Two of the NHL's top scorers are the focus of my anytime goal picks for Sunday.
The pregame narrative: In the evening slate, Alex Ovechkin has value to light the lamp against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elsewhere, bet on Cole Caufield to score his second goal in as many nights when the Montreal Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues.
Check out my NHL goal picks for Dec. 7.
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NHL goal picks Dec. 7
Best Bet: Ovechkin to score (+116)
Ovechkin may be the hottest player in the NHL right now.
Since Nov. 14, he has 11 goals in 14 games, cashing this wager eight times.
The NHL's all-time leading scorer certainly turned things around after his early-season struggles.
And on Sunday, he gets a Grade-A matchup against Columbus.
-> Bet on Ovechkin and the Capitals tonight!
The Blue Jackets are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. They are in the bottom 10 for goals against and allow the third most shots against per game (31.3).
That's paired with the third-worst penalty kill in the league (70.7%). All of that plays right into Ovechkin's strengths.
He leads Capitals forwards in shots (75) and has seven power-play points this year.
I can see a vintage Ovechkin goal from the circle in this one. He also has 12 regular-strength goals this season, making him dangerous at all times.
Key stat: Ovechkin has scored in five of his last six games vs. Columbus.
NHL predictions
Caufield to score (+128): Caufield scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Saturday's 2-1 shootout win, and I'm confident he can carry that success into tonight's contest.
- First off, he's having a great season with 15 goals in 27 games.
- And then there's the matchup. The Blues allow 3.41 goals per game and have a bottom-seven penalty kill (76.7%).
The Canadiens convert on 26.3% of their PP chances (fourth-best), and Caufield has 11 of his points on the man advantage.
-> Wager on Caufield at NorthStar Bets
Montreal's offence has been explosive as a whole, ranking top 10 in scoring, despite taking the fourth fewest shots a night.
So in a matchup where a ton of shooting opportunities should be available, it makes sense to back the Canadiens' top goal scorer at plus-money.
NHL goal picks made at 9:33 a.m. ET on Dec. 3, 2025.
