NHL fans are treated to an abounding ten-game slate on Tuesday.
The pregame narrative: The Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes are heavy favourites in their respective matchups. I’m taking Josh Morrissey and Andrei Svechnikov to produce on the man advantage. Thirdly, I’m backing Kevin Fiala’s shots on goal prop.
Check out my NHL prop picks for Dec. 17.
NHL prop picks
Go to full NHL betting markets.
Best bet: Morrissey over 0.5 power-play points (+162)
This is a price I can get behind for one of the best offensive defencemen in the NHL.
Morrissey has been on a tear all season, particularly in his last nine games. He’s racked up 10 points — with five coming on the power play — while averaging over 25 minutes of ice time in that stretch.
The former first-round pick leads all Jets in power play time-on-ice per game (3:14).
Winnipeg takes on a San Jose Sharks squad that struggles defensively.
- 3.5 goals allowed per game (28th)
- 32.6 shots allowed per game (31st)
San Jose also has the third-highest expected goals against per 60 minutes (3.41), per Natural Stat Trick.
Key stat: The Jets have the league’s No. 1 ranked power play, operating at 30.3%.
Quick picks
Svechnikov over 0.5 power-play points (+265): I’m taking full advantage of the matchup Carolina has tonight.
Normally a strong team under the supervision of Lou Lamoriello, the New York Islanders find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
New York takes the fewest penalties per game in the league (5.2), yet inversely, has the league’s worst penalty kill (64.7%).
Carolina has one of the most potent offences in the NHL, ranking at the top of the charts in every category:
- 3.5 goals per game (4th)
- 32.1 shots per game (2nd)
- 26.8% power-play rate (5th)
- 11.2 shooting percentage (7th)
The Canes and Isles squared off on Dec. 7 where Svechnikov potted not one but two power-play markers.
The Russian winger is having a nice season, with 24 points in 30 games and four power-play points in his last five contests.
Fiala over 2.5 shots on goal (-150): Fiala has found a nice home in Los Angeles after moving around earlier in his career.
Now, in his third season with the Kings, he’s produced 163 points in 180 games.
Fiala has cleared this mark five times in the last eight games, averaging 19:20 ice time/game, nearly two minutes more than his season average of 17:39.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are among the weakest defensive teams in the league. They rank 30th in shots/game (32) and 31st in goals/game (3.72).
The Pens also give up the fourth-most high-danger chances per 60 (12.47) and the most high-danger goals against per 60 (1.79). Both offer an extra incentive for Fiala to fire pucks on net.
Alex Nedeljkovic is the confirmed starting goalie for Pittsburgh. His .882 save percentage ranks 66th out of 86 qualified goaltenders this season.
Picks made at 1:26 p.m. 12/17/2024.
