This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
11 games on the NHL slate tonight, and I've got a bet for every single one of 'em. Happy new year y'all!
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NHL Best Bets Tonight
Hurricanes vs Rangers
The Hurricanes have won 11 in a row and are 15-1-4 in their last 20. Pretty decent. They carry that momentum into Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers, who are only 8-7-4 in their own building. But, the Broadway Blue Shirts are 4-1 in their last 5 games at MSG, notching wins over respectable opponents in the Devils, Maple Leafs, and Islanders in that span. They got smoked 4-0 in their last home outing by the red-hot Caps though. Can they handle a Canes team that is even hotter?
- Hurricanes ML -130
Coyotes vs Panthers
What a fall from grace it has been for the Florida Panthers. They won the Presidents' Trophy last year, and even though they traded away two major pieces of that feat in Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, they brought in Matthew Tkachuk and a tenured head coach in Paul Maurice and expectations were high again for the Cats. Those expectations just haven't panned out, as they find themselves 3-7 in their last 10 and sitting in 7th in the Atlantic Divison. They play the Coyotes at home tonight. Based on the high expectations for this group heading into the season, the Panthers should win this game, especially since the Yotes have lost 9 straight road games and haven't recorded a win away from home since 11/23. These teams have played once before this season, way back on 11/1 in Tempe, and the Coyotes pulled off a 3-1 win despite being outshot 42-21.
- Panthers PL -125
Blues vs Maple Leafs
The Leafs have won 6-straight home games and are 13-2-3 on home ice overall this season. They've been one of the most consistent teams in the league, and are 7-3 down the stretch. They welcome the Blues to town tonight, who they beat 5-4 in overtime in St. Louis on 12/27. The Blues are just 1-2-2 in their last 5 though, and just lost captain Ryan O'Reilly and star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to IR.
- Maple Leafs PL +100
Sabres vs Capitals
This is a matchup of two of the NHL's hottest teams over the last month and some change. The Sabres are 7-2-1 in their previous 10 and their Sunday loss to the Senators snapped a 6-game win streak, including an overtime win over the league-leading Bruins in Boston on 12/31. Tage Thompson was the NHL's 3rd star of the month in December scoring 22 points. He was behind runner-up Connor McDavid and the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin. Last month the Great 8 surpassed Gordie Howe for 2nd all-time in goals, recording 13 goals and 9 assists in December. He just popped a hat trick on 12/31 in the Capitals' 9-2 win over the lowly Canadiens in DC. The Caps are 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games and are 7-2-1 overall in their previous 10 games at Capital One Arena. The Sabres are a formidable foe though, leading the NHL with an average of 3.91 goals per game, and having the league's 3rd-ranked power play. This game promises tons of entertainment value.
- Sabres PL -170
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Canadiens vs Predators
The Canadiens are on a tough skid, losing 4 in a row and 7 of their last 10. In those 4 straight losses, they were outscored 24-7. Ouch. They visit Nashville to take on the Predators who are not exactly dazzling either. The Preds are just 3 points ahead of the Habs with 36, which puts them each in the bottom echelon of the league's standings. They've had some tough opponents down the stretch of late though and played close games with most of them: 2-1 overtime loss on the road against the Jets, 4-3 overtime win at home against the Oilers, 3-2 home loss in overtime to the Avalanche, 3-2 home loss to the Stars, 5-4 overtime loss on the road against the Golden Knights. All of those teams are leaps and bounds better than the Canadiens. Can the Predators manage a big win at home against a team that's struggling to compete?
Predators PL +115
Flames vs Jets
After a bit of a slow start, the Flames have gradually played themselves into a playoff spot sitting at 3rd in the Pacific Division as of today. They're not doing it with much flare and are just under .500 on the season, but they've scraped out points in 12 of their 16 games. They head into Winnipeg tonight to take on the Jets who are a pedestrian 5-5 in their last 10, but have won 2 straight over other Pacific Division foes in the Canucks and Oilers. The Flames took the only other matchup between these squads 3-2 in Calgary on 11/12. The Flames are a little shakier away from home though with a 7-6-5 record so far, while the Jets boast a solid 13-6 home record. This is a toss-up with both teams at -110 on the moneyline. Let's ride home ice advantage.
Jets ML -110
Blue Jackets vs Senators
The Blue Jackets are 2-11-1 on the road this season and have lost 7 straight road games, with 6 of those coming by 2+ goals. The Senators are 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games and topped the Bruins (in a shootout) and the streaking Sabres in that span. I ain't betting on the Blue Jackets to miraculously get it together tonight, even if it is against a spotty young group like the Sens.
- Senators PL +115
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Lightning vs Blackhawks
The Lightning are the 8th-ranked team in the League. They've gone 8-2 in their last 10 and have won 3 straight. The Blackhawks are unquestionably the worst team in the NHL. They're 1-9 in their last 10 games and have lost 4 in a row. At this point, if the Blackhawks are playing a Top 10 team, it's just a question of whether or not they'll cover. The Hawks have covered the +1.5 goal spread in just 1 of their last 5 games, and that was on 12/23 with a 5-2 win over the also lowly Blue Jackets. The last time before that was a 5-2 win over the Rangers on 12/3. Twice in one month. Not exactly a confidence booster.
- Lightning PL -130
Kraken vs Oilers
These teams just played one another in Seattle on 12/30 and the Oilers crushed the Kraken 7-2. For what it's worth, I predicted that in my article for that day. I also said that I was betting on Connor McDavid to have himself a day. He did, finishing with 1 goal and 4 assists. Just 4 days later, these teams are still neck-and-neck in the standings, tied at 42 points apiece. The Kraken went on to win their next game and the Oilers lost theirs. For whatever reason, the Kraken play better on the road than they do at home, and the Oilers are also surprisingly worse at home than they are on the road. It's worth noting that despite the ugly look on the scoreboard of that 12/30 game, the Kraken did in fact outshoot the Oilers. I got a feeling about this one.
- Kraken ML +125
Stars vs Kings
The Stars enter this one on a 4-game win streak and winners of 7 of their last 10. The Kings come in having won 6 of their last 8, so both teams are feeling the mojo of late. They met one other time this season, way back on 11/1 and the Stars pulled out a 5-2 victory in Dallas. The Stars boast not only one of the NHL's best overall records, but also one of the best road records too, and have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 away games. The Kings are 4-1 in their last 5 home games though, so one of these teams will break the trend for their opponent tonight.
- Stars ML -125
Islanders vs Canucks
Good offense vs strong defense, that's what we've got here. The Canucks rank 7th in goals scored per game, while the Isles rank 7th in goals against per game. Let's keep this one simple: defense wins championships (or in this case, random non-conference matchups in January).
- Islanders ML -115
