It's not often we get early afternoon hockey in the middle of the week, but that's exactly what we have today. The NHL will be off over the Christmas weekend, so we're jam-packed with action the next two days. Although we aren't targeting that first game in our mega parlay, we are looking to the third and final Battle of New York for this season. Along with a Central Division clash and the nightcap in Los Angeles, we've got 3 different markets on deck. With that said, let's dive into the 3 plays we feel have the best value.'
Along with our mega parlay, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today's action.
New York Rangers 3-way ML (+100) over New York Islanders
It's surprising that these cross-town rivals will already be meeting for the last time this entire season. As unfortunate as that is, it's an opportunity for the Rangers to get their revenge. They lost each of the first 2 meetings this year, but they've been playing infinitely better since then. Although they fell in their most recent game by 1 goal to a tough Pittsburgh Penguins team, they had won 7 straight prior to that. That included scoring 13 goals across just 2 games prior to the Pens matchup. They also took down some of the best teams in the NHL during that span.'
New York defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs by multiple goals, the New Jersey Devils, the defending Stanley Cup-champion Colorado Avalanche on the road and the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights 5-1, also away from home. Now the Rangers get to bring their strong form back to Madison Square Garden and show the Islanders how much they've improved since their last meeting. It's also worth noting that this will be the Islanders 5th straight road game, and were just shut out on Monday night. We're expecting a low-scoring contest, but one the Rangers can take on home ice.