Will the Oilers handle business as slight favorites when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night? Can the Maple Leafs pull off a significant upset in Dallas? Are the Devils a smart play as a home favorite versus the Sabres? Our Sunday NHL Best Bets Dec. 21 column has betting selections for all three of these games.
NHL Best Bet: New Jersey Devils -138 (vs. Sabres)
Why the Devils?
Buffalo’s five-game win streak is impressive on the surface — but look under the hood and the Sabres’ success hasn’t been backed by elite puck possession or consistent goaltending metrics.More importantly, Buffalo defenseman Conor Timmins is out 6–8 weeks with a broken leg, creating a notable hole in their defensive structure. Their hot streak could well regress.
New Jersey comes in feeling confident after a couple of recent wins and home ice at the Prudential Center. While the Devils have struggled on special teams at times this month, they’ve weathered that storm and have strong contributions from multi-point threats like Luke Hughes on the blue line — someone who’s consistently been driving offense.
Goaltending edge: Hosting this game gives New Jersey the advantage with their tenders trending more reliably than Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has been up and down this season — and mental lapses at key moments could be costly.
NHL Best Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs +180 (at Stars)
This line is heavy underdog value, but I love the Upset Alert here.
Leafs struggles meet Stars expectations:
Toronto has hit a rough patch — including a 5-3 loss to Nashville most recently — and their form has been inconsistent. The Stars, meanwhile, are one of the league’s best teams and dominant at home — but it’s early in a tough West-heavy schedule, and this line at +180 reflects that both teams aren’t being undervalued, they’re priced in relative to context.
Injury & lineup context:
Dallas forward Tyler Seguin is out long-term, and a couple of defensive pieces are also sidelined. Meanwhile Toronto — despite recent offensive lulls — has William Nylander leading the attack, a proven playoff producer and overtime hero this season. With today’s shootout loss background and jumbled recent results, Toronto is due for a bounce-back against a high-volume Stars club that may not dominate the special teams matchup.
Why the moneyline?
As underdogs, Leaf goaltending and opportunistic scoring can flip this into an upset, especially if Dallas skates flat early or falls behind. NHL betting is about value, and +180 is value here if you believe Toronto can hang with top-tier foes when their stars deliver.
NHL Best Bet: Edmonton Oilers -130 (vs. Golden Knights)
Edmonton motivation & offensive talent:
The Oilers enter this matchup with elite firepower led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but their top storyline is that goalie Tristan Jarry was just placed on injured reserve and Calvin Pickard will handle the starts. That could be seen as a negative — but Edmonton has still been outscoring opponents and finding offensive answers, even in a recent setback versus Minnesota.
Vegas injuries & volatility:
The Golden Knights are dealing with Shea Theodore out week-to-week, and while Vegas insists they’re not worried, losing a key defense driver impacts transition defense and breakout plays. Goalie Carter Hart is tabbed to start, a solid presence but not showing the consistency that keeps bettors comfortable against a high-octane Oilers club.
Matchup dynamics:
Edmonton’s scoring depth and elite transitional play give them the edge. Even with a shaky back end, they can overwhelm Vegas if they strike early — and at -130, you’re not overpaying for that upside.
Sunday NHL Best Bets Dec. 21
- New Jersey Devils -138
- Toronto Maple Leafs +180
- Edmonton Oilers -130
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