This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Expert Bets Tonight: December 27
11 games on the NHL slate tonight, and I've got a bet for every single one of them. Let's get frisky y'all, we're betting the whole board!
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Ohio is set to launch sports betting this week and those located in the Buckeye State can get ahead of the action with the DraftKings Ohio Promo Code.
NHL Best Bets December 27
Blackhawks vs Hurricanes
The Hurricanes come into this tilt as the hottest team in the NHL. They're 9-0-1 in their last 10 and have won 8 straight. They haven't lost in regulation since the Coyotes somehow upset them in their own barn 4-0 on 11/23. The Blackhawks will look to weather the storm coming into this one as the statistically worst team in the NHL. They're 2-8 in their last 10, but one of those wins was 5-2 in Madison Square Garden over the Rangers, so they've pulled a rabbit out of their hat before. They'll need some holiday magic to do the same tonight as they're a heavy underdog at +330 on the moneyline, especially considering the only other time these teams met this season the Canes blanked the Hawks in Chicago 3-0 on 11/14. We're basically betting on whether or not the Blackhawks can cover.
- Hurricanes PL -150
Bruins vs Senators
The Senators have been quietly competitive of late. They're 5-3-2 in their last 10 and have some quality wins over the Kings, Rangers, and Red Wings to boot. Yet, they're still in last place in the Atlantic Division, and they welcome the top team in the division and the top team in the entire NHL to town tonight in the Bruins. The B's are 7-1-2 in their last 10, have won 4 in a row and 6 of 7 save for a shootout loss to the Kings on 12/15. It's hard to poke holes in this team's capabilities, they're elite in every sense of the word. The Sens bested them 7-5 way back in 10/18, and that seems like a lifetime ago. Let's ride the hot hand.
- Bruins ML -180
Capitals vs Rangers
It wasn't long ago when I was writing both of these teams off as mediocre middle-dwellers destined for continued declines in their record. Boy, have times changed. The Caps have been one of the best teams in the NHL since Thanksgiving, going 11-3-1 in that span. They head to Madison Square Garden on a 4-game heater and have won 9 of their last 10. Alex Ovechkin just passed Gordie Howe for 2nd all-time in goals too, so it's just a fantastic time to be a Caps fan. The Rags have caught a little bit of a spark of late too, and enter this game 8-2 in their last 10. They're the favorite in this matchup sitting at -155 on the moneyline, despite their rather disappointing 8-6-4 home record so far. This Metropolitan division tilt has playoff implications already riding on it since the Rangers sit just 1 point ahead of the Caps for the first Wild Card slot in the East. Expect a playoff intensity out of these squads who are both trying to get some meaningful points before the end of the calendar year.
- Capitals ML +135
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Penguins vs Islanders
Speaking of playoff implications in the Metropolitan division, the Pens and Isles will square off on Long Island tonight. The Penguins have been red-hot of late too, rocking an 8-1-1 record in their last 10, with both losses coming by 1 goal to the Hurricanes. They sit third in the Metro but have the same amount of points as the Rangers (43), and the Isles sit two points shy of the Caps for the final Wild Card spot with 40. This is another meaningful matchup in the meat of the regular season, so I'll be flipping back and forth between the Caps/Rangers game and this one. The most significant stat to track for this one: the Penguins coaching staff bet the players that if they won 3 games in a row recently, they'd grow and keep mustaches until the Winter Classic on January 2. That happened, and they still have the mustaches. Sidney Crosby also kept his Movember stache out of superstition since the Pens have been winning so much with these mustache vibes going. How can you bet against that kind of gusto?
- Penguins ML -125
Maple Leafs vs Blues
The Leafs are 7-2-1 in their last 10, and 4 of those games were on the road. They went 1-2-1 in those road games, so their only losses in their last 10 have been away from home ice. They'll be in St. Louis to visit the Blues, who are returning home from a 5-game road swing. The Blues went 3-1-1 in that stretch, but are only 1-3-1 in their last 5 home games. One of these squads has to break a bad trend.
- Maple Leafs ML -170
Stars vs Predators
The Stars have won both of the matchups against the Predators this season by a combined score of 9-2. Next question.
- Stars ML -130
Wild vs Jets
I am personally offended that, whenever betting on Jets' games, it seems like every time I do my homework, dig into the trends, analyze the matchup, and end up taking the Jets - they lose. So out of principle…
- Wild ML -115
Avalanche vs Coyotes
The Avalanche are on a 4-game win streak, despite superstar Nathan MacKinnon being out of the lineup. It hasn't been pretty. 3 of those wins were in overtime, with their 1-0 win over the Islanders on 12/19 requiring a shootout just to record a registered goal. But, a win's a win. The Coyotes can relate to that style of late too. They've only won 4 of their last 10, and those wins haven't been the most compelling. They somehow knocked off the Bruins 4-3 in Arizona on 12/9 despite being outshot 46-16. They have 2 overtime wins, with their latest being in a shootout, and they outlasted the Islanders 5-4. If this were in Denver, it'd be an easy call. But it's at the Arizona State Sun Devils' Mullett Arena, where the Yotes are 4-1-1 in their last 6.
Coyotes PL -130
Oilers vs Flames
The Battle of Alberta! This matchup always promises fireworks. It's the epitome of a rivalry. They've split the season series so far with both games happening back in October. Interestingly, the away team won each contest by 1-goal. These teams are neck-and-neck down the stretch too, with the Flames going 4-2-4 in their last 10 and the Oilers going 4-4-2. Just 1 point separates these two for the final Wild Card slot in the West at the moment with the Flames currently holding the slight edge. The Flames have outshot the Oilers in both contests, and they should come out buzzing tonight on home ice to do it again.
- Flames ML -145
Sharks vs Canucks
The Canucks have taken both games in this season series so far, winning 4-3 on 11/27 and 6-5 on 12/7. Those tilts were in San Jose, and this one will be in Vancouver where the Canucks are 6-9-1 on the campaign so far, which is worse than their 9-6-2 record away from home. The Sharks have a similar conundrum, only going 4-10-5 at home but having a more palatable 7-8-1 record on the road. I don't think the Canucks win every game in this season series, so they gotta start the losing somewhere.
- Sharks ML +135
Golden Knights vs Kings
These teams kicked off opening night of the regular season in LA and the Golden Knights walked out with a 4-3 win. Over two months later, the Knights sit atop the Pacific division and the Western conference overall, and the Kings are hanging around in 2nd in the Pacific and 3rd in the West. They're both essentially on the same trend coming down the stretch of their last 10 games respectively, with Vegas going 6-4 and LA going 6-2-2. The Knights have only lost 3 games on the road this year and have won their last 4 away from home. The Kings have won 4 of their last 5 at home too, so this matchup doesn't offer much in the way of breathing room, which is why the Kings are only a slight favorite at -120 on the moneyline while the Knights are +100. Coin flip.
- Golden Knights ML +100
