It's another giant 13-game slate today on the ice with games all afternoon, including the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.
There is no shortage of good prop angles today, and I've loaded a trio of plus-money NHL picks for the last day of 2024.
NHL prop picks and best bets for December 31
- 🏒 First 10 minutes u0.5 goals (+110 at bet365)
- 🏒 Zetterlund/Celebrini + Konecny/Tippett o0.5 points each (+575 at DraftKings)
Svechnikov + Necas + Kotkaniemi Over 0.5 points each (+425 at bet365)
Picks made on 12-31 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: First 10 minutes Under 0.5 goals
The Winter Classic kicks off today at 5 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field, where the Blues will face the Blackhawks. Outdoor games are always interesting, but the Classic has usually been a low-scoring affair. Over 14 events, both teams have scored three or more goals just two times, and the Over 6 has hit just twice.
The beginning of the game is what interests me the most. It’s a game that puts players’ routines in a blender, as everything from the warmups to the introductions are different.
Coaches might also want to get all their lines going early so nobody is sitting around cold early. Expect a lot of quick shifts as players feel the game out and the conditions of the ice. It could be sloppy early until players adjust.
This has me hitting the “No Goal” in the first ten minutes of the game for +110 at bet365. It’s a game that already consists of two offenses that rank in the Bottom 10 in scoring, and the setting is going to suppress early scoring.
Prop bet #2: Fabian Zetterlund + Macklin Celebrini + Travis Konecny + Owen Tippett Over 0.5 points each
I love goals in the San Jose vs. Philadelphia game, as both teams have been terrible on the penalty kill, and neither team has great goaltending — especially if the Sharks go with Alex Georgiev, who has a 4.00 GAA and a .867 SV% over the last 30 days.
It’s also a game in which Macklin Celebrini will look to strengthen his Calder run over Matvei Michkov, who has cooled off.
I’m going with a double-double stack and taking the two best-correlated pairs of skaters who play at 5-on-5 together and the power play. Those pairs are Travis Konecny/Owen Tippett and Fabian Zetterlund/Celbrini, with the four skaters to each get a point is +575.
The total is tilting to 6.5, and the Flyers have been playing Over hockey of late, going 5-1 to the Over across their last six games. This is a game with goaltending and special teams that could easily see both teams score three or more goals which has happened in five of the last six Philadelphia games.
Prop bet #3: Andrei Svechnikov + Martin Necas + Jesperi Kotkaniemi Over 0.5 points each
With a total of 6.5, both the Blue Jackets and Hurricanes could score today.
My money is on the Canes, as their second line of Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a whopping +425 to each record a point vs. the BJs and their love for the Over.
No team in hockey has a better Over record than Columbus at 24-12-1 on the year. It's home games average over 7.00 goals per game, which is the highest rate in hockey, and the Hurricanes are having to score to win of late as their goaltending has hit a wall.
Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov is 4-5 SU in his last nine games with a save percentage below .900. The Hurricanes need to score today with that type of net tending, and this second line’s price is right.
The toughest point here is Kotkaniemi who doesn’t play with the other skaters on PP1 but does play on the second unit. He is +160 for a point himself, which is a good look solo, but the triple stack at +400 or better is a number that is kind of silly in a game they project for Over four goals.
NHL odds today
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
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