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Brenton Kemp's top NHL betting picks and best bets for today's NHL games on 12/13/23. His free picks against the spread, game totals, and other various hockey bets.
We have a five-game NHL slate going down on this Wednesday evening and we're seeing some value on the board. Let's dive into today's free NHL betting picks and pad those bankrolls!
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In this article, I'll provide my favorite betting picks for the NHL games on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. We will focus on money line bets, totals, and team totals. With all of that said, let's break down some hockey games. Follow me on Twitter/X @BKemp17.
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Today's NHL Betting Picks - Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens
O/U: 6.5 | Moneyline: PIT (-155)
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens get together tonight in Quebec with the latter club looking to take advantage of a veteran team playing their second game in as many nights.
The Penguins took care of the visiting Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday by a 4-2 score with their special teams finally coming together. The Pens scored twice on their much-maligned power play while they also added a short-handed tally to their ledger. Jeff Carter and Jake Guentzel each found the back of the net twice.
That said, this Penguins offense has plummeted. They sit 23rd in overall offense and just 28th with an 11.4% clip on the man advantage. The underlying metrics are much better as they sit third in expected goals for at five-on-five action, as per Natural Stat Trick. However, again, this is one of the league's oldest clubs playing twice in a 24-hour span with travel involved.
As for the Habs, they have predictably scuffled at times but have not been horrible. They sit sixth in the Atlantic Division at 12-13-3 on the season but are just 6-9-1 on home ice. They rank 27th in offense, 25th in defense, and 28th in expected goals for percentage at five-on-five. The underlying data supports the surface numbers in the sense that the Canadiens simply have not been very good.
Nonetheless, it's a fine opportunity in a nice spot at great odds tonight. Let's roll the dice with a home underdog playing a veteran team in a back-to-back situation.
Pick: Canadiens moneyline (+130, DraftKings sportsbook)
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Today's NHL Betting Picks - Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils
O/U: 6 | Moneyline: NJ (-125)
We have an excellent matchup on tap tonight in the swamp as it's the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in a matchup of two of the better teams the Eastern Conference (and the league) has to offer.
The Bruins came out of the gate scorching hot to begin the season but have been mild of late. They are 5-4-1 over their last 10 and have dropped five of their 13 contests on the road. The latter figure obviously is not bad at all but it's certainly inferior to their 10-2-1 record on home ice.
The B's have been winning on the back of the league's best defense again this season. However, they could be without their No. 1 blueliner in Charlie McAvoy for this one while Brad Marchand has been in and out of practice of late. Additionally, Pavel Zacha is out of the lineup, which thrusts Morgan Geekie into a No. 1 center role. Not ideal.
It's a little bit of the opposite for the Devils as they have regained their health of late. Both Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are back in the lineup after missing some time.
One interesting aspect to this one is special teams. The Devils sport the NHL's best power play at 32.6% for the season while the Bruins are the owners of the NHL's top penalty kill at a stealth 89.9%. Something will have to give in this department tonight.
Interestingly, the Devils are a weak 5-6-1 on home ice versus a solid 9-5-0 on the road. They currently sit sixth in the Metropolitan division and are in desperate need of points moving forward.
They are in tough against an excellent Bruins team that controls the game and is fantastic on special teams. However, they're also the healthier club with the motivation to win. Expect them to come out fighting in this one tonight on home ice.
Pick: Devils moneyline (-125, DraftKings sportsbook)
Good luck, RotoBallers! Let's cash some bets and make some money today!
