3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Monday 12/9/24

Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL projections, powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

NHL Betting Picks Today

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Detroit Red Wings vs. Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Moneyline (-146)

The Atlantic Division features some of the top teams in the NHL, but the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings don’t fall into that category. While they are building for brighter futures, both teams reside in the bottom half of the division standings. However, one team has a pronounced advantage heading into Monday night’s intra-divisional battle.

Things haven't come together for the Sabres over the past few seasons. Still, we’ve seen improving metrics over their more recent sample. Buffalo has outplayed four of its past six opponents, a stretch that sadly doesn’t include any victories. Those efforts are grounded in solid two-way play. Buffalo has attempted at least 11 high-danger opportunities in three straight while limiting opponents to nine or fewer such chances in four of six. As such, the Sabres have emerged as a top progression candidate over their coming games.

Detroit is in a similar losing position, albeit with a worsening analytics profile. The Wings have lost five in a row while getting outplayed in all but one of those contests. Altogether, they’ve produced 41.0% expected goals-for rating, dropping their season average to 45.5%.

Neither team can boast about their recent success, but the Sabres have a significantly improved analytics profile. On that basis, we forecast a winning edge on Buffalo’s moneyline.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Montreal Canadiens

Ducks Moneyline (+122)

A loss to the visiting Washington Capitals on Saturday night could foreshadow what’s to come for the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs were boosted by above-average play from their netminders, but regression could be on the horizon in Montreal. Expect the Anaheim Ducks to take advantage when they invade the Bell Center on Monday night.

Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau were on an elite run. Before Saturday’s defeat, they had posted five-on-five save percentages above .944 in three of four games. However, they had no such luck in containing a Caps’ side that had seen a substantive decline in their five-on-five shooting percentage. Montembeault allowed three goals on 29 shots for a .897 save percentage. That represents the inevitable correction following an above-average stretch.

Moreover, Montreal’s analytics are crumbling. The Canadiens have been outplayed recently, posting expected goals-for ratings below 44.0% in four straight. More concerningly, three of those game scores were below 36.7%, yielding a cumulative benchmark of 37.9%. Assuredly, the Habs didn’t deserve the two wins they’ve accumulated across that modest stretch, implying more losses are expected.

The Ducks are enjoying renewed offensive success in 2024-25. They’ve eclipsed 10 high-danger chances in four of their past seven, which has resulted in improved scoring relative to last year’s metrics. That gives Anaheim an advantage not reflected in the current betting price, leaving an edge in backing them to pull off the upset in Montreal.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers

60-Minute Tie (+340)

There’s always something special about an Original Six matchup, and tonight’s tilt between the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers is no exception. Connor Bedard is the beacon of hope for Chicago, but he’s been unable to help the Blackhawks snap out of their recent offensive funk. Thankfully, he’ll get another shot against a defensively inept Rangers side.

It was just a matter of time before the Rangers’ defensive miscues came back to haunt them, and we saw that play out in Sunday’s 7-5 loss to the Seattle Kraken. New York had given up at least ten high-danger chances in six straight, with a rolling average of 13.3. Naturally, that correlated with diminished expected goals-for ratings with the Rangers getting outplayed in all but one of those contests. Skating on the second night of a back-to-back puts them at a disadvantage against a more well-rested Hawks team.

Chicago has fallen off the pace over its recent schedule. Bedard and company have recorded just ten goals across their past five outings, with only five coming at five-on-five. That has resulted in shooting percentages of 8.4% and 5.6%. While it’s an unflattering look, the Hawks have fallen below their regular season averages, indicating that greener pastures lie on the horizon.

A matchup against the defensively bankrupt Rangers could be the precursor for Chicago’s offensive surge. Still, we can’t discount New York’s chances altogether. They remain a top competitor in the Eastern Conference, but an analytics lull and a condensed schedule are two challenging barriers to overcome. Consequently, the most significant edge could be betting that this one goes to overtime or a shootout.

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