NHL betting schedule breakdown & rest edges: Dec. 9 – Dec. 15

Being a hockey fan can be tough—keeping track of all 32 teams and watching every game is nearly impossible. You might follow a few teams closely, but it’s hard to stay on top of everything. That’s why, alongside Brock Seguin’s weekly fantasy-focused schedule article, we also highlight matchups where rest and fatigue could impact betting.

The below table below shows how home-ice advantage was affected by rest last season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %
Home >	373	59.0%
Home =	690	53.8%
Home <	249	47.8%

Here’s how rest has impacted home-ice advantage this season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %
Home >	134	59.7%
Home =	232	52.2%
Home <	75	45.3%

So far this season, rest has had nearly the same impact it had last season.

Monday, December 9th

Monday’s NHL schedule lacks excitement unless you’re a fan of the league’s worst teams or a sports bettor. Five of the six teams in action rank 26th or lower in the standings. The lone playoff team, the New York Rangers, is barely holding down the second wild card spot and is playing the second half of a back-to-back. Igor Shesterkin will start after missing Sunday’s game against Seattle to attend the birth of his daughter. The other five teams have had at least one day off, with Anaheim being the lone team that’s had two days to rest.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	DET	BUF	1
	1	CHI	NYR	0	2/2
	2	ANA	MTL	1

Tuesday, December 10th

No teams are playing back-to-back on Tuesday, but several teams could be feeling fatigued. Colorado, Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Utah, and the Islanders will all be playing their third game in four days, and five of those teams will face teams that have had two days off. Only the Flyers will face a team that is playing somewhat tired, as it will be the fourth game in six days for the Blue Jackets, and their first home game after a five-game road trip through Western Canada. 

Meanwhile, Seattle returns home after a successful four-game road trip through the Eastern Conference, but it’ll be their fourth game in six days against a rested Florida Panthers team. Toronto, Nashville, Edmonton, and St. Louis will also have slight rest advantages over their respective opponents. In other words, all 11 games will feature teams playing on unequal rest.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	TOR	NJD	1
3/4	1	COL	PIT	2
	2	SJS	CAR	2
3/4	1	PHI	CBJ	1	4/6
	2	LAK	NYI	1	3/4
	1	CGY	NSH	2
	2	BOS	WPG	1	3/4
	1	TBL	EDM	2
	2	MIN	UTA	1	3/4
	2	STL	VAN	1
	2	FLA	SEA	1	4/6

Wednesday, December 11th

Wednesday is light with only two games: Rangers at Buffalo and Ducks at Ottawa. The Senators will have had two days off, while the Ducks will have had just one day’s rest since their game in Montreal. Wednesday’s game is the first half of a back-to-back. Buffalo and New York will each have had one day off, but it will be the third game in four days for the Rangers.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
3/4	1	NYR	BUF	1
	1	ANA	OTT	2

Thursday, December 12th

With 14 games, Thursday is loaded with intriguing matchups, though it’s not the busiest day of the week. Anaheim will be the only truly tired team after playing on Wednesday. Several teams will play their fourth game in six days, like Winnipeg, facing a Vegas Golden Knights team coming off a five-day break. The Penguins, Islanders, and Flyers will also face rested teams in Montreal, Detroit, and Chicago, respectively. Nashville will have had one day off, but the Preds will face the Stars, who will come off three days’ rest.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
2/2	0	ANA	TOR	1
	1	PIT	MTL	2
	1	LAK	NJD	1
	2	DET	PHI	1	4/6
	4	WSH	CBJ	1
	2	CHI	NYI	1	4/6
	1	SJS	STL	1
	1	NSH	DAL	3
	1	EDM	MIN	1
	5	VGK	WPG	1	4/6
4/6	1	UTA	COL	1	4/6
	1	TBL	CGY	1
	1	FLA	VAN	1
	1	BOS	SEA	1

Friday, December 13th

Ottawa will be back in action after a day off against a rested Hurricanes team in Carolina in Friday’s lone game. Fans and bettors will need the extra time to prepare for Saturday’s big slate.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	OTT	CAR	2

Saturday, December 14th

All but two teams will be in action on Saturday. The Senators will host the Penguins in their second game in as many nights, and the Ducks will play their third game in four days against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. The Rangers will host the Kings before playing eight of their next 10 games on the road, with a slight rest advantage. Buffalo will also have a slight rest advantage over the red-hot Washington Capitals. The schedule doesn’t impact many teams until Sunday.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	CHI	NJD	1
	1	LAK	NYR	2
	1	PHI	MIN	1
	1	VGK	EDM	1
	1	PIT	OTT	0	2/2
	1	TOR	DET	1
	2	BUF	WSH	1
3/4	1	ANA	CBJ	1
	1	MTL	WPG	1
	1	STL	DAL	1
	1	NSH	COL	1
	1	FLA	CGY	1
	1	BOS	VAN	1
	1	UTA	SJS	1
	1	TBL	SEA	1

Sunday, December 15th

Only two of the 10 teams in action on Sunday had Saturday off. The Islanders are back from a short two-day break to visit the Blackhawks in Chicago. Elsewhere, Carolina finishes off a four-game homestand against the Blue Jackets. Since the remaining games will be played between teams that are playing back-to-back, keeping track of how teams manage their goaltenders on Saturday, as well as any injuries or line changes, will be necessary to properly handicap those matchups.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	NYI	CHI	0	2/2
2/2	0	BUF	TOR	0	2/2
2/2	0	CBJ	CAR	1
2/2	0	NYR	STL	0	2/2
2/2	0	VGK	MIN	0	2/2