We have a monster 11-game NHL slate tonight and there are several fantastic games on tap to shape our NHL best bets today! 

The overall scoring across the league is good to see when we are betting on props and that general trend should continue for the next few months until we get to crunch time.

 

 

 

NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 12/10 

We're seeing some interesting results across the league with team teams that started off super hot – the Winnipeg Jets, the New York Rangers, the Carolina Hurricanes – really cool off in recent games. 

On the flip side, we're seeing teams that started off slowly like the Pittsburgh Penguins, start to finally put things together. 

 

 

 

Sharks vs. Hurricanes Prediction: Tuesday, December 10th

The Carolina Hurricanes have lost four of their last five games and if there's any time for them to get back on track, it's against one of the worst teams in the league, the San Jose Sharks. 

While the Sharks have plenty of exciting and talented young players, they're still not good overall and are worth targeting whenever they are on the slate. This season, the Sharks allow 68.07 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the absolute worst in the league. This season, the Hurricanes generate 69.77 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the best in the league. 

These two teams are at the literal opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to shot creation and shot prevention. This matchup could not be tipped more in the favor of the Hurricanes. So, with that said, the Hurricanes need their best player, Martin Necas, to simply be their best player tonight. 

He comes in with 42 points in 27 games, which is not only the most on the Hurricanes, but also tied for the most in the entire NHL. Necas has been on fire all season and comes in with 12 points and 25 shots on goal over his last 10 games. With time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, he's in a great spot to pick up a pair of points against the second-worst defense in the league. 

 

 

 

Avalanche vs. Penguins Prediction: Tuesday, December 10th

With a 6.5 over/under and juice to the over, the Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins could be an offensive showcase tonight, so we'll target the matchup for our NHL best bets today. 

The Penguins are one of those teams that started the year slowly and have started to turn the page into winning hockey games. By no means are they playing perfect hockey but they're trending upward right now. One of the areas they continue to struggle with is shot attempts from opposing teams. 

Over the last two weeks, the Penguins have allowed 66.01 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league to only the San Jose Sharks. Over those same two weeks, the Avalanche have generated 63.42 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-best in the league. 

As usual, the Avs have an offense that can push the pace, and given how much talent they have on their side of the puck, we should see plenty of shots tonight. This leads me to Mikko Rantanen, who skates on the first forward line and the first power-play unit. 

He's coming off of two games where he was held to zero and one shot on goal, a clear departure from the high volume we are accustomed to seeing. I love this matchup for Rantanen to get back on track and pile up the shots against a weak defense. 

 

 

 

Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 12/10