Betsided

NHL Best Bets Today (Back the Defending Champs to Take Down the Bruins)

By Iain MacMillan

Dec 3, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing J.T. Compher (37) and Boston
Dec 3, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing J.T. Compher (37) and Boston / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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If you bet on the NHL every single day, like I do, some days are going to be bad. Some days, you're going to suffer the ol' reverse sweep.

That's what happened to me last night. After back-to-back hot weeks, Gamblor the Gambling God decided to smite me. That's okay, we're still profitable for the season and today is a new day.

There are seven games on tonight's NHL slate, so let's dive into my best bets.

You can find the best available odds on the board, including moneylines, puck lines and totals HERE.

NHL Best Bets Record-to-Date

NHL Best Bets Today (Wednesday, December 7)

  • Wild/Flames UNDER 6 (+100)
  • Avalanche +155 vs. Bruins
  • Sharks +105 vs. Canucks

Wild/Flames UNDER 6 (+100)

The Wild are one of the best defensive teams in hockey and the Flames aren't far behind. Last season, Calgary had the most dominant defense in the Western Conference, but they hadn't lived up to that standard early this season. With that being said, they're starting to gel and the numbers reflect that.

Over their last 10 games, the Wild lead the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals against at 2.04 and the Flames come in at 8th at 2.32. As long as both goaltenders hold their own, which admittedly may be asking too much when it comes to Marc-Andre Fleury, this game should be a defensive slug fest.

Avalanche +152 vs. Bruins

The Colorado Avalanche were +145 underdogs in Boston against the Bruins less than a week ago. I bet on them and they lost, but now they're +155 underdogs at home against the exact same team?

Sure, Pavel Francouz, the Avs backup goaltender, is likely going to start tonight but I don't think he justifies a team going from +145 on the road to +155 at home.

It's hard to bet against the Bruins, who have been the best team in hockey this season, but they're certainly beatable. I don't care who they're playing, if you're going to give me the defending champs at +155 at home, I'm going to take it.

Sharks +105 vs. Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks shouldn't be home favorites against any team in the NHL. Over their last 10 games, they rank 27th in expected goals per game and 26th in high-danger scoring chances. They've been riding high on strong shooting in recent games, which has led them to a 7-3 record over that span, but based on the expected goals and high danger chances statistics, we're going to see regression in their goals department.

The Sharks certainly don't present anything to write home about. They're a below average team at best, but in my opinion, so are the Canucks. I think the odds for this game would be fair if it took place in Vancouver. With it being in California, I'll back the home dogs.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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