NHL Picks Today: Friday, December 19
Vancouver Canucks vs. New York Islanders
Vancouver is an underdog today because oddsmakers are slow to adjust. The Canucks were bad for a long time. Obviously, teams don’t want to keep losing, so the Canucks decided to make a trade and figured out how to become a cohesive unit. As evident in their ongoing two-game win streak, lower-profile players are stepping up and the defense is continuing to improve.
Whereas the Canucks have crossed a long road, the Islanders are only just beginning to embark upon their road. They lost key center Bo Horvat to injury. Horvat has accumulated 19 goals and 12 assists so far, but his stats inadequately describe his impact. The Islanders depend on him for shot creation, power play success, asserting themselves in the middle of the ice, and for other parts of winning games.
It is normal – bettors call it the “rally angle” – for players to rally together and play unusually well in their first game without a key teammate. So, the Islanders won their first game without him. But tonight will be their third game without Horvat. The Islanders are coming off a loss to Detroit and, because they have a lot to figure out without Horvat, will lose again tonight.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche
Observe this decisive trend: Colorado is 8-0-1 this season in its first home game that follows a road game. This might seem like an oddly specific trend, but it is clearly a significant trend because the Avalanche have won their last three such home games by four or more goals. It’s not like they’re simply facing easy opponents. Most recently, after playing at Nashville, they beat the Florida Panthers at home 6-2. Their offense apparently gets a big boost from the Colorado faithful: in their last three such home games, the Avs have scored at least six goals.
The Jets are indescribably remote from Colorado’s level of firepower. They enter tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak. In their last game, they were shut out by a St. Louis team that ranks 29 spots behind Colorado in goal-scoring defense. It is reasonable to say that Colorado will only need two goals for the puck-line to hit, but the strong potential for the Avs to score three times as many goals makes them such a solid investment tonight.
| Matchup | Pick | Odds | Confidence Level | Sportsbook |
| Canucks vs. Islanders | Canucks ML | +122 | Highest | Caesars |
| Jets vs. Avalanche | Avalanche -1.5 | +110 | Highest | Caesars |
Vancouver Canucks vs. New York Islanders
Vancouver is an underdog today because oddsmakers are slow to adjust. The Canucks were bad for a long time. Obviously, teams don’t want to keep losing, so the Canucks decided to make a trade and figured out how to become a cohesive unit. As evident in their ongoing two-game win streak, lower-profile players are stepping up and the defense is continuing to improve.
Whereas the Canucks have crossed a long road, the Islanders are only just beginning to embark upon their road. They lost key center Bo Horvat to injury. Horvat has accumulated 19 goals and 12 assists so far, but his stats inadequately describe his impact. The Islanders depend on him for shot creation, power play success, asserting themselves in the middle of the ice, and for other parts of winning games.
It is normal – bettors call it the “rally angle” – for players to rally together and play unusually well in their first game without a key teammate. So, the Islanders won their first game without him. But tonight will be their third game without Horvat. The Islanders are coming off a loss to Detroit and, because they have a lot to figure out without Horvat, will lose again tonight.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche
Observe this decisive trend: Colorado is 8-0-1 this season in its first home game that follows a road game. This might seem like an oddly specific trend, but it is clearly a significant trend because the Avalanche have won their last three such home games by four or more goals. It’s not like they’re simply facing easy opponents. Most recently, after playing at Nashville, they beat the Florida Panthers at home 6-2. Their offense apparently gets a big boost from the Colorado faithful: in their last three such home games, the Avs have scored at least six goals.
The Jets are indescribably remote from Colorado’s level of firepower. They enter tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak. In their last game, they were shut out by a St. Louis team that ranks 29 spots behind Colorado in goal-scoring defense. It is reasonable to say that Colorado will only need two goals for the puck-line to hit, but the strong potential for the Avs to score three times as many goals makes them such a solid investment tonight.
