Tuesday NHL Best Bets Dec. 2: Will Capitals pull off upset in L.A.?

Last Updated on December 2, 2025 11:13 am by Anthony Rome

If you’re grinding the NHL card tonight, you want edges — not noise. I hunted for three spots with clear betting value: a confident road favorite with momentum, a divisional matchup that screams total, and an underdog with recent juice and matchup leverage. Consider this Tuesday NHL Best Bets Dec. 2 column as your short, sharp betting cheat-sheet for tonight’s hockey slate.

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NHL Best Bet: Tampa Bay Lightning -142

Tampa Bay’s season has been firing: the Lightning sit with a strong overall record and have been rolling recently, going 8–2 in their last 10 with multiple multi-goal wins. Their offense is averaging north of three goals per game while the opponent in this matchup has allowed consistently more scoring opportunities — that gap gives Tampa Bay a real edge in a one-off moneyline play. Back the Lightning to cover the short price; their recent form and underlying scoring numbers make -142 an acceptable price for a confident single.

NHL Best Bet: Senators/Canadiens OVER 6.5

This divisional rivalry has been an over-heavy series recently — head-to-head matchups show a strong tendency to push totals (head-to-head Over/Under reads heavily toward the Over), and both clubs have shown the capability to generate and concede goals in stretches this season. Ottawa’s recent miscues on the road and Montreal’s inconsistency (a couple of high-scoring losses mixed with wins) make 6.5 a sensible target; getting +110 on the total gives a nice risk/reward nod to leaning Over here. In short: appetite for offense + historical H2H over trend = value on 6.5.

NHL Best Bet: Washington Capitals +100

Washington has flipped the script over the past few weeks — solid record, a strong recent run (7–2–0–1 in their last stretch) and a goals-for rate in the mid-3s per game. Their power play is clicking at a respectable clip and the opponent in this matchup has shown defensive lapses at times; that combination makes the +100 underdog price attractive as a straight moneyline. This is a matchup where Washington’s recent form and possession/shot metrics give them a real shot at an outright.