NHL Betting Picks for Thursday 12/14/23: Three Totals to Attack

Thursday sees the NHL schedule packed with eight games, and we definitely have some that we can bet tonight.

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.

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.

NHL Best Bets

Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild

Under 6.5 Goals (-110)

The Minnesota Wild have been experiencing a bit of a resurgence since they made their coaching change. They've won five of seven games under new coach John Hynes.

The biggest change that has occurred since Hynes took over has been defensively. Minnesota has allowed just 1.57 goals per 60 minutes. They've also been good from an expected goals (xG) perspective, as well, allowing the seventh-fewest xG per 60 in the seven games.

They still haven't been too great offensively, creating just the 21st-most xG per 60 since the change. They've struggled on the power play all season long with the league's 21st ranked unit. Their power play won't be the worst in this game, however.

The Calgary Flames' power play is 29th in the NHL this season. They only average the 21st-most goals per game in the league. The story of their last two seasons has been their highly-paid forwards not being able to score. Jonathan Huberdeau has just 4 goals and 15 points in 29 games this season.

These teams don't mix in a way that makes me think there's going to be a ton of goals in this game. The model on numberFire likes this game to go under, as well, which lines up with the data from this season.

Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken

Over 5.5 Goals (-118)

It's easy to look at these teams and see why the total is 5.5 instead of 6.5. The Chicago Blackhawks average the second-fewest goals per game, and the Seattle Kraken average the fourth-fewest.

While both of these teams struggling offensively, they do have talented players who can put the puck in the back of the net. Connor Bedard has 12 goals in his first 28 games in the league with his shooting percentage not being outrageous (14%). It will help that he will shoot on Joey Daccord, who has allowed 3.6 goals above expected in 16 games this season.

The Blackhawks don't exactly have a reliable goalie in net either. It will likely be Arvid Soderblom, who has -0.1 goals saved above expected and an .885 save percentage this season.

The Kraken had the second-best shooting percentage in the league last year. This year, they are dead last. With no significant change to their personnel, their true talent level in the finishing department probably lies somewhere in the middle.

These teams played each other not too long ago on November 28th, and it was a 4-3 win for Chicago. That kind of chaos is what I expect from two teams that aren't great defensively or in net.

Most games have 6.5-goal totals, and this one should be one of them, too.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Edmonton Oilers

Over 6.5 Goals (-120)

We're going for another total tonight, and this is the most fun bet of the three. What could be better than watching all the talented players on both of these teams and root for them all to score?

The Edmonton Oilers are back in a big way. After their brutal start to the season, they've won their last eight games. During this streak, they've averaged 4.7 goals per game -- by far the most in the NHL.

It's no surprise that Connor McDavid has led their resurgence. He has 22 points in those eight games. If he is going to average close to three points per game, most of Edmonton's games will likely be going over their projected total.

The return of Andrei Vasilevskiy has yet to bring the desired results for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has an .896 save percentage and has allowed 1.6 goals above expected in eight games since coming back from injury. It could be the lack of a preseason that's taking him a bit to find his feet.

Tampa certainly has the firepower to compete with Edmonton. Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL with 47 points -- five more than any other player in the league.

They'll get to shoot on Stuart Skinner in this game. Skinner's been better of late, but he still has allowed the most goals above expectation this season.

Both of these teams are capable of hitting this total by themselves if things really go right. Taking this for just -120 is a pretty solid price, and the model also agrees with the over as good value.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.