<p>The festive period can be an exceptional time for sport, with many events taking place to help fans enjoy the seasonal holiday in the best possible way.</p> <p>For bettors, this means there are many opportunities to find value, as events are played out in quick succession. This is especially true regarding NHL hockey, with games coming thick and fast.</p> <p>Let’s look ahead at the upcoming period that covers Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as there are multiple games taking place on the ice. Many of these may have a say on other markets available at Sportsbet, too, such as <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-futures">futures on the Stanley Cup winner</a>, the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-awards">NHL player awards</a>, and other <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ice-hockey-us/nhl-games">NHL odds</a>.</p> <h2>2025/26 NHL Week of Dec 23-31: Betting Preview</h2> <p>Aside from a couple of days, including Christmas Day, NHL hockey will dominate the sporting calendar for fans, with several games scheduled. Most teams will be involved in multiple games over the period, as they all look to push themselves into postseason contention.</p> <p>When trying to pick out the top games, we’ve highlighted the following:</p> <ul> <li>Detroit Red Wings vs Dallas Stars (Wednesday, December 24, at 11:30 AEDT)</li> <li>Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres (Wednesday, December 24, at 12:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Colorado Avalanche vs Utah Mammoth (Wednesday, December 24, at 14:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Vegas Golden Knights vs San Jose Sharks (Wednesday, December 24, at 15:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning (Sunday, December 28, at 12:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Carolina Hurricanes vs Detroit Red Wings (Sunday, December 28, at 12:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks (Sunday, December 28, at 14:00 AEDT)</li> <li>Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche (Sunday, December 28, at 15:00 AEDT)</li> </ul> <h2>2025/26 NHL Week of Dec 23-31: 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>Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning</strong></li> </ul> <p>A clash between two teams that have won four of the most recent six editions of the Stanley Cup, the Panthers and Lightning, will face off in a Florida showdown. This should be a good game, as both are relatively matched this season. Over the last 10 games, the Panthers lead 6-4, highlighting how close it is. We <strong>predict a Panthers win this time around based on current form</strong>.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche</strong></li> </ul> <p>Another game this week that will see recent Stanley Cup winners compete, the Vegas Golden Knights will take on the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, December 28. Both are at the top of their respective divisions, but the Avs have been the better team overall. <strong>Colorado has won the last three H2Hs</strong> between these two teams on the ice, and we <strong>predict that a similar outcome</strong> will occur this time around.</p>