NHL Must Bet Games Week 9, Analysis & Picks for 2024 Season

Another week of NHL action is in the books, and as we get ready to move ahead to another busy week, it’s fun to look back and see how fortunes have changed for some teams in the opening couple of months of the season.

For example, the Winnipeg Jets came storming out of the gate in a hurry, setting a pace that was always going to be impossible to maintain.

Analysis of the NHL Must Bet Games Week 9

They have fallen off the pace and have now lost the lead in the Central Division. Are we going to see more teams rise and fall in the coming weeks and months?

Of course, we are, but all we can do is take it one game and one week at a time, so let’s look at the matchups we love over the next 4 days.

New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers

Monday, December 2, 2024, 6:00 PM, NHL Net

The Metropolitan Division is about as tight as it gets, with the top 3 teams separated by just 2 points. The New Jersey Devils are in that group, sitting in 2nd place with a 16-9-2 record. They have been a little inconsistent of late, though, going 6-4-0 in their last 10 outings.

Where they have been very good is on the road, where they have put together a 10-4-0 record. The Rangers have been struggling of late, going 4-6-0 in their last 10 games, although they did close out last week with a win. They have gone 6-4-1 in their own building to this point.

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights

Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 9:00 PM, ESPN+, Hulu

Let’s go with another big divisional game as our next choice, with this one being a head-to-head for a couple of Pacific Division rivals. The Oilers are among the favorites to win it all this season, but they have not been at their best in the early going.

They do seem to be coming around, though, as they closed out last week on a 3-game winning streak to move to 13-9-2 overall. Vegas closed out last week with a loss, but they are still at the top of the division with a 15-7-3 record, which includes an impressive 9-3-0 record on home ice.

JOIN NOW

NHL Must Bet Games Week 9 provided by MyBookie

Dallas Stars at LA Kings

Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 9:00 PM, TNT, Max, Victory+

The Western Conference as a whole is pretty tight, with a great battle going on for playoff spots. The Dallas Stars, who are viewed by many as a Stanley Cup candidate, are sitting at 15-8-0 and are chasing down the Wild and the Jets in the Central Division.

They have been solid in recent weeks, winning 7 of their last 10 games, although they are just 5-6-0 on the road. The Kinds closed out last week on a high, winning 3 in a row to get within 1 point of the lead in the Pacific Division. They are an impressive 8-2-1 in their own building.

Colorado Avalanche at Carolina Hurricanes

Thursday, December 5, 2024, 6:00 PM, ESPN+

We close out this preview with one of the better non-conference games on the schedule. The Avalanche is sitting in 4th in the Central Division and closed out last week on a slump, losing 2 in a row to fall to 6-4-0 in their last 10 games.

Road trips have been something of an issue for the Avs, who are 6-5-0 in hostile territory. It was a similar story for the Hurricanes last week, closing things out with back-to-back losses to fall to 5-4-1 in the last 10, which has them 2 points out of the lead in the Metropolitan Division.

Macklin Celebrini (@SanJoseSharks), Quinn Hughes (@Canucks) and Jakob Chychrun (@Capitals) have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending Dec. 1.#NHLStats: https://t.co/PRLlm4egyn pic.twitter.com/oJUWZ5ONR6
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 2, 2024