Last Updated on December 21, 2025 11:27 pm by Anthony Rome
Will the Lightning hammer the Blues when the two teams meet in Tampa on Monday night? Can the Kraken pull off a huge upset in Anaheim? Will the Canucks and Flyers struggle to score enough goals to cash the over? Our Monday NHL Best Bet Dec. 22 column has selectins for all three of those contests.
NHL Best Bet: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+114)
The Lightning appear poised to dominate this matchup in Tampa Bay. Tampa’s roster has been trending strong in the goal-production department, with 13 goals scored placing them among the better offenses in the league, and a defensive group that has kept opponents in check at times. Andrei Vasilevskiy, recently activated off IR, gives Tampa an elite goaltending boost with a career 2.31 GAA and .917 SV% this season — if he starts, that’s a massive edge.
The Blues, by comparison, have struggled to find consistent offense — and while they did earn a 1-0 result in a recent game, that type of low-scoring offensive performance is not sustainable.
Why Tampa Covers -1.5:
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Superior goaltending/upgrades: Vasilevskiy’s return drastically improves Tampa’s chance of limiting St. Louis.
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Offensive firepower: Lightning’s attacking depth can create multi-goal games, especially at home.
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Blues inconsistency: St. Louis has been in a lot of one-goal games and lacks the finish needed to stay close.
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Model support: projections give the Lightning a clear edge (Lightning ~63% win probability).
Prediction: Lightning win comfortably, covering -1.5.
NHL Best Bet: Seattle Kraken +160
On paper, the Ducks are favored — but the betting market likely has the price skewed here.
Seattle’s recent rebound: The Kraken snapped a four-game slide with a gritty comeback win against the Sharks, showing fight and contributions from Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson.
Value in the +160:
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Anaheim has a stronger home record, but the Ducks’ offense has been inconsistent and Seattle can exploit it if goaltending stabilizes and special teams find traction.
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Kraken underdogs often outperform their implied odds; Seattle has won about 35.7% of games as an underdog this season — better than some expect.
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The Ducks aren’t exactly elite defensively, and the Kraken’s middle forward group can create offense in transition.
Key factors in Seattle’s favor:
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Opponent regression risk: Ducks aren’t significantly better fundamentally — the implied ~66% edge may be inflated.
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Motivation bounce: Seattle’s morale boost from their recent comeback could carry over against a split Anaheim lineup.
Prediction: Bet Kraken +160 for the outright upset.
NHL Best Bet: Canucks/Flyers under 5.5
Canucks/Flyers UNDER 5.5
This line is a classic “tend the ball toward structure” situation. Vancouver and Philadelphia both have competitive defenses and hot goaltending from time to time — and recent results back up low scoring.
Recent form backs the under:
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The Canucks have shown the ability to keep games tight, including a 3-0 shutout vs. the Rangers and a 5-4 extra-time win where the total stayed under pressure duration.
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The Flyers have hit goals but often in structured sets where they control pace, and their goalie has kept totals lower in prior stretches.
Injuries & roster context:
Vancouver is still without star Elias Pettersson (IR), and Pierre-Olivier Joseph is out (illness), which weakens scoring punch.
Philadelphia doesn’t boast a dynamic power play, so blow-out scoring bursts are less likely. Dan Vladar and Cam Dvorak have been banged up, potentially affecting depth and forcing tighter rotations.
Outcome Expectation:
These two teams battle in the neutral zone, and with Pettersson out and both sides buttoning defense, this aggressively priced UNDER 5.5 has value.
Prediction: UNDER 5.5 hits.
Monday NHL Best Bets Dec. 22
- Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+114)
- Seattle Kraken +160
- Canucks/Flyers under 5.5
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