Mark Lammey
Show Bio
After just 3 games on the board last night, we’ve got 4 times as much action tonight. Not only do we have 12 games going on, but 8 of them drop the puck in the early window. It also means we have plenty of opportunities to piece together the most valuable plays for a mega parlay. Breaking down so many games can be a daunting task, but we have you covered. All 3 of our legs take place in the first set of games, so let’s get into it. Before we dive in, be sure to check out our NHL picks for today’s action.
This mega parlay is available at BetMGM, who have the best odds available at +928. New customers can Bet $10 and Win $200 if a goal is scored! Click this link to take advantage of this great offer.
Anaheim Ducks 3-way ML (+200) over Montreal Canadiens
Just as our title states, it’s quite a dare to back the Ducks this season. Are they a great team? Absolutely not. Although they are far from the mighty Ducks, they can still pull off this upset. First and foremost, the Canadiens aren’t exactly juggernauts themselves. They are very reliant on a 21-year-old in Cole Caufield, and we just got banged up a few nights ago. He’ll be on the ice, but he and the rest of the team will also be on the second night of a back-to-back.
They were just in Ottawa to face the Senators last night before heading back to Montreal. Their goaltending has already been awful so that only makes matters worse. The Canadiens are allowing the 10th-most goals per game overall, the 7th-most over the last month and the 6th-most at home. Again, the Ducks are certainly not a great team, but they capitalized in their matchups against Montreal last season as well. They won both of their meetings, one of which was by multiple goals. Troy Terry and Terry Zegras are due for big games, and this is the prime spot for them to do so.
Be sure to check out our full Anaheim Ducks vs Montreal Canadiens predictions
Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-120) over Columbus Blue Jackets
Let’s transition to a team that is much easier to trust than the Ducks. Unlike Anaheim, Tampa has been to the last 3 Stanley Cup Finals, winning 2 of them. After a slow first month to the year, they’re looking back in that form now. Not only are they 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, but they’ve also been even more dominant this past week. They’ve won each of their last 3 games by multiple goals, all of which were at home. Now they get to remain in Tampa and welcome in one of the worst teams in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets were just shut out by the other Florida team — the Panthers — and not producing goals is a problem for any team, let alone one that allows far too many. Columbus is one of just 2 teams allowing more than 4 goals per game, and the Lightning have already taken advantage of that weakness this season. These teams met towards the beginning of the year, with Tampa winning that matchup 5-2 in Columbus. Now at home and firing on all cylinders, a similar result should be in store. There’s a reason even the puck line isn’t plus-money, but it’s still worth the play.
Be sure to check out our Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning predictions
New Jersey Devils -1.5 (-115) over Philadelphia Flyers
We’re finishing off with another puck line that doesn’t have plus-money odds, again proving the significant talent gap with this matchup. The Devils have been the biggest success story of the first 2 months of the season, but that’s no longer a surprise. Sitting atop the Metro Division at 21-6-2 is no fluke, unlike the beginning of the Flyers season. They came out looking strong, but to say they’ve fizzled out would be an understatement.
They’re 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, and are the only team in the Eastern Conference without 10 wins. The Devils have 10 wins at home alone, and that’s where they’ll be tonight. They will also be coming out ready to bounce back from a recent loss, which has obviously been rare for them. However, that was against a Dallas Stars team that leads the Central Division and has great goaltending. The same cannot be said for the Flyers, especially recently. Philly has allowed 3.88 goals per game on the road over the last month, the 5th-most in the NHL. New Jersey is the 6th-highest scoring team in the league and should prove that with a convincing win tonight.
Also don’t miss out on our NHL player props for tonight’s action!
Thursday’s NHL mega parlay (12/15)
Ducks 3-way ML (+200)
Lightning -1.5 (-120)
Devils -1.5 (-115)
Parlay odds: +928
Pickswise is the home of free NHL Picks and NHL Predictions. Check back for our daily NHL Best Bets, including our favorite NHL Prop Bets.
