Hockey returns Wednesday with 14 games on tap for hockey fans who have been looking for their fix after a four day break. The Avs travel to the desert to take on the Coyotes, the Jets look to blow past the Blackhawks and the scrappy Sharks look to bring down the Kings in some of the exciting five matchups in the West coast games.
If you only got shampoo and fruit cake for Christmas, here are some picks you can take that should bring you some holiday cheer.
Colorado Avalanche @ Arizona Coyotes
The Avs are near the top of favourites to win the Stanley Cup yet since the start of December they only have one more point (13) than the Coyotes (12). Arizona is also one of the best home teams in the league with an 11-5-0 record at Mullet arena this season. They also have a 13-8 record against the spread as an underdog this season and have won four of their last six games against the Avs when playing in the desert.
Pick: Coyotes +1.5 (-175 BetMGM)
Winnipeg Jets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Two teams going in opposite directions with the Jets looking more legit and like a bonafide contender than ever with a 8-1-1 record in their last ten games. Bedard and the Blackhawks have been fun to watch despite being 3-8-1 in their last 12 games and having the second-worst record in the league during the month of December. The Jets are one of the best road teams in the league this season with a 9-4-1 record and should win again in this one.
Pick: Jets ML (-225 BetMGM), Blackhawks under 2.5 goals (-140 BetMGM), Parlay (-105 BetMGM)
Seattle Kraken @ Calgary Flames
Both teams are hot and are known for being two of the hardest working teams in the league. It may be the game of the night with the Kraken having recorded a point in seven of their last eight games but the Flames have the edge with a 6-3-1 record in their last ten home games and have 8-1-0 record versus the Kraken all-time.
Pick: Flames ML (-145 BetMGM)
San Jose Sharks @ LA Kings
It’s been not a great year for the Sharks as they’ve been toyed with when playing on the road, being dominated for the amusement of opposing fans with a 3-14-0 record on the road this season. Trevor Moore has three goals in his last four games and scored in their last matchup against the Sharks a week ago. The Sharks allow the most goals when on the road this season averaging 4.33 goals against per game which should help Moore get on the score sheet.
Pick: Trevor Moore over 0.5 points (-170 PointsBet)
Vegas Golden Knights @ Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are the worst home team since mid-November with a 1-8-0 record in nine games and have a hard time scoring for their home crowd with an average of two goals per game in their brutal losing skid. However, they have covered the spread in four of their last six games and have a 8-6 record when they are a home underdog against the spread. Not to mention, the Golden Knights are 4-7 against the spread as a road favourite this season.
Pick: Ducks +1.5 (-130 BetMGM) or Ducks +2.5 (-200 BetMGM)