Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – December 3rd Edition

The Toronto Maple Leafs just got a lot better. Ahead of a Dec. 1 deadline to sign holdout William Nylander to an extension, the team did as he got a six-year, $41.4 million deal. Had Nylander not signed by Saturday’s deadline he would have been ineligible play in the NHL for the rest of the season and the Maple Leafs would have retained the restricted free agent’s rights. He had 20 goals and 41 assists last year. Here’s a look at two intriguing NHL matchups this week. Check back for the latest NHL Odds. 

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – December 3rd

🎥 Smith: I think overall, we played a good game. If we keep that momentum and that pace into the next one, it’ll give us a good outcome. pic.twitter.com/QV00SwuENY

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) 2 de diciembre de 2018

Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights

• When: Tuesday, 10 PM ET (ESPN+)

Capitals fans will always remember the night of June 7, 2018. That’s because Washington won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a 4-3 victory at Vegas in Game 5 of last season’s Finals. Lars Eller scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:37 to play. Alex Ovechkin capped his playoff MVP campaign with an early power-play goal, and Devante Smith-Pelly tied it with a full-stretch goal midway through the final period of the Capitals’ fourth consecutive victory over the Golden Knights. It was the first title for any major Washington, D.C., franchise since the Redskins won the Super Bowl early in 1992. Still an amazing season for the Golden Knights, who were an expansion team.

These clubs played Oct. 10 in Washington and the Caps won 5-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and three assists. He torched Vegas in the Stanley Cup Finals with eight points. Braden Holtby made 29 saves. Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 28 shots.

Both clubs had a winning streak snapped last time out. The Caps’ seven-game run ended in a 6-5 home loss to Anaheim on Sunday. The Ducks trailed 5-1 in the second. Anaheim became the first NHL team to overcome a four-goal deficit on the road to win in regulation since Colorado accomplished the feat against Florida on March 3, 1999. It was the second time in franchise history that the Ducks overcame a four-goal deficit to win in any fashion, joining a 5-4 overtime victory against Winnipeg on March 31, 2014.

The Knights’ five-game winning streak ended Saturday in a 2-1 loss at Edmonton. Ryan Spooner scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period.

Recent Head to Head (Last 8 Games)

• Record: Washington leads 5-3
• Score: Washington 3.50 / Vegas 2.88
• Shots: Washington 26.75 / Vegas 30.75
• Power Play Goals: Washington 7 / Vegas 4
• Number of Power Plays: Washington 26 / Vegas 20
• Power Play Percentage: Washington 26.92 / Vegas 20.00
• Penalty Kill Percentage: Washington 80.00 / Vegas 73.08

New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings

• When: Thursday, 10:30 PM ET (NHL Center Ice)

It’s been a lousy season for the Kings, who already have made a coaching change, and it just got worse. Winger Ilya Kovalchuk will be sidelined for about four weeks after undergoing a procedure on his ankle. He was the team’s big offseason free agent signing. The veteran Russian has five goals and nine assists in 25 games since returning to the NHL with the Kings this season. Kovalchuk spent the previous five years with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. The Kings already are the worst offensive team in the league.

In a desperate move, the team claimed right wing Nikita Scherbak off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, hoping the former first-round draft pick can restart his career in new surroundings.

Scherbak, who will be 23 later this month, was selected 26th overall by the Canadiens in 2014. He scored one goal in three games in the 2016-17 season and had four goals and six points in 26 games with Montreal this season. He played two seasons in the Western Hockey League and two seasons in the American Hockey League and so is familiar with North American rinks and the style of play.

The Devils enter the week on a five-game skid. They are also 0-5 in overtime this year. It’s the first meeting of the year between the Devils and Kings. New Jersey won 3-0 in LA last year behind 38 saves from Keith Kincaid. Michael Grabner, Nico Hischier and Miles Wood each scored for the Devils. Kinkaid is 3-0-0 in his career against the Kings with two shutouts so it’s safe to say he should be in there Thursday.

Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

• Record: New Jersey leads 6-4
• Score: New Jersey 2.20 / Los Angeles 1.80
• Shots: New Jersey 22.50 / Los Angeles 27.40
• Power Play Goals: New Jersey 4 / Los Angeles 3
• Number of Power Plays: New Jersey 25 / Los Angeles 32
• Power Play Percentage: New Jersey 16.00 / Los Angeles 9.38
• Penalty Kill Percentage: New Jersey 90.63 / Los Angeles 84.00

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Expert NHL Betting Picks

Take Vegas and New Jersey.