3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Tuesday 12/10/24

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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Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Moneyline (+138)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are just starting to show signs of life again. A tepid start to the campaign has been mostly undone by an improved 6-3-1 streak, leaving Pittsburgh one game below .500. The Pens carry that momentum into a home showdown against the Colorado Avalanche as meaty underdogs.

A resurgent offense supports the Pens’ revival. They’ve eclipsed 10 high-danger chances in four of their past five while going north of 24 scoring opportunities in three of those contests. More importantly, that production has translated to an increase in scoring. Pittsburgh has totaled 20 goals across the five-game sample with 12 coming at five-on-five. That’s an advantage they can wield unmercifully against Colorado’s goaltenders.

Heading into Tuesday’s inter-conference affair, the Avs have the worst five-on-five save percentage in the NHL. Avalanche netminders stop just 88.9% of shots faced, but that benchmark takes a significant hit across all strengths. Altogether, Colorado has a .866 save percentage, the worst in the NHL by a considerable margin.

Ineffective defensive zone coverage amplifies goaltending concerns. The Avs give up an average of 11.1 high-danger chances per game, which should allow the Penguins to maintain their current onslaught. As a result, that leaves an edge in backing Pittsburgh to pull off the upset at PPG Paints Arena.

Los Angeles Kings vs. New York Islanders

Islanders Moneyline (+108)

There’s another home underdog that presents value on Tuesday’s slate. The New York Islanders have won consecutive games for the first time since the start of November. They can make it three in a row against a Los Angeles Kings side that has faltered over their recent stretch.

So far this season, the Kings have accumulated the best expected-goals-for percentage in the NHL; however, they’ve fallen far from their usual standard of play. LA has been outplayed in four straight, accumulating a 46.2% eGF. That represents over a ten-point drop from their season-long average of 56.7%. Despite the underwhelming metrics, the Kings have won all four games, implying they are regression candidates over their coming games.

New York is coming off a dreadful appearance against the Ottawa Senators. The Isles gave up 29 scoring and 11 high-danger chances, a significant departure from their typically stout defensive play. They hadn’t given up more than eight high-danger chances in any of the six preceding games, limiting opponents to an average of 6.2 opportunities per game.

Surely, the Islanders will put a more resolute defensive effort on home ice and extend the Kings’ ineffective stretch. On that basis, we see an edge in backing the Islanders as plus-money home dogs.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers

Over 6.5 (-118)

Apparently, the Edmonton Oilers need a quarter of the season to find their sea legs before they figure things out. As was the case last season, the Oilers stumbled to a disastrous start in 2024-25 but turned things around in November. The Tampa Bay Lightning are in a similar position and will throw everything they can at the Oilers on Tuesday night.

Tampa Bay’s offense has been unstoppable of late. The Bolts have tallied 30 goals over their last six games, topping four snipes in all but two of those contests. More importantly, they have the production backing up sustained output. Tampa has exceeded 23 scoring and ten high-danger chances in four of six.

Edmonton will be operating on a similar high-octane frequency. The Oilers are averaging 10.0 high-danger chances over their past four, which is on par with their usual production of 9.8. Moreover, Edmonton is due for a massive increase in scoring, breadcrumbs we’ve seen over their recent schedule. They’re scoring on 7.3% of shots at five-on-five and 9.3% across all strengths, below last season’s respective marks of 8.8% and 10.6%. Expect progress in that regard as they maintain their recent pace.

Scoring should come naturally in this inter-conference showdown. The Lightning and Oilers have seen an uptick in production and output -- trends that carry that into another fast-paced outing. In the end, there’s an implied advantage in backing this one to eclipse the total in Edmonton.

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