+260) vs. Dallas Stars (-335)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (-105) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (-115)
- Vancouver Canucks (+180) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-220)
- Los Angeles Kings (-170) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+143)
- St. Louis Blues (+140) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-170)
- Calgary Flames (-220) vs. Anaheim Ducks (+180)
Friday's NHL Best Bets
- Moneyline: Capitals (-155 via BetMGM)
- Spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (-120 via BetMGM)
- Total: Panthers-Islanders Under 6.5 (-115 via Caesars Sportsbook)
- Prop bet: Patrik Laine Over 0.5 Goals (+165 via Caesars)
Friday's NHL Top Picks
Moneyline: Capitals (-155) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thursday’s overtime win over the Ottawa Senators gave the Washington Capitals their eighth victory over the past nine games. While the spotlight is on Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gordie Howe’s goal total, the team is enjoying great success.
Washington ranks 12th with 51.9% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals, and the team boasts a quality backup goaltender.
Charles Lindgren stepped up with Darcy Kuemper injured, and he's produced a .910 save percentage in 16 games. After Kuemper returned from an injury Thursday, Lindgren is likely to start Friday against Winnipeg.
The Jets jumped out to a 2-0 lead at Boston on Thursday before falling 3-2 to the Bruins. The Jets are still 9-6-1 on the road following the loss, so they're a quality opponent.
However, with the Jets playing the second game of a back-to-back situation, it's likely that David Rittich will start in goal. While Rittich has been a capable backup, posting a .909 save percentage in eight games, there's a substantial drop in quality from starter Connor Hellebuyck. That makes the Capitals a worthy favorite.
BetMGM and DraftKings are offering the most favorable moneyline price on the Capitals at -155, while PointsBet is at -160, FanDuel is feating -166, and Caesars is posting -169. That's a wide range of prices, and it makes the BetMGM and DraftKings numbers substantially more appealing.
Spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (-130) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Two teams coming off decidedly different results in close contests meet in this game.
After falling behind the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to get to within a goal before losing 4-3.
Although the Flyers have logged just four wins over 17 road games, they've also recorded just four multi-goal losses during that stretch. While Philadelphia is clearly a below-average team, they often lose close games.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are churning out wins regularly, going 11-0-2 in their past 13 games. There's been a multi-goal margin in four of those wins, so the Hurricanes tend to take tight contests.
Carolina is more reliable. The Hurricanes are pulling a league-leading 59.8% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play. Philadelphia ranks 28th with 44.2% of expected goals, and that disparity is what should create the gap on the scoreboard between these two teams.
BetMGM offers the Hurricanes at -130 on the puck line. That's more favorable pricing than DraftKings, Caesars, or PointsBet, which are all at -135. FanDuel is offering the Hurricanes at -1.5 (-142) on the puck line, so avoid paying that premium if possible.
Total: Panthers-Islanders Under 6.5 (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The New York Islanders have logged three wins over their past 11 games after blowing a 3-2 lead against the Rangers during a 5-3 loss on Thursday. The Over on seven-plus goals has also hit in six of the team's past eight.
The Islanders' contests have also reached a total that's lower than seven goals in eight of 15 home games.
The Florida Panthers have been enduring their own struggles, managing seven wins in the past 20 games. Florida's matchups have reached seven-plus goals in just three of their past 11 affairs.
Both teams are playing poorly, and that should lead to a close and competitive low-scoring game on Friday.
The Under is priced at -115 throug BetMGM and -120 across most of the other top sportsbooks. Except for FanDuel, which falls in between with the Under priced at -118.
Check out our best sports-betting sites for New York.
Prop bet: Patrik Laine Over 0.5 goals (+165) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Columbus Blue Jackets sniper Patrik Laine has missed time due to injuries, but that hasn't taken away his ability to put the puck in the net. He's notched nine goals in 19 games, including five across 10 road contests.
Laine faces a Chicago Blackhawks team that's allowed 4.06 goals against per 60 minutes on home ice, the league's highest average.
Veteran goaltender Petr Mrazek is expected to get the start for Chicago, and he's recorded an .874 save percentage, allowing -13.85 goals saved above expected in just 12 games.
A Laine goal could reasonably be priced at close to even money, considering Chicago’s defensive woes. Getting it at +165 at Caesars is excellent value, clearly better than +125 at DraftKings and BetMGM.
NHL Best Bets picks made 12/23/2022 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Where to Bet on NHL Picks
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
- FanDuel: Get a $2,500 No-Sweat Free Bet | Read our FanDuel Review
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- PointsBet: Earn Five Free Bets of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a Free Bet of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
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