NHL Picks for Today 12/31/2024
There are 13 games scheduled on the NHL ice on New Year’s Eve, including the Bruins in Washington to face the Capitals, the Jets in Colorado to battle the Avalanche, and the Canucks in Calgary for a Western Canadian battle. Here are betting previews for these 13 matchups for Tuesday along with Moneyline and Totals odds, Starting Times, Records, Trends, and Picks from the Sides, Totals, and Puck Line markets.
NHL Picks
Bruins vs Capitals Prediction
| Game Time: | 12:30 EST/9:30 PST |
| Capitals Line: | -125 |
| Bruins Line: | +114 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Boston (8-8-2 on Road) heads to DC to face Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals (11-4-2 at Home) in an Eastern Conference early start on New Year’s Eve day. In the last 10 series meetings, the Bruins are 6-4 with an alternate team winning the last 8 times (BWBWBWBW), The Under has hit 4 straight times (5, 2, 5, 3) and with the early puck drop, this Bruins vs Capitals pick will stay in the Totals market and side with a 5th straight Under. Pick: Under 5.5
Islanders vs Maple Leafs Prediction
| Game Time: | 1:00 EST/10:00 PST |
| Maple Leafs Line: | -152 |
| Islanders Line: | +123 |
| Total: | 6.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
New York (7-8-5 on Road) heads north to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs (14-7-0 at Home) in a meeting between two Eastern Conference teams having vastly different seasons. The Islanders have gone 6-4 in the last 10, surprisingly winning tha last 5 in a row (24 GF-13 GA) with 5 Overs in the last 6 games (9, 5, 7, 7, 9, 7). It’s just too hard to say the visitors will win this one and the price on the hosts will be way too steep, so let’s peg another Over for this Islanders vs Maple Leafs pick. Pick: Over 6.5
Canadiens vs Golden Knights Prediction
| Game Time: | 3:00 EST/12:00 PST |
| Golden Knights Line: | -245 |
| Canadiens Line: | +198 |
| Total: | 6.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Montréal (6-10-1 at Home) heads to Sin City not to celebrate the new year, but to try and put the biscuit in the basket against Adin Hill and the Golden Knights (15-3-0 at Home). Looking at the last 10 series meetings, we see that VGK has gone 8-2, winning the last 7 straight (34 GF-21 GA). The Over is 6-2-2, winning 2 straight (8, 11). This Canadiens vs Golden Knights pick will stick with Vegas, who boasts one of the best Home records in the NHL and has won 6 straight at The Fortress. Pick: Golden Knights -245
Blues vs Blackhawks Prediction
| Game Time: | 5:00 EST/2:00 PST |
| Blackhawks Line: | +120 |
| Blues Line: | -142 |
| Total: | 6.5 |
| TV: | TNT, truTV, Max |
Connor Bedard and Chicago (7-9-0 at Home) welcome the Blues (10-8-3 on Road) to the United Center for a Central Division game. In the last 10 meetings. St. Louis has gone a profitable 8-2, winning the last 2 (12 GF-7 GA, 2 Overs) and going an impressive 4-1 in the Windy City (19 GF-10 GA). So this Blues vs Blackhawks pick will ride the horse in the direction he’s going and back the Road team. The Hawks have the worst Record in the NHL and are in the midst of a 4-game Losing Streak. Pick: Blues -142
Penguins vs Red Wings Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Red Wings Line: | -122 |
| Penguins Line: | +102 |
| Total: | 6.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh (6-9-3 on Road) head to Hockeytown on Tuesday to skate with the Red Wings (8-10-2 at Road) in an Eastern Conference date. In the last 10 series meetings, the Penguins are 6-4, and 3-1 in the last 4. The Over is the big story here, going 8-2-0 over that span and 4-1-0 in Motown (44 goals in games, 8.8 gpg). This Penguins vs Red Wings pick will side with another Over with both teams too choppy at this moment in time to pick a Side. Pick: Over 6.5
Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Blue Jackets Line: | +172 |
| Hurricanes Line: | -210 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Columbus (11-4-3 at Home) hosts the Hurricanes (8-9-1 on Road) in a series that has seen Carolina go 7-3 in the last 10 vs the Blue Jackets, although just 2-3 at Nationwide Arena. The Under is 6-4-0, and 4-2-0 the last 6. Columbus has won as big Home Underdogs in the 3 it won here (+206, +129, +267), so let’s gamble on the Home team here against the Side still without starting Goalie Frederick Andersen (Knee Surgery). The Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets pick will take Underdogs Columbus. Pick: Blue Jackets +172
Sabres vs Stars Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Stars Line: | -240 |
| Sabres Line: | +196 |
| Total: | 6 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Jake Oettinger and Dallas (13-5-1 at Home) host the Sabres (7-9-1 on Road), and don’t look now Pierre, but this last-place team that lost 13 straight has suddenly won 3 in a row and only have a -10 Goal Differential (114 GF-124 GA). Looking at the last 10 in this inter-conference series, we see that the Stars are 6-4, with the Under 5-3-2 in those games. With Dallas so good at Home, it’s hard to suggest backing Buffalo, so with the Under not losing in the last 3 meetings (2-0-1), this Sabres vs Stars pick will side with another Under. Pick: Under 5.5
Predators vs Wild Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Wild Line: | -152 |
| Predators Line: | +126 |
| Total: | 6 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Nashville (3-11-4 on Road) has held its own vs Minnesota (9-8-1 at Home), going 5-5 in the last 10 meetings, but the Wild have won the last 2—both by 1 and in OT—and are a much better team this season. The Over has been the best choice at the betting windows, going 7-3-0 but clicking more in Tennessee (5-1-0) than in Minnesota (2-2-0) where Hockey is a part of the state’s culture as much as Prince. This Predators vs Stars pick will take the Home team because Nashville has been so weak this year and sucks on the Road. Pick: Wild -152
Jets vs Avalanche Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Avalanche Line: | -172 |
| Jets Line: | +142 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Colorado (9-8-0 at Home) welcomes the red-hot Jets (7-2-1 L10, Won 3) to the Rocky Mountains not to drink Coors, but to slash each other with long sticks and scoff at their opponents for not wearing the same sweaters as them. In the last 10 series meetings, the teams have split 5-5 with Colorado going 4-1 the last 5 (22 GF-9 GA). The Over is 6-2-2 in those meetings, winning 6 of the last 8 with at least 6 Goals scored in 9 of the last 10 with the exception being a 1-0 shutout by Winnipeg at Home on November 7 in the only meeting of the season so far. This Jets vs Avalanche pick will back Colorado who are phenomenal 16-0-0 when leading after 2 periods this season. Pick: Avalanche -172
Devils vs Ducks Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Ducks Line: | +225 |
| Devils Line: | -280 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Anaheim (7-11-1 at Home) welcomes the Devils (12-6-0 on Road) to Southern California to spend New Year’s Eve 2025 skating fast on frozen water. In the last 10 series meetings, New Jersey is 6-4 and has won 3 of the last 5 while the Under is a powerful 7-3-0, although 3 of the last 4 have gone Over (8, 6, 7, 8). So we throw all that out the window and go with the team who has played very well on the Road and who are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and sits alone atop the Metropolitan Division for the logical Devils vs Ducks pick. But if they lose, it wasn’t very logical. Pick: Devils -1.5 -105
Flyers vs Sharks Prediction
| Game Time: | 8:00 EST/5:00 PST |
| Sharks Line: | +138 |
| Flyers Line: | -166 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
San José (6-11-1 at Home) plays host to Philadelphia (8-8-3 on Road) for an interesting inter-conference meeting from the SAP Center. Looking at the last 10 series meetings, we see that the Sharks are 6-4, but 1-3 in the last 4 with the Totals at 5-5-0. The big thing here is that San José has lost 7 straight (17 GF-32 GA) despite scoring 2 or more Goals in all but 1 game. This Flyers vs Sharks pick will side with Philadelphia because of this nasty slump. Pick: Flyers -166
Canucks vs Flames Prediction
| Game Time: | 9:00 EST/6:00 PST |
| Flames Line: | -102 |
| Canucks Line: | -118 |
| Total: | 5.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Calgary (12-4-3 at Home) has been good at the Scotiabank Saddledome, where the Canucks (10-3-2 on Road) will be on NYE for this Pacific Division Canadian clash. In the last 10 series meetings, the Canucks have gone 6-4, winning 4 of the last 5 (20 GF-13 GA) with the Over 5-4-1. One weird thing is the last 4 meetings were all in Vancouver, so someone please get Prime Minister Trudeau on the horn pronto. With 6 of the 10 meetings 1-Goal games, this Canucks vs Flames pick is more of a forced hesitant lean. Pick: Under 5.5
Utah Hockey Club vs Oilers Prediction
| Game Time: | 9:00 EST/6:00 PST |
| Oilers Line: | -220 |
| Utah Hockey Club Line: | +180 |
| Total: | 6.5 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
The Utah Hockey Club (11-6-2 on the Road) has been better away from home than in the Beehive State, while host Edmonton (12-7-1) has been better in Alberta. In the last and only meeting with this franchise called the UHC, Edmonton won 4-3 in OT at SLC while in the last 12 series meetings when they were the Arizona Coyotes, Conor McDavid and the Oilers went 9-3. This Utah Hockey Club vs Oilers pick will fade the Road team currently on a 3-game slide and back Edmonton at Rogers Place. Pick: Oilers -220
Tuesday NHL NYE Parlay: VGK, Wild, Avalanche, Devils, Flyers, Oilers
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