NHL Friday parlay at mega (+1068) odds, today 12/23: Panthers look to pounce

Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk

Mark Lammey

Show Bio

I've been a capper since my love for sports met my proficiency with numbers and math. The NFL and NCAAF have always been my first loves, followed by the NHL. Although I prefer sports that involve hitting people, I still love capping MLB, soccer, tennis, and even some esports. Living in Florida has its perks like year-round sports of any kind. For Mark Lammey media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

Florida Panthers -1.5 (+205) over New York Islanders

We mentioned the Eastern Conference clash in New Jersey, which features the Devils. That was the last team the Panthers faced, and Florida held a lead over that great team before ultimately falling. However, they have a great opportunity to bounce back against an Islanders team that will be on the second night of a back-to-back. With so many teams in action, that’s going to be the case across the board. That doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of those situations, especially the one in New York.

The Islanders will be entering this matchup having had to take on their cross-town rivals, the New York Rangers, the night prior. That was the third and final meeting between them, so it’s no surprise that they had starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin in net. Backup Semyon Varlamov is no scrub, but he’s still not the starter for a reason. The Panthers were able to beat that tough Devils team less than a week ago, and really need a win before this mini-break. For a team that had the NHL’s best record last season, not being in playoff position is a huge disappointment. Florida has already beaten New York twice this season, and can complete the trifecta tonight.

Dallas Stars -1.5 (-115) over Montreal Canadiens

We’re not going to pick on another team on the second night of back-to-back, not yet anyway. Instead we’re simply focused on a mismatch of talent. The Stars have been the class of the Central Division for the majority of the season, and will look to head into the 3-day break in the same position. Much like the Panthers, they will be looking to bounce back tonight. That hasn’t often been the case for Dallas, but taking on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers is always a tough task. Regardless, the Canadiens do not have that sort of star power or depth.

Montreal actually had an impressive game their last time on the ice, holding the Colorado Avalanche to just 1 goal in regulation. However, they still went on to lose that game, which speaks volumes to their own goalscoring struggles. That’s the worst thing for a team to be experiencing when going up against this Stars team. Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger has been elite this year, and was exactly that when these teams faced earlier this season. That was a convincing 5-2 win by the Stars, which was up in Montreal. Now in the comfort of their own arena and the Canadiens on their third straight road game, expect a similar result.

Be sure to check out our Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars predictions

Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+105) over Vancouver Canucks

Now let’s pick on another team that will be on the second night of a back-to-back. After taking on the Seattle Kraken in Vancouver, the Canucks will now have to face the aforementioned McDavid and the Oilers. That’s a perfect recipe for both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to have excellent nights given Vancouver’s terrible goaltending. No matter how you slice it, they’ve been awful. They’re allowing the 3rd-most goals per game overall, the 3rd-most on the road, and the 4th-most in the last month.

McDavid and company just scored 6 goals on that stout Stars defense we discussed, so tonight should be more of the same. Not only that, they did so on the road. Now they get to head back to Edmonton for this matchup and did not have to play on Thursday night. When these teams met in Vancouver earlier this season, that was also a multi-goal win by the Oilers. Even if the Canucks miraculously find themselves with their better goaltending of last season, Edmonton beat them in all 4 meetings then too. Look for a big game from the superstars in McDavid and Draisaitl to lead to a big win.

Don’t miss out on our NHL player props for tonight’s action!