Category: NHL

I’ve got two NHL prop picks from Monday’s slim five-game slate.

The pregame narrative: Patrick Kane and the Detroit Red Wings close out the action with a late-night matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. I think there’s value to be had in the veteran lighting up the scoreboard.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Dec. 8, featuring a best bet on Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson.

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NHL prop picks Dec. 8

Best bet: Andersson 1+ points (-107)

I wouldn’t blame anyone for passing on tonight’s game between the Flames and Buffalo Sabres. Both teams sit near the bottom of their respective conferences and play an unappealing brand of hockey.

But I think there’s a good reason to back Andersson.

The defenceman is one of the few solid players on Calgary’s roster and has garnered some trade interest in the early goings of this season.

• Andersson has 20 points in 30 games, cashing this wager in eight of his last 11 outings.

• One of those matchups was against the Sabres in Buffalo. Andersson had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 blowout victory.

-> Bet on Andersson and the Flames tonight

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Flames pulled off a repeat performance tonight.

The Sabres allow the sixth-most goals per game (3.43) and rank in the bottom for shots and chances (i.e shot attempts) allowed on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick.

Andersson and Co. have won six of their last nine, dating back to that matchup against the Sabres, and are in a good spot to keep things rolling.

Key stat: Buffalo is allowing 4.25 goals per game on the road this year.

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NHL predictions

Kane 2+ points (+320): I’m taking a big swing backing Kane to have a multi-point night. If you want a safer bet, his standard 1+ point line can be had at -152.

• The veteran winger is quietly putting together one of his best seasons in years, with 19 points in 20 games.

• He has points in seven of his last eight games, with three multi-point outings in that span.

-> See Monday’s player prop markets at NorthStar Bets

Kane plays on the Red Wings’ top power play and is riding shotgun with Alex DeBrincat — a two-time 40-goal scorer who potted 39 last year — at even strength.

That duo should have a field day against the Canucks.

Vancouver ranks in the bottom eight in shots, chances, and high-danger chances against on a 60-minute basis. On top of that, netminder Kevin Lankinen can’t buy a save.

The Finn ranks 49th in both save percentage (.881) and Money Puck’s goals saved above expected.

NHL prop picks made at 11:35 a.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2025.

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Tonight’s matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena is a pick’em.

The pregame narrative: Toronto has gained points in seven of its last nine games and is now contending for a bunched Atlantic Division, which Tampa Bay currently leads. The Leafs are four points back of the Lightning, and swept last year’s season series 4-0.

Check out my Lightning vs. Maple Leafs SGP predictions on Dec. 8, featuring Easton Cowan and Brandon Hagel.

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Lightning vs. Maple Leafs predictions

Parlay: Hagel 1+ points | Cowan 1+ points | Under 9.5 goals (+310)

Hagel 1+ point (-205): Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper raised some eyebrows when he selected Hagel for last year’s Canadian 4-Nations team.

Cooper is also coaching the 2026 Olympic squad. If the lineup were finalized today, I have to believe Hagel is getting the call.

• The winger has 29 points, second only to Nikita Kucherov, and a team-leading 17 goals.

• Hagel is 6-2 against this line in his last eight games with 10 goals and four assists.

-> Bet on Lightning vs. Maple Leafs at NorthStar Bets!

The Maple Leafs have been one of the league’s worst defensive teams this year and aren’t doing much better lately, despite their hot streak.

Corsi is an advanced statistic provided by Natural Stat Trick, which measures shot attempt differential (chances), and Toronto is consistently toward the bottom of the board.

The Leafs rank 31st on the season (45.31%) and 29th in the last 10 games (44.80%).

Hagel should feast in a plus matchup.

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Leafs SGP picks

Cowan to score 1+ points (+130): Cowan has been playing solid hockey lately, even if he doesn’t have the points to show for it.

The rookie leads all Maple Leafs in Corsi Rate (51.9%) and xG rate (57.69%). That means when Cowan is on the ice, Toronto generates more chances and more quality chances than the opponent.

That’ impressive, given how drastically Toronto is out-chanced as a whole. In fact, Cowan is the only forward on the team with a Corsi rate above 50.0%.

Cowan is pointless in three games this month, but had found the stat sheet in four of the five games before that.

The London Knights product has earned increased ice time and is skating with John Tavares and William Nylander, both of whom are -180 or longer to score a point.

Cowan also plays on the top power-play unit with those two and Auston Matthews. I think he’s worth a sniff at plus money.

-> Don’t miss out — make your own SGP here!

Under 9.5 goals (-1,430): This might seem like a throwaway leg, but it actually boosts our SGP’s value from +235 to +310 thanks to some negative correlation with the previous picks.

I think that’s well worth it, even with both teams starting backup netminders.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is listed as day-to-day after picking up an injury on Thursday. He didn’t play on Saturday, and it appears that Jonas Johansson is in line to start.

The Swede has a sub-.900 SV%, but the under on this total has still cashed in all nine of his starts.

That shows what kind of leeway we have. A 5-4 win for either team would still pay.

Toronto has gone under this mark in 24 straight games, and Tampa Bay has gone under this mark in 27 of its 28 games on the year.

Lightning vs. Maple Leafs SGP made at 9:05 a.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2025.

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Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets in a marquee Hockey Night in Canada showdown.

The pregame narrative: Winnipeg is playing on a back-to-back with Connor Hellebuyck sidelined, meaning rookie Thomas Milic will take the crease tonight. McDavid is coming off a hat trick and is in a great position to keep things rolling.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Dec. 6, featuring a play on New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier.

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NHL prop picks

Best bet: McDavid 2+ points (+107)

I backed McDavid to record two points on Thursday, and he doubled that with three goals and an assist.

At 40 points, the five-time Art Ross winner is now within shouting distance of Nathan MacKinnon (46) for the league lead. I say he has another monster outing tonight.

-> Bet on McDavid and the Oilers tonight

Since Nov. 1, McDavid has 26 points in 16 games. That’s a 133-point pace. He’s gone 9-7 against this line in that span, and he has a plus matchup against an inexperienced netminder.

• Milic has made just two NHL appearances, giving up six goals on 51 shots (.882 SV%).

• The 22-year-old has a career .895 AHL SV% in 63 games.

On top of that, Winnipeg has had a lacklustre year defensively. The Jets are giving up the fourth-most chances (61.77) and ninth-most shots (29.21) on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick.

Key stat: McDavid is 4-4 against this line in his last eight games vs. Winnipeg. Hellebuyck started in all but one of those contests.

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NHL predictions

Hischier over 2.5 shots (+125): Hischier and the Devils are in Boston to take on a Bruins team lacking defensive structure.

Boston gives up the second-most chances on a 60-minute basis and the third-most shots (30.55).

Hischier isn’t typically a shoot-first guy like Jack Hughes, but he has taken on a bigger offensive role with the latter sidelined due to a hand injury.

-> See Saturday’s player prop markets at NorthStar Bets

The Swedish captain has seven goals in his last 10 games and is 6-4 against this line.

In that span, he’s recorded at least two shots nine times.

NHL prop picks made at 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 6, 2025.

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Saturday’s Original Six showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens has a little more bite than usual to it.

The pregame narrative: Toronto is finally rounding into form after a dreadful start to the season and can catch Montreal in the standings with a win. The Maple Leafs are favoured to win a fourth straight game despite missing goaltender Joseph Woll, who was placed on the injured reserve this morning.

Check out my Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for Dec. 6, featuring Auston Matthews and Ivan Demidov.

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Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs prop picks

Best Bet: Demidov to score 1+ points (+104)

Toronto has picked up points in six of its last eight (5-2-1), but Demidov should do damage tonight.

The Leafs have been one of the worst defensive teams this season, allowing the fourth-most chances (62.88) and eighth-most shots (29.1) on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick.

And things haven’t been much better defensively during their recent eight-game heater:

• 30th in chances/60 (66.8)
• 29th in shots/60 (30.78)
• 20th in xGA/60 (3.2)

Expected goals and chances against aren’t worth squat if a team has a goalie performing well, as Toronto did with Woll. But the netminder picked up a lower-body injury on Thursday, meaning Dennis Hildeby, who has a career .896 SV%, will start.

-> Bet on Ivan Demidov against the Maple Leafs

Demidov has been on a nice run, picking up points in seven of his last eight games. That includes two assists in a 5-2 win against Toronto on Nov. 22 (which Woll started).

The rookie also plays on the top power play, so I think these odds are a steal.

Key stat: Demidov is 15-11 against this line.

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Best NHL prop picks

Matthews over 3.5 shots (-124): Matthews has been quietly producing in his last five games since returning from injury:

• 2 goals
• 5 points
• 3+ shots in every game

Toronto’s captain has cleared this mark in back-to-back contests, logging five shots against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Carolina allows the fewest chances and shots per game, so that shot total jumps off the page.

-> Bet on Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs at NorthStar Bets

These days, Montreal is in the same boat defensively as Toronto. Since Nov. 11 (the same eight-game segment I referenced with the Leafs earlier), the Canadiens are allowing the most chances and the third-most shots on a 60-minute basis.

The Leafs are at their best when Matthews fires at will, and I think he’ll have plenty of opportunities to do exactly that tonight.

Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs prop picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET Dec. 6, 2025.

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