It’s a busy Friday night on the ice with 10 NHL games on the schedule.
The pregame narrative: The Washington Capitals are a good bet against the struggling Seattle Kraken, and we’re eyeing the Pittsburgh Penguins’ team total versus the Buffalo Sabres. Lastly, we’ll gladly fade the Columbus Blue Jackets against a stingy Calgary Flames squad.
Below are our NHL picks for December 9.
Odds as of 8:33 am on 12/09/2022.
NHL picks
Best Bet : Capitals moneyline (-130)
Washington is riding high entering this game and Seattle isn’t, so we’ll happily back the home team at a reasonable number.
The Capitals have back-to-back wins and are playing a complete game. They seem to be finding some rhythm despite injuries plaguing the squad early on.
The Caps rank third in high-danger chances percentage (HDCF%) across the last two weeks, according to Natural Stat Trick. The main reason for success in this category is their excellent defensive play.
Washington’s allowing the second-fewest high-danger chances per 60 (9.14) over the last 14 days. It’s also receiving quality goaltending, as it places seventh in team save percentage at .921 during this stretch. Those two factors are why opponents have scored two or fewer goals in five of Washington’s last eight outings.
The Kraken, meanwhile, have lost consecutive contests. They have a subpar 48.87% HDCF% over the last two weeks and own the worst team save percentage (.837) during this time.
Bet on Washington to win at home.
Key stats: The Capitals are 7-4-1 at home and have won three of their last four games at Capital One Arena.
Quick picks
Penguins over 3.5 goals (-122): Pittsburgh’s offense is scorching hot with 14 goals in its last three games. Its production is sustainable, too, as it sits second in high-danger chances per 60 (15.57) over the last two weeks.
The Sabers are fun to watch offensively but a disaster defensively. They’re allowing the third-most high-danger chances per 60 (14.03) across the last 14 days and have the seventh-worst team save percentage (.871) in the same time span.
Blue Jackets under 2.5 goals – regular time (-137): Columbus is one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL and should run into issues against the Flames.
The Blue Jackets are scoring the seventh-fewest goals per game (2.84) this season and have failed to top this total in five of their last seven.
Calgary, meanwhile, is allowing the fourth-fewest high-danger chances per 60 (9.71) over the last two weeks and has allowed two goals or fewer in four of its last five.
Disclaimer This content was produced as part of a partnership and therefore it may not meet the standards of impartial or independent journalism.
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