Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Tuesday, December 23

NHL picks & best bets: Sharks vs Golden Knights & Kraken vs Kings. Expert previews, parlay ideas, and value bets to help boost your wager.

December 23, 2025

Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Tuesday, December 23

By:

Daniel Dobish

December 23, 2025

NHL Picks

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NHL Best Bets & Picks: Sharks vs Golden Knights and Kraken vs Kings – Expert Game Previews

The National Hockey League (NHL) has a ton of games on the slate, as it's the final day before a 72-hour hiatus for the Christmas holiday break. Hockey will reconvene on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

If you're a regular reader, or even if you're not, Happy Holidays, and an early Happy New Year (although I'll probably hit you again with that later, too!)

We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with NBA and/or NCAA basketball action. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.

Top up your bankroll thanks to sportsbook promos like this BetMGM bonus code offering $1,500 in bonus bets.

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.

San Jose Sharks at Vegas Golden Knights

The Sharks (17-16-3) and Golden Knights (16-8-10) meet at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with a puck drop of 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Vegas has dominated this series lately, winning nine in a row, while the Over has cashed in four of the past five in the series. That includes a pair of 4-3 wins by VGK so far this season, including a 4-3 win last time they met in Las Vegas on Nov. 29 as a giant favorite (-340). The Golden Knights won 4-3 in San Jose on Oct. 9 in overtime, too, and the Over (6.5) cashed in both matchups.

The Sharks limp in with a pair of losses in the past two games, but they're still a respectable 3-2-0 in the past five, and they've won three of the past four games on the road, too, including an impressive 4-1 win in Carolina as a huge underdog (+280).

The Golden Knights have also dropped a pair of high-scoring losses, averaging 3.0 goals per game (GPG) in the past two games, but allowing 5.0 GPG. Neither Carter Hart nor Akira Schmid has had very many answers.

We're going to side with the Sharks catching a goal and a half, and we'll go high on the total, both picks based on the results we've seen this season. VGK has won nine in a row in the series, and both previous meetings this season, but the games have been super close.

Sharks +1.5 Goals (-140 at Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
Over 5.5 Goals (-140 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Seattle Kraken at Los Angeles Kings

The Kraken (14-14-6) and Kings (15-11-9) meet at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. EST, and again, the game is available on ESPN+.

Seattle has won three of the past four meetings in this series, including a 3-2 overtime victory in the first installment this season on Dec. 10. In that victory, Jared McCann picked up a power-play goal at 3:21 of the second period, while Alex Laferriere had a shorthanded goal in the second period.

In the third period, Kevin Fiala of the Kings, and Matty Beniers of the Kraken, exchanged power-play goals in the third period. Beniers forced overtime with just 26 seconds left in regulation with an extra attacker. In overtime, the Kraken took advantage of a slashing call on Adrian Kempe, and Vince Dunn netted a 4-on-3 power-play goal.

Anton Forsberg deserved a better fate, allowing three power-play goals on 33 shots, while Joey Daccord allowed two goals on 26 shots. Those are likely going to be the goaltenders again on Tuesday night, as Darcy Kuemper remains sidelined due to an upper-body injury, and there is no sense rushing him back with a few more days off coming later this week.

The Kings have really struggled to score goals lately, going for just nine total goals in the past six games, or 1.5 goals per game (GPG). The Under, unsurprisingly, has cashed in each of those games. That streak was kicked off with a 3-2 OTL in Seattle.

We're going to side with Daccord and the Kraken again on the road. Seattle just seems to have the number of Los Angeles, and the Kings have been impotent on offense lately. As such, we're also going to go with the Under in this late-night Pacific Division battle.