Let's dive into another week of NHL best bets action with a three-game slate to get things started!

We have a far more balanced schedule this week compared to last, and it should give us plenty of NHL picks to sort through each and every day.

 

 

 

NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 12/16

On yesterday's NHL Best Bets, we hit a +200-goal prop with John Tavares but missed on the other two props.

It's nice to hit on the +200 but let's aim for a bit more consistency overall.

 

 

 

Avalanche vs. Canucks Prediction: Monday, December 16th

A strong Western Conference matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and the Vancouver Canucks starts our betting week and we should be in for a great game. Both teams have been a bit up and down this season and their defenses have been lacking, which should present opportunities to pile up the shots.

For the Avalanche since the start of December, they have allowed 60.87 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-worst in the league. They are clearly in a bit of a defensive slump right now considering their season rate (55.12) puts them as the seventh-best in the league.

This is a perfect spot for Quinn Hughes to continue piling up the shots for the Canucks. Hughes comes in leading the team with 93 shots on goal through 29 games – 3.2 shots per – while the next highest player is only at 68 shots on goal.

Hughes quarterbacks the Canucks top power-play unit and has always been a solid offensive player. He comes in with 27 shots on goal over his last 10 games and at least 2 shots on goal in nine of those 10 games. Hughes is live for this prop every night and a solid matchup should help him reach for the over.

 

 

 

Capitals vs. Stars Prediction: Monday, December 16th

While we have two of the best defensive teams in the league, I'm expecting a solid offensive game back and forth. That doesn't necessarily mean a ton of goals between the Capitals and the Stars, but rather, the scoring chances.

Since the start of December, both teams have been in the top six of the league when it comes to Total Shot Attempts created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are keeping their foot on the gas and piling up the shot attempts, which can lead to a ton of value in the shot prop market. 

So, where does this lead us? We don't want to be looking for goal props since these teams haven't been allowing them, but the shots should still be easy to come by. 

Let's turn to two players from the Stars, Mason Marchment and Thomas Harley. Marchment is on the second forward line and the second power-play unit, which has allowed him to rack up 33 shots on goal over the last 10 games. He has at least four shots on goal in four of his last five games, a level of production that should continue tonight. 

For Harley, his prop has a good amount of juice so I understand it might not be for everyone, but he has 25 shots on goal over the last 10 games, which is the third-most on the team. He comes in with at least two shots in seven straight games while seeing time on the second power-play unit and the first defensive pairing. 

Both teams are truly great this season and I could see this game hitting the under but still produce plenty of scoring chances. 

 

 

 

Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 12/16