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Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (Devils Will Come Out Hot)

Breaking down the best bets in the NHL for Wednesday night action including the New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals.

By Iain MacMillan

Dec 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) looses his
Dec 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) looses his / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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One step forward, three steps back.

After stating 2024 off with an easy win at the Winter Classic, we stumbled in a big way on Tuesday night, going 0-3 with my three picks. Ouch.

All we can do is pick ourselves up and try to right some wrongs from last night. There are only two games on the Wednesday slate so I have a best bet for each of them.

If you want to join me with these plays, you should do so at DraftKings Sportsbook. For a limited time, if you click the link below to sign up for an account, you'll receive $150 in bonus bets when you place your first $5 wager.

Bet on the NHL at DraftKings today!

Best NHL Bets Today

  • Devils -165 vs. Capitals
  • Maple Leafs vs. Ducks OVER 6.5 (-130)

Devils vs. Capitals prediction

Fading the Capitals last night didn't work out for us, but I'm not going to let that stop me from attempting to do the same thing tonight. The Capitals still rank in the bottom five in virtually every key metric in 5-on-5 adjusted numbers. They still have the third worst powerplay as well.

Now, they host a Devils team that's in a great "buy low" spot for the coming weeks. Despite being 19-14-2, they rank inside the top six in both CORSI% and expected goals percentage. They're about to get hot and tonight is a great time for them to begin that hot streak.

Devils vs. Capitals prediction

Tonight's game is a showdown between two of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. The Ducks have the fourth highest expected goals against at 3.51 goals per 60 minutes. The Leafs aren't much better with an expected goals against of 3.16 per 60 minutes. They're also both in the bottom 10 in high-danger scoring chances allowed.

The Maple Leafs will be turning to Dennis Hildeby, who will be making his NHL debut between the pipes. He has a respectable .919 save percentage in 15 games in the AHL this season, but it's tough to trust a goalie making his NHL debut, especially when he has a subpar defense in front of him.

I expect plenty of goals in the second half of a back-to-back for the Maple Leafs.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!