Welcome one and all to the dog days of the NHL regular reason. It feels like we've reached the sloggy portion of the schedule a little early this year. Rest assured, though, it's here. You can tell by how the best betting sites for the NHL have needed to scramble and adjust their betting odds on the Stanley Cup daily rather than weekly or bi-weekly.
This latest batch of NHL picks seeks to wrap our head around on such wild swing: The attempt by the Edmonton Oilers to stave off complete disaster. Losers of five straight, the Oilers headline the NHL's loaded slate for Tuesday, December 14, with their matchup against the fiery Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here's a look at the latest NHL betting odds for Oilers vs. Maples as well as the rest of the league, courtesy of BetOnline:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | -130 | +118 | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Philadelphia Flyers | -118 | +107 | New Jersey Devils |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -287 | +253 | Montreal Canadiens |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -202 | +181 | Los Angeles Kings |
| Florida Panthers | -305 | +269 | Ottawa Senators |
| New York Islanders | -117 | +106 | Detroit Red Wings |
| Winnipeg Jets | -250 | +222 | Buffalo Sabres |
| Minnesota Wild | -128 | +116 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Dallas Stars | -156 | +141 | St. Louis Blues |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -118 | +107 | Edmonton Oilers |
| Colorado Avalanche | -201 | +180 | New York Rangers |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | -146 | +132 | Vancouver Canucks |
| San Jose Sharks | -141 | +128 | Seattle Kraken |
All of our NHL odds are accurate as of Tuesday morning, so be sure to double-check these lines if you're placing a bet later in the day. These NHL betting odds will continue moving right up until the opening faceoff. Also make sure you give some consideration to our reviews of top online sportsbooks if you're in the market for an NHL betting home.
Can the Oilers Reboot their Stanley Cup Stock?
It looked like the Oilers finally got their act together at the beginning of the season. Their rotation was deeper at both ends of the ice, and Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continued cobbling together MVP-worthy performances.
Those good vibes have faded over the past couple of weeks. Not only have the Oilers lost five straight and seen their Stanley Cup odds plummet, but they've fallen back into the pattern of slow starts. Edmonton has yet to win this season when trailing after the first period and is under .500 when after giving up the first goal.
Something needs to give in Edmonton if they're going to re-enter the Stanley Cup betting circle. And for what it's worth, we believe they will.
Don't Give Up on Edmonton Just Yet
Rock bottom happens. That's where the Oilers are right now. It can seem like the sky is falling in these stretches. We get it. But this can't carry on forever. Draisaitl, McDavid and Zach Hyman will start finding the back of the net soon, and the Oilers will once again be quite dangerous if they get their first-period issues under wraps.
It helps that the Maple Leafs are going through the motions on defense right now. Their goaltending play has dropped by a considerable margin. Toronto, in fact, has allowed more than three scores in every game this month.
Edmonton will have the chance to turn things around.
OSB Prediction: Edmonton Oilers (+107)
Here Come the Colorado Avalanche
At a time when so many of the top teams in the league are either banged up or just not turning heads, the Colorado Avalanche continue to chug along. They're currently scoring at a torrid pace and coming off an undefeated week.
If there were any ever doubts about the sustainability of their success this season, after such a long run last year, it was put to bed with their victory over the Florida Panthers. And while the New York Rangers may be no joke, the offense is starting to wear down.
OSB Prediction: Colorado Avalanche (-201)
San Jose's Defense will Stifle Seattle's Offense
While the offense can be too dependent on rookie forward Jonathan Dahlen, the San Jose Sharks continue to be among the most underappreciated teams in the league. They remain over .500, have a top-five record against the spread and are the fourth-best penalty-killing team in existence.
What they lack in smack-you-in-the-face star power, they make up for by gorging on the low-hanging fruit. If this were tennis, the Sharks would be considered pushers. We're confident they'll take down the Seattle Kraken, who have been an unmitigated disaster on the road and rank third to last in goals scored per game.
OSB Prediction: San Jose Sharks (-141)
Hurricanes Bump Off Slumping Wild
This matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes should be appointment viewing. But the Wild offense is laboring through a slump, one exacerbated by Kevin Fiala dropping just four goals in 28 games.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have ratcheted up their defense. Carolina is first in goals allowed per game, second in penalty-killing percentage and fourth in save percentage.
OSB Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes (+116)
Panthers to Destroy Senators
It would be unwise to bail on the Panthers now just because they lost to the Avalanche. Colorado is, after all, a good team. And no one should soon forget the Panthers have the second-highest scoring margin in all of hockey.
Of course, you shouldn't need much convincing for this matchup in the first place. The Ottawa Senators are committing a ton of penalties every game and don't score at a particularly high clip. They should be catnip for Florida.
OSB Prediction: Florida Panthers (-305)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NHL betting:
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