Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Lightning-Maple Leafs, Kings-Mammoth, Sabres-Flames)

Breaking down the best NHL bets on the ice for the five-game slate on Monday, December 8.

Brandon Hagel and the Lightning are road favorites in Toronto. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

We have a five-game NHL slate on the docket to kick off the week on Monday night.

My best bets for tonight are targeting two road teams and one home squad to come out on top.

Let’s get right into the best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Monday, Dec. 8.

NHL Best Bets for Monday, Dec. 8

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Tampa Bay Lightning (-125) at Toronto Maple Leafs
• Los Angeles Kings (-102) at Utah Mammoth
• Calgary Flames (-110) vs. Buffalo Sabres

Tampa Bay Lightning (-125) at Toronto Maple Leafs

The Lightning have lost three in a row, but they’ve deserved better results. They’ve outshot the opposition 103-73 in those three contests, but lost by a total of four goals.

On the flip side, the Maple Leafs were outshot during two of their three-game winning streak prior to a home loss to the Canadiens on Saturday night.

Going on the road hasn’t been an issue for the Lightning this season. They’re 8-3-2 away from home while the Leafs are just 8-4-4 at home.

Both teams are a bit beat up, but the Lightning have shown they can stay in games and come out victorious even while missing pieces.

Los Angeles Kings (-102) at Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth are in a really tough spot on Monday night. Not only is it their first game back at home after a six-game road trip, but it’s also the third game in four nights for them. They’ve won just two of their last seven games to fall to 14-13-3 on the season.

Meanwhile, the Kings got back on track in a big way with a 6-0 shutout win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night. They now head out on the road for a quick two-game trip, and they’re an impressive 9-2-4 away from home.

This is a great spot to back the Kings as road underdogs on Monday night.

Calgary Flames (-110) vs. Buffalo Sabres

The Flames have put up good underlying metrics all season long, and they’re finally starting to see some results. 

They’re 6-1-2 in their last nine games, including two wins over the Wild and Mammoth at home. Calgary has really turned things around since a 2-9-2 start to the season to get up to a respectable 11-15-4 record.

Buffalo has been one of the worst road teams in the league this season at 2-8-2. They’ve lost their last two games, 5-2 in Philadelphia and 4-1 in Winnipeg, and they’re ripe for another loss in Calgary on Monday night.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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