<p>The 2025/26 NHL regular season continues to skate by, as teams put together performances and results to remain in contention for the postseason and the Stanley Cup.</p> <p>We already have <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-futures">futures on the Stanley Cup winner</a> available to bet on at Sportsbet, as well as a competitive range of <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-games">NHL odds</a> this season and <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-awards">NHL player awards</a> markets to bet on, giving you some of the very best NHL betting action around.</p> <p>Now, as we turn our attention to the holiday season, let’s take a look at what’s to come across the next week’s action and see where there may be some value when it comes to betting on some festive hockey…</p> <h2>2025/26 NHL Week of Dec 16-22: Betting Preview</h2> <p>As is the case for most weeks of the NHL regular season, several games will be taking place across North America, with most teams taking to the ice once every few days. It’s why NHL betting offers so many opportunities and why early value can be found when looking ahead.</p> <p>For us, there are a few games that stand out between December 16 and 22…</p> <ul> <li>Montreal Canadiens vs Pennsylvania Flyers (Wednesday, December 17, at 11:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Minnesota Wild vs Washington Capitals (Wednesday, December 17, at 12:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings (Thursday, December 18, at 11:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Boston Bruins vs Edmonton Oilers (Friday, December 19, at 11:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings (Friday, December 19, at 11:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes (Saturday, December 20, at 11:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars (Saturday, December 20, at 14:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche (Monday, December 22, at 10:00 AEDT)</li> </ul> <h2>2025/26 NHL Week of Dec 16-22: Betting Predictions</h2> <p>As we look ahead to the upcoming week’s worth of NHL action, we’ve picked out the following games for our picks:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Tampa Bay Lightning vs Los Angeles Kings</strong></li> </ul> <p>The Lightning are one of the best teams in the league. The Kings have been performing well, especially when on the road. Over the last five meetings, Tampa Bay has won three of them. They’ve yet to meet this season, but we <strong>predict the hosts to win</strong>.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars</strong></li> </ul> <p>The Ducks vs the Stars will see two top teams in the NHL this season battling each other on the ice. Anaheim have surprised many with how they have been playing, with it being a breakout year for the franchise. The Stars are consistently ranked among the NHL's best teams and posted an 11-2 record in November, averaging 4.13 goals (2nd in the NHL) and allowing 2.47 goals (7th in the NHL). We<strong> predict that the Stars will have too much attacking power for the Ducks.</strong></p>