NHL Picks and News

NHL Hockey Best Bets for December 21, 2015

Written by Jim Murphy

The NHL will take a break for Christmas with no hockey action between December 23 and December 26. They’ll return on the night of the 26th with nine games on the board. We’ve got eight games to work with tonight:

ANAHEIM DUCKS AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS:

The Anaheim Ducks are playing fairly decent hockey at the moment. They’ve won 3 of 5 and 4 of their last 7 and despite their horrible start they’re just four points out of a playoff spot and five points out of second place. They might not run down the Los Angeles Kings but they have a decent shot of making the playoffs. Despite the fact they’re in last place this is a very dangerous team. They still have the worst scoring offense in the league averaging just 1.84 goals per game but at least that number is heading in the right direction.

So now they visit Brooklyn for the first time to face the New York Islanders. This is an interesting time in the NHL–in addition to the Christmas Break we mentioned at the outset a roster freeze is also in effect. This means no team can make trade, loan or waiver moves. There are provisions for emergencies but the bottom line is that it gives the Ducks a chance to evaluate what they want to do in the second half of the season. Frederik Andersen gets the start for the Ducks tonight and he might be someone the team is considering moving. John Gibson has started the last five games. Islanders haven’t been much on offense either and will be without their top scorer Kyle Okposo. We’ll take a shot on the Ducks.

BET ANAHEIM DUCKS +125 OVER NEW YORK ISLANDERS

MONTREAL CANADIENS AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS:

The Predators have underachieved to this point in the season but they’ve got a great opportunity to enter the holiday break with back to back wins. Montreal is a mess. Carey Price is out indefinitely and can no longer cover up their liabilities. The team is struggling to score goals and although Mike Condon isn’t embarrassing himself in net he hasn’t played well enough to steal games. I’ve been playing Central Division teams against non-divisional foes all year and for good reason–the level of competition in the rest of the league isn’t close.

BET NASHVILLE PREDATORS -160 OVER MONTREAL CANADIENS

About the Author: Jim Murphy

For more than 25 years, Jim Murphy has written extensively on sports betting as well as handicapping theory and practice. Jim Murphy has been quoted in media from the Wall Street Journal to REASON Magazine. Murphy worked as a radio and podcasting host broadcasting to an international audience that depended on his expertise and advice. Murphy is an odds making consultant for sports and 'non-sport novelty bets' focused on the entertainment business, politics, technology, financial markets and more.