Christmas is fast approaching, but there’s still time to squeeze in plenty of NHL action, and we have some Ice Hockey betting picks for the best of Monday night’s action.
Preseason favorites, Colorado Avalanche were supposed to be in action tonight, but their match is now off. Despite not having the most fluent of starts to the season, the Avalanche are still betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup with top sportsbooks.
Jared Bednar’s team has just about done enough to hold onto the favorites tag, without totally excelling yet this term.
| Latest Stanley Cup Winner Betting Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +550 | +600 |
| Florida Panthers | +900 | +900 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +900 | +900 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1000 | +900 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1100 | +1200 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 | +1200 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1500 | +1600 |
| Boston Bruins | +1800 | +1600 |
If they are favorites with the NHL Stanley Cup Vegas Betting Odds compilers, it goes without saying really that they are also favorites to win the Western Conference.
They are being pushed by the Vegas Golden Knights though.
The Golden Knights are one of the newest franchises in the NHL, and they are yet again having an excellent season.
Although they have more points than the Avalanche, the Knights have played an additional four matches.
The betting to win the Western Conference sees the Knights as second favorites at +450 and the Alavalance as +260 betting favorites.
Colorado Avalanche was due to play tonight and was supposed to be a major part of our betting picks.
But due to Covid-19 outbreaks, the NHL has decided to postpone their match tonight, and the Avalanche won’t now be seen until after the Christmas break.
The same fate has befallen the Florida Panthers, who have also seen their fixtures halted by the governing body.
Instead tonight, we’re sticking with the Western Conference, and we’re going to focus on the Minnesota Wild, and their attempt to get back to winning ways in Dallas.
One match that – so far – has survived the Covid-19 pandemic is the Stars against the Wild.
The Stars sit third from bottom in the Central Division. They have 30 points from 28 matches, and this season has been a struggle for them.
On Saturday night they needed overtime to see off the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, in what was a huge game for them.
The Blackhawks sit directly beneath the Stars in the division. And defeat would have seen Chicago get within touching distance of Dallas.
As a result of the O|T win, the Stars are now on a winning streak of one. Not great, but a start.
They face a Minnesota Wild side tonight, who are on a losing streak of three. So is there a better time to have a chance of causing an upset?
Looking at the recent form in more detail, and in their last 10 matches, the Stars have a 5-5-0 record. The Wild’s 10 match record is 7-2-1.
Before the win over the Blackhawks, the Stars had lost five in a row. This included back-to-back 4-1 defeats to the (home and away) to the St Loius Blues.
Quite an achievement within the same week!
As for the Wild, as previously mentioned they are on a losing streak of three.
Thursday night’s 3-2 home defeat to the Sabres came in O|T and was their most recent.
Prior to that, the Wild lost 6-4 away to the Golden Knights, and 2-1 away to the Kings.
The defeat to the Kings will have hurt!
Despite these setbacks, the Wild still sits top of the Central Division, with games in hand on all but the Colorado Avalanche.
The Wild has a 19-8-2 record this season, and prior to the recent three defeats, won eight in a row.
From the Dallas Stars’ perspective, they will be looking at this match and thinking this is the perfect time to take on the Wild.
From the Wilds’ point of view, they will be looking at this match as the ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways.
They will see the Stars as a struggling side. And if they have any aspirations of winning the division, or even the Stanley Cup, they need to beating teams like the Stars. Period!
In the betting odds, the Wild are +104 on the Moneyline with BetOnline (check out our BetOnline Sportsbook Review for more details about this sportsbook).
The Stars are the favorites at -115, which is probably down to a combination of home advantage, and the fact that the Wild have looked a touch weary of late.
On the handicap line, the Wild are -240 with a +1.5 points start. At -1.5, the Stars are +200.
Finally, Under 5.5 Total Points is +104, and Over 5.5 Total Points is -115.
With neither of these two sides in great form, and with the Wild – in particular – having had a grueling schedule of late, I’m anticipating a lethargic match tonight.
So for my betting pick, I am going for Under 5.5 Total Points.
If you like betting on the NHL, be sure to check out our Las Vegas NHL Betting Sites page.
Here you will find all you need to know about betting on NHL, along with some great betting offers.
And with the busy holiday period upon us (covid-19 besides), there has never been a better time.
