Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Saturday, December 13

Expert NHL picks, matchup insights & betting angles for Dec. 13. Uncover high-value plays, parlays & sportsbook promos you can use today.

December 13, 2025

Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Saturday, December 13

By:

Daniel Dobish

December 13, 2025

NHL Picks

Expert NHL Game Previews, Matchups and Key Insights

The National Hockey League (NHL) has a total of 13 games on the scheduled for Saturday, starting with a matinee game at 12:30 p.m. EST between the Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils on NHL Network, while wrapping up at 10:00 p.m. EST with the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings on ESPN+. It's a full day of action. We'll focus on the evening window of games, giving you more time to finalize your wagers.

We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Saturday's Army-Navy game and/or early bowl games, NBA action and/or NCAA basketball. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.

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NHL Best Bets & Picks: Capitals vs Jets and Predators vs Avalanche – Expert Game Previews

For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.

NHL Best Bets Tonight: Expert Game Previews, Picks & Matchup Insights

Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets

The Capitals (18-9-4) and Jets (14-15-1) meet at Canada Life Centre at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+.

Washington suffered a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout Thursday night at Capital One Arena, and then the Capitals hopped on a flight which was slightly delayed due to weather, leaving Washington Dulles Airport at 2:26 p.m. EST, scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg at 4:40 p.m. CST. It's a little bit of a tough turnaround, although the Caps will have plenty of time to acclimate.

The Caps are 7-0-2 since their last regulation loss on Nov. 22 at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That points streak includes a 4-3 win over the Jets in D.C. on Nov. 26 as moderate favorites (-140) as the Over (6) cashed.

Capitals defensemen John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun notched goals to make it 2-0, while Gabriel Vilardi scored the next two for the Jets to pull the visitors even, including a power-play goal at 1:24 of the second. Alex Ovechkin put the home side ahead at 5:22 of the second, and at 5:25 of the third, Connor McMichael netted an unassisted goal. Mark Scheifele scored at 15:11 to make things interesting, but that's as close as the Jets would get.

Eric Comrie stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced, while Charlie Lindgren was good for 18 saves on 21 shots. Kyle Connor of the Jets had helpers on all three of the goals for the visitors, too, but it wasn't enough.

Washington is 6-3 in the past nine meetings, although the past three meetings have been decided by a single goal, including a pair of OT wins by Winnipeg. That includes both meetings last season.

Logan Thompson (13-6-3, 1.96 GAA, .926 SV%, 1 SO) is expected to go for the Caps, while Comrie (6-8-1, 3.30 GAA, .885 SV%) is still holding down the fort for the Jets while Connor Hellebuyck (knee) remains sidelined. However, Hellebuyck hasn't been officially ruled out for Saturday's matchup.

Let's side with the Capitals, who have been playing very good hockey, and we'll take the Under as well, based on Thompson's stingy ways in the crease.

Capitals ML (-122 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
Under 6.5 (-135 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche

The Predators (12-14-4) and Avalanche (22-2-7) link up at Ball Arena in Denver at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Nashville has been playing much better hockey lately, going 6-2-0 across the past eight games, including a 4-3 shootout win Tuesday as heavy underdogs (+185) at Bridgestone Arena as the Over (6) cashed.

In the 6-2-0 run from Nov. 26, the Predators are averaging 4.1 goals per game (GPG), including a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The Preds have allowed 51 goals in the past 14 games, or 3.7 GPG, with the Over going 8-1 in the previous nine.

Colorado performed well against the Florida Panthers last time out, winning 6-2 on Thursday, bouncing back from the shootout win in the Music City. The Avalanche have scored three or more goals in seven straight games, averaging 4.0 GPG, while allowing 3.2 GPG in the past five matchups. The Over has a 3-2 edge in that five-game span, including that most recent meeting with Nashville.

Juuse Saros (11-10-3, 2.98 GAA, .896 SV%) is expected to start, with Mackenzie Blackwood (9-1-1, 2.19 GAA, .920 SV%, 2 SO) is likely to start for the home side. Saros made 39 saves on 42 shots to defeat the Avs in Nashville, and he is 4-1-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .921 SV% in five December starts. Scott Wedgewood was between the pipes for Colorado, letting in three goals on 31 shots.

It's way too expensive to back Colorado straight up, costing at or more than three times your potential return. Nashville is a good value on the puck line as underdogs at plus-money. Let's take our chance on the Predators catching the goal and a half, and let's hope for overtime or a shootout again, and hopefully a late empty-net goal doesn't sink us. Let's also lean high on the total.