3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Thursday 12/12/24

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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Los Angeles Kings vs. New Jersey Devils

Devils Moneyline (-152)

Twelve years ago, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final. The way things are going, we wouldn’t be surprised to see these teams meet again in this year’s championship series. There’s a lot of work to be done between here and June, starting with Thursday’s battle in the Meadowlands.

The Kings kicked off their beefy seven-game road trip with a win on Tuesday night, but we’re forecasting a few more losses. LA is amid a six-game winning streak, but they’ve been outplayed in four of those games. Consequently, their PDO has risen to 1.058, putting the Kings on the precipice of regression.

Conversely, we’ve got New Jersey earmarked for positive regression. Over the past few weeks, no team has been better than the Devils. Since November 25, they have led the league with a jaw-dropping 64.5% expected goals-for rating. Still, they’ve accumulated just four wins over that eight-game stretch and own a substantially below-average 0.969 PDO. Undoubtedly, more wins will follow their elite analytics if the Devils keep performing at this level.

We see an edge in backing the Devils on home ice.

Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Moneyline (+136)

We’re making a contrarian play in the Metropolitan Division showdown between the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets. Washington enters the contest on a 6-0-1 trend, but the Blue Jackets could knock the surging Caps off their stride on Thursday night.

Columbus is coming off a crushing defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, exacerbating a recent underwhelming trend. But the Jackets’ metrics have fallen outside of normal ranges, and it’s time for the pendulum to start swinging in the other direction. That was the third time in five games in which the Blue Jackets posted an expected goals-for rating (eGF) below 36.5%. Altogether, they have a 39.4% eGF rating across the five-game sample, which is well below their season-long average of 50.3%. Expect improved resolve in this regard.

While they’ve recorded six wins over their past seven games, Caps goaltenders have put forward some lackluster efforts. Their five-on-five save percentage has fallen below .883% in four of their past six, averaging .874% over that stretch. Ironically, Washington’s netminders have been saved by an influx of special-teams scoring, offsetting their goaltending woes. It’s an unsustainable way of winning games, and the Capitals could pay for it on Thursday night.

Low-key, the Blue Jackets offense is doing damage this season. They rank in the top five in five-on-five shooting percentage and fall just outside the top 10 across all strengths. Columbus can perpetuate Washington’s goaltending issues and steal the win on home ice.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Minnesota Wild

Wild Moneyline (+125)

The Minnesota Wild are getting no betting love in their inter-divisional battle against the Edmonton Oilers. Despite ripping off wins in six of their past seven, with underlying metrics to spare, the Wild are installed as short home underdogs against the Oilers. Minnesota is primed to surpass those modest expectations.

Minnesota’s wildly successful run is propped up by some inspired metrics. They’ve outplayed their opponents in six straight, with resounding numbers at both ends of the ice. Across that six-game sample, the Wild have limited all but one opponent to eight or fewer high-danger chances, yielding an average of 6.3 opportunities per game. That solid defensive play is complemented by an efficient offense, with Minnesota out-chancing their opponents in all but one of those contests for an average of 8.5 high-danger chances per game.

Surprisingly, Edmonton’s offense has been much less efficient. The Oilers haven’t mimicked last year’s success, falling below nine high-danger chances in nine of the last 11 games. The more concerning benchmark is Edmonton out-chancing its opponents on only five occasions over that stretch.

Heading on the road compromises the Oilers’ weak metrics, putting them at a disadvantage against the Wild. At the current offerings, we see an edge in backing the home underdogs in this one.

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