Predictions & Betting Odds for December 22 NHL Games

Find out which are the best hockey betting lines for you to put your money with our predictions and odds for December 22 NHL games!

Unsure where to begin with all the great matches taking place tonight? Let GamingZion steer you in the right direction with our winner predictions and betting odds for December 22 NHL games. As always, our hockey picks feature betting lines from GTbets, a great online sportsbooks in the US!

Anaheim Ducks vs New York Rangers

The Anaheim Ducks will be looking to bounce back from two losses in a row when they pay a visit to the Big Apple tonight. Their Monday night 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders made the team’s biggest issue obvious: Their offense is terrible. Though that’s no secret, as they’re currently dead last in the league in scoring with only 1.8 gpg, and have been shut out seven times this year alone—the most in the league. It’s a shame, especially as rest of the team is quite solid.

The New York Rangers are also experiencing a slump, having lost to the Washington Capitals 7-3. But unlike Anaheim, their problem lies not with their offense, but with their defense. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist started the season strong but was in sorry form during the Capitals game, and was even pulled out after he gave up the first five goals. That said, we wouldn’t give up on him just yet, as he is 4-5 with a 2.52 GAA in his career with the Ducks.

If one thing is for certain about this game, it’s that it’ll be one team’s rebound. But which one? Current NHL hockey betting lines are pointing towards New York. While their defense has been undoubtedly suffering lately, we think they’ll fare well against a team whose offense might as well be nonexistent. So you can do some internet betting on the Ducks at 2.30 (13/10) if you want, but we’d strongly advise against considering them as underdogs in this game—they’re just completely unbalanced.

Prediction: New York Rangers win 1.67 (67/100) at GTbets

New Jersey Devils vs Detroit Red Wings

The New Jersey Devils have the same offensive problem as the Ducks. They’re currently 27th in the league in scoring (2.26 gpg) and have only scored five goals in their last five games. Their offense—or lack therefore of—is especially disappointing because they’ve got a dangerous defense, which clocks in at 6th in the league in goals allowed (2.35 gpg), 8th in penalty kill (82.9%), and 8th in shots allowed (28.4 spg).

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are on an upswing, having put an end to Calgary’s blaze of glory when they defeated them 4-2. Dylan Larkin and Brad Richards were the stars of the game’s second period, having scored two goals within 45 seconds of each other. Goalie Petr Mrazek was also in fine form, having stopped 26 shots. He now stands 10-8 with a 2.35 GA. The rest of their defense isn’t bad either, ranking 13th in goals allowed and 14th in penalty kill.

Odds for December 22 NHL games are favoring the Red Wings to win this match, with Detroit available on GTbets at 1.61 (61/100) and New Jersey at 2.45 (29/20). We don’t dispute it. However, we think the better bet would be on it being under 5. Detroit has the better offense but both teams have a strong defense, and you can count on them being on full display tonight.

Prediction: Under at 1.87 (87/100) at GTbets

Ottawa Senators vs Florida Panthers

We would be worried about visiting Florida if we were the Ottawa Senators, who have lost their last four away games. They’re obviously not a good road team, and we’d even goes as far to say they’re not that great team in general as of late. However, hockey fans and bettors can’t disregard them completely, as they are still ranked 8th in the East Division. The credit for that accomplishment largely goes to their great offense, which currently stands at 5th in the league scoring (3.0 gpg), thanks to strong players like Zach Smith and Erik Karlsson.

The Florida Panthers, on the other hand, have now won four games in a row following their 5-4 defeat of the Vancouver Canucks last Sunday. The match was all about Jaromir Jagr, who scored his 732nd career goal and leads his team in points at 24, as well as Aleksander Barkov, who scored the deciding goal in the shootout. Their players’ strong performances have helped the Panthers climb up to 13th in the league in scoring (2.6 gpg) and 12th in power play conversions.

This should be no US gambling news: The Panthers have the best odds for December 22 NHL games to win this match. Both teams are quite good but the Senators are very inconsistent, whereas the Panthers have proved themselves to be a great, well-balanced team time and time again. You could always take a gamble on Ottawa on GTbets at 2.15 (23/20), but we really think that money’s best put on the Panthers, who are well on their way to having a major hot streak.

Prediction: Florida Panthers win 1.74 (37/50) at GTbets