NHL Picks Today: Monday, December 15
Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Panthers are coming off an impressive 4-0 win over Dallas, but that is precisely why they will lose tonight. They have two wins in the seven games that followed a game in which they won by three or more goals. In the first exception, they got to face a low-ranking New Jersey offense that missed Jack Hughes and could get away with scoring only one goal after they had scored eight goals in their previous game. In the other exception, they beat a Utah team that had lost two consecutive games in regulation.
Florida is particularly primed for a let-down game tonight because of how locked-in and focused its players were against Dallas. They were coming off a blowout loss to Colorado and wanted to make up for that especially on defense. Considering their team character – specifically their tendency to be extra locked-in one night and then to underperform the next night – it would only make sense for them to allow many goals tonight. For example, after they shut out New Jersey, they conceded six goals in their following game against Edmonton.
Tampa Bay has one of the best goal-scoring offenses, so it will take advantage of Florida’s vulnerability tonight. With the sixth-best goal-scoring defense, Tampa Bay is sure to win a game in which its offense thrives. Therefore, wager on Lightning ML.
Ottawa Senators vs. Winnipeg Jets
When a team gets a key player back, that team will obviously be better. But its improvement won’t come from the returning player alone. Instead, its improvement will also derive from the team-wide boost in morale that the player’s return generates. Winnipeg, led by its star goalkeeper, just defeated a Washington team that had twice as many wins as losses heading into that game.
The Jets were cold for a while, but one couldn’t expect that cold streak to last given their overall team talent. Ottawa will prove to be an even easier challenge tonight. The Senators have lost four of their last five games, with the one win coming against a Columbus team that is suffering a five-game losing streak. They are repeatedly struggling to score goals and now get to deal with Winnipeg’s three-time Vezina Trophy winner. Now it’s Ottawa that is impacted by injuries: the Senators’ goal-scoring defense is impaired by the ongoing injury to key defenseman Thomas Chabot. Therefore, wager on Jets ML.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Dallas Stars
A low-scoring game is something that one should automatically expect when the Kings play. They’ve failed to exceed two goals in five of their last seven games. In the two exceptions, they got to face defenses that rank outside the top 20 at limiting opposing goals. Dallas has the eighth-ranked goal-scoring defense and will be locked-in after suffering its first shutout loss this season.
Yet no amount of focus will make up for Dallas’ ongoing offensive shortcomings. The Stars have been struggling for an extended period of time against strong goal-scoring defenses. In this month, they scored two goals against the Rangers and two against the Wild – who rank fifth, one spot ahead of the Rangers, in goal-scoring defense – before getting shut out by Florida.
The Stars are failing to garner momentum and creativity on offense, which is allowing opposing defenses to prevent them from even getting off many shots. The Kings own the best goal-scoring defense, which, along with its 31st-ranked goal-scoring offense, will ensure a low-scoring game tonight. Therefore, wager on Under 5.5.
| Matchup | Pick | Odds | Confidence Level | Sportsbook |
| Panthers vs. Lightning | Lightning ML | -140 | Highest | Caesars |
| Senators vs. Jets | Jets ML | -130 | Highest | Caesars |
| Kings vs. Stars | Kings-Stars Under 5.5 | -125 | Highest | BetMGM |
Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Panthers are coming off an impressive 4-0 win over Dallas, but that is precisely why they will lose tonight. They have two wins in the seven games that followed a game in which they won by three or more goals. In the first exception, they got to face a low-ranking New Jersey offense that missed Jack Hughes and could get away with scoring only one goal after they had scored eight goals in their previous game. In the other exception, they beat a Utah team that had lost two consecutive games in regulation.
Florida is particularly primed for a let-down game tonight because of how locked-in and focused its players were against Dallas. They were coming off a blowout loss to Colorado and wanted to make up for that especially on defense. Considering their team character – specifically their tendency to be extra locked-in one night and then to underperform the next night – it would only make sense for them to allow many goals tonight. For example, after they shut out New Jersey, they conceded six goals in their following game against Edmonton.
Tampa Bay has one of the best goal-scoring offenses, so it will take advantage of Florida’s vulnerability tonight. With the sixth-best goal-scoring defense, Tampa Bay is sure to win a game in which its offense thrives. Therefore, wager on Lightning ML.
Ottawa Senators vs. Winnipeg Jets
When a team gets a key player back, that team will obviously be better. But its improvement won’t come from the returning player alone. Instead, its improvement will also derive from the team-wide boost in morale that the player’s return generates. Winnipeg, led by its star goalkeeper, just defeated a Washington team that had twice as many wins as losses heading into that game.
The Jets were cold for a while, but one couldn’t expect that cold streak to last given their overall team talent. Ottawa will prove to be an even easier challenge tonight. The Senators have lost four of their last five games, with the one win coming against a Columbus team that is suffering a five-game losing streak. They are repeatedly struggling to score goals and now get to deal with Winnipeg’s three-time Vezina Trophy winner. Now it’s Ottawa that is impacted by injuries: the Senators’ goal-scoring defense is impaired by the ongoing injury to key defenseman Thomas Chabot. Therefore, wager on Jets ML.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Dallas Stars
A low-scoring game is something that one should automatically expect when the Kings play. They’ve failed to exceed two goals in five of their last seven games. In the two exceptions, they got to face defenses that rank outside the top 20 at limiting opposing goals. Dallas has the eighth-ranked goal-scoring defense and will be locked-in after suffering its first shutout loss this season.
Yet no amount of focus will make up for Dallas’ ongoing offensive shortcomings. The Stars have been struggling for an extended period of time against strong goal-scoring defenses. In this month, they scored two goals against the Rangers and two against the Wild – who rank fifth, one spot ahead of the Rangers, in goal-scoring defense – before getting shut out by Florida.
The Stars are failing to garner momentum and creativity on offense, which is allowing opposing defenses to prevent them from even getting off many shots. The Kings own the best goal-scoring defense, which, along with its 31st-ranked goal-scoring offense, will ensure a low-scoring game tonight. Therefore, wager on Under 5.5.