Last Updated on December 28, 2025 10:42 am by Anthony Rome
Will the Islanders pull off the upset in Columbus on Sunday? Will the Canadiens and Lightning combine for enough goals to cash the over? Can the Red Wings take down the Maple Leafs? Our Sunday NHL Best Bets Dec. 28 has selections for all three of these matchups.
NHL Best Bet: Islanders +124 (at Columbus)
Why the Islanders?
The Islanders continue to be one of the tougher outs in the Eastern Conference — especially behind strong goaltending and timely scoring. Backup David Rittich has been outstanding in relief of an injured Ilya Sorokin, posting his second shutout of the season in a 2–0 win over the Rangers most recently, stopping all 27 shots he faced.
Even with Sorokin out again, Rittich has looked steady, and the Islanders’ defensive structure consistently limits high-danger chances — controlling rebounds and smothering second opportunities. That defensive reliability is exactly the kind of edge you want when taking a road ML underdog.
Offensively, Bo Horvat’s return has added a needed boost to the attack, and Mat Barzal has been firing at a high level with a multi-game point streak in December. Meanwhile, Columbus is an average club through 36 games (≈15–15–6) with middling offense (108 GF) and a below-average defense (125 GA).
Key Factors:
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Islanders defensive structure and goaltending creates uphill tasks for the Blue Jackets.
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Columbus inconsistency has made them a less reliable bet at home.
Bet: Islanders ML (+124)
NHL Best Bet: Canadiens/Lightning over 5.5
Prediction: Over 5.5 Goals
Sunday’s matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning has all the ingredients for a high-scoring affair.
Offensive Upside:
The Lightning are capable of generating offense in bunches, as shown by recent games (including an 8–4 outburst in a mid-December matchup). Meanwhile, Montreal has some scoring pop of its own — coming off a solid performance where they lit up Boston 6–2 before the break.
Goaltending & Defensive Questions:
While Tampa Bay’s core players like Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman are pivotal to their production, recent lineups have seen some rotation between Vasilevskiy and backups — providing variance in netminding quality. Canadiens rookie netminders have shown flashes but lack consistency, particularly against high-tempo teams.
Prediction Angle:
Both teams have shown they can light the lamp and alleviate pressure with offense. Given the tendencies and lineup uncertainties on the defensive end, over 5.5 is well within reach — especially if the Lightning push the pace from puck drop.
Bet: Canadiens/Lightning – Over 5.5 Goals
NHL Best Bet: Red Wings -122 (vs. Toronto)
Prediction: Red Wings ML (-122)
Detroit has steadily improved and is clicking offensively, now sporting a solid 22–14–3 record on the season. Their attack is spearheaded by Alex DeBrincat, who leads the team in scoring and has delivered key goals recently, including multiple tallies in his last handful of games.
Detroit’s depth contribution — with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond driving secondary offense — gives this Red Wings team the scoring balance needed to thrive at home. Their power play has also been respectable and creates a differential against teams that falter under pressure.
The Maple Leafs, while historically potent, have shown vulnerability as of late and will be without their full complement of stars. Recent Leafs scoring outputs have been uneven in the second half of December, and a road contest against a motivated Red Wings squad isn’t a guaranteed offensive outburst.
Additionally, the Leafs allowed 7 goals in a recent high-scoring win, indicating some defensive fluctuation that could bite them here.
Bet: Red Wings ML (-122)
Sunday NHL Best Bets Dec. 28
- New York Islanders +124
- Canadiens/Lightning over 5.5
- Detroit Red Wings -122
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