It is a disappointing time for fans of the NHL, as we are seeing a lot of games wiped out as the league tries to deal with the sudden spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A large portion of this week’s schedule has already been postponed, with travel between Canada and the US once again restricted. The hope is that we can get through the holiday period with no further spread, but we are definitely seeing the league playing it by ear at the moment and trying to react to the situation as it happens. Despite a good portion of the schedule being shut down, we still have a lot of very good games coming our way between now and the weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the games you should be watching and wagering on this week against the NHL odds.

NHL Betting | Top Must Bet Games Dec 20th Edition

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars – Monday

The once comfortable lead that the Minnesota Wild had atop the Central Division has now been reduced to a single point now that they are on a 3-game losing skid. They will look to get back to winning ways when they go on the road for a divisional matchup versus the Dallas Stars, who ended last week with a win to get back to .500 over their last 10 games. The Stars are a very solid 10-3-1 in their own building, so they will not be a pushover for the division leaders.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights – Tuesday

The defending Stanley Cup champions have overcome a bit of a slow start to move back to the top of the Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning got there by going 7-2-1 over their last 10 games and come into the new week on a modest 2-game win streak. They will be on the road to face the Vegas Golden Knights, who have moved to the top of the Pacific Division after winning 5 in a row and 8 of their last 10 games. This is a matchup that would stand out even in a packed weekly schedule.

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins – Thursday

The entire Wednesday slate of games has already been wiped out, so we jump ahead to Thursday to look for a couple of games that should get your attention. We have a divisional rivalry game with this one, with the Penguins looking to continue their strong run of form. They have won 7 in a row to move within 4 points of the lead in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers are coming off a win to close out last week, but they are still just 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

LA Kings at Vegas Golden Knights – Thursday

We have another big divisional game set to go on Thursday night, with this one featuring a pair of teams from the Pacific Division. Vegas closed out last week by extending their unbeaten streak to 5 games, which means that they went 8-2-0 in their last 10 and all the way to the top of the division. The LA Kings have gone 5-3-2 in their last 10 games prior to this week’s action, but they are still sitting off the pace in the race for an automatic playoff berth.

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