Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Rangers Will Upset Predators in Nashville)

Iain MacMillan | 3 Hours Ago

The Rangers are underdogs on Tuesday night against the Predators. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

It's been a roller coaster of an NHL season from a betting perspective. My picks are either extremely hot or extremely cold, nowhere in between. Unfortunately, we're on a downswing having lost eight-straight picks.

This NHL season has been a roller coaster. pic.twitter.com/56t0ngm82p

— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) December 17, 2024

Thankfully, we're still in the green for the season so let's try to stop the bleeding and bounce back with a winning performance tonight.

• Season-to-date record: 75-65-5 (+4.84 units)

Best NHL Picks Today

• Devils (-180) vs. Blues via DraftKings
• Rangers (+106) vs. Predators via FanDuel
• Capitals (-175) vs. Blackhawks via BetMGM

Devils vs. Blues Prediction

We're targeting a couple of big favorites in the NHL tonight but just because they're significantly favored, that doesn't mean they don't hold value. For example, I price the Devils at -200 tonight against the Blues so if you can get them at -180, that's a great bet to make. Over the last 25 games, the Devils rank first in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage while the Blues come in at 29th in that time frame.

The Devils have had some issues putting the puck in the net during even strength play, but they've been such a better team in terms of creating scoring opportunities and preventing their opponents from doing so that tonight's game should be a layup against a far inferior opponent.

Pick: Devils -180

Rangers vs. Predators Prediction

The Rangers have been a disaster this season. They're not 15-14-2 on the season and are 3-7 in their last 10 games. With that being said, I think there's some value on them as underdogs tonight against the Predators.

It's hard to justify a bet on the Predators right now. They're averaging just 2.22 goals per 60 minutes over their last 25 games, scoring on just 8.1% of their shots on goal. They Rangers have their issues, but playing against a team as bad offensively as Nashville, New York should be the favored side.

Pick: Rangers +106

Capitals vs. Blackhawks Prediction

This is another lopsided affair and I'm shocked the Capitals aren't bigger favorites against the lowly Blackhawks. The Caps are seventh in the NHL in expected goals percentage over their last 25 games while the Blackhawks are dead last. Chicago is also last in CORSI% over that time frame, making the strong argument they're the worst team in the NHL right now.

On top of their advantage in advanced analytics, the Capitals have averaged 3.82 actual goals per 60 minutes. They're continually finding ways to put the puck in the net, which will be too much for the Blackhawks to handle.

Pick: Capitals -175

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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