A single point separates the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific standings entering play on New Years Eve and the home team is heavily favored.
Vegas is rolling with an 8-2 record over its last 10 games overall, but leaky goaltending has prevented this squad from appearing like a true powerhouse. The visiting Ducks are 5-1-4 over their last 10 and should put up a much better fight than the version of the team that got routinely pummelled by the Knights last season.
Check out our free NHL betting picks for Ducks at Golden Knights with the puck scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m. ET on December 31.
Ducks vs Golden Knights odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The moneyline opened with Vegas -166 and has only widened to -188 with the bulk of money landing on the home team by the time of this writing. The total opened at 6 and remains there. (Where it opened, line moves at time of writing, closing odds for last H2H meeting).
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Ducks vs Golden Knights predictions
Predictions made on 12/30/2021 at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NHL season, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Bet on any team to win a game involving a Canadian team at Betway — if they jump out to a 2-0 lead, you get paid out as a winner, regardless of the final result! Claim Now
Ducks vs Golden Knights game info
• Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
• Date: Thursday, December 31, 2021
• Puck drop: 3:00 p.m. ET
• TV: BSSC, BSSD
Ducks vs Golden Knights betting preview
Injuries
Ducks: Cam Fowler D (Questionable), Trevor Zegras C (Out), Sam Steel C (Out), Max Comtois LW (Out), Josh Mahura D (Out), Adam Henrique C (Out), Max Jones LW (Out).
Golden Knights: Max Pacioretty LW (Out), Mark Stone RW (Questionable), Robin Lehner G (Questionable), Alec Martinez D (Out), Brett Howden C (Out), Alex Pietrangelo D (Out), Evgenii Dadonov RW (Out), Jack Eichel C (Out), Nolan Patrick C (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Ducks vs Golden Knights head-to-head record (since last season)
Ducks: 2-8 SU, 22 goals for
Golden Knights: 8-2 SU, 39 goals for
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-1 in Anaheim's last seven games while the Over is 4-0 in Vegas' last four home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Ducks vs. Golden Knights.
Ducks vs Golden Knights picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline/Puck line analysis
At -188, the Vegas moneyline is relatively pointless to place a wager on and it might not be the safe money, anyway. Primary goaltender Robin Lehner is still day-to-day with a lower-body injury that may keep him out of the crease for at least one more game. He didn't practice with the team on Thursday, so his status is very much up in the air. Backup Laurent Brossoit is a capable hand, but he'll be missing key defensemen Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo.
News dropped Thursday night that Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty will miss considerable time after undergoing wrist surgery. Top point-getter Chandler Stephenson will be without his wingman on Vegas' top line as a result. While Pacioretty's playing time has been sparse this season, he's rattled off 12 goals and nine assists in the 16 games he's played. Not exactly chump change.
Likewise, oft-injured winger Mark Stone is almost certainly out of the lineup again. He was listed as a game-time decision in Vegas' last game but ultimately didn't return from his upper-body injury.
The most significant piece missing from Anaheim's offense is forward Trevor Zegras, who's second on the team with 25 points and will be out due to COVID protocols.
The Ducks have flopped in this matchup over the last 10 meetings, winning only twice while being outscored a whopping 17 goals. However, putting too much credence on that kind of trend can be dangerous. The two games between these teams this year have each been decided by a single goal, and this Ducks team is significantly improved - at least in terms of results - than the one that finished with just 43 points in last year's bubble season.
If Anaheim can draw a few penalties, the Ducks will turn to one of the league's most effective special teams units with their 25.6% PP% (fifth in the NHL), especially since Vegas has only managed to kill 77.9% of its penalties. Neither team is particularly prone to the sin bin, but the Ducks have the slight advantage.
It's not an overly confident endorsement, but there's more value in backing Anaheim on the moneyline than playing it "safe" with a Golden Knights roster playing without several important pieces.
Prediction: Anaheim ML (+157)
Over/Under analysis
Despite some key absences on both offenses, neither team is missing its top scorer. Vegas leads the NHL with 117 goals on the campaign and Anaheim ranks seventh with 102. At 21-12, the Golden Knights have obtained their success by overpowering their opponents because their netminders have left a fair amount to be desired. Lehner, who is not a lock to start on Friday, hasn't been as consistent between the pipes this season as he's posted a 3.03 goals-against average with a .905 save percentage. Backup Brossoit hasn't fared any better with his .903 SV%.
The Ducks' goaltenders are both putting together stronger campaigns. John Gibson has a 2.68 GAA and .914 SV% while Anthony Stolarz has a sparkling .213 GAA and .932 SV% in his 10 games (nine starts).
Anaheim has largely played to the Under in recent games with one exception being a wacky 6-5 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on December 17. The last time they played Vegas, the teams combined for 11 goals as well, and that was when both rosters were playing at close to full strength.
And while both teams are missing important offensive pieces, it's not like the firepower has been entirely snuffed out. The Golden Knights still have Stephenson, Reilly Smith, and Jonathan Marchessault, all of whom contribute on the regular as part of one of hockey's most balanced attacks. The Ducks, meanwhile, have Troy Terry and his 18 goals. It's the absences on both defenses and Vegas' uncertain play in net this season that is pushing this game to the Over.
Prediction: Over 6 (-109)
Best bet
When player props become available, it may be worth taking a look at Ducks forward Troy Terry's shots on goal prop. He leads the team with 75 shots over 32 games. That's only 2.34 shots per game - and he's only rifled six on net in his last three games total - but with Zegras and Adam Henrique on the shelf, someone's going to be taking shots and it ought to be the team's leading scorer.
Barring that, the Over is looking mighty appealing with neither defense at 100%. If Stone can play for Vegas, that only adds to the likelihood of a high-scoring affair.
Pick: Over 6 (-104)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Ducks vs. Golden Knights picks, you could win $39.28 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
