Let's kick the new week off with some NHL best bets, shall we?
We have ourselves a fairly deep slate tonight, and with that, I've honed in on three games that carry a good chunk of value. Tonight, I'm looking at the Seattle Kraken vs New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers, and Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks.
Here are my NHL predictions and picks for Monday, January 12.
NHL Best Bets for Monday, January 12
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Kraken vs. Rangers
Fading the Rangers until Adam Fox comes back will be a common occurrence here.
On Saturday, I predicted that the Bruins would cover the puck line against New York, and they did it convincingly, winning 10-2.
So for New York, there’s going to be one of two ways in which it’s going to respond.
Come out guns blazing, or simply ask its next opponent, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”
And given the fact that the Rangers are led by coach Mike Sullivan, who is a multi-time Stanley Cup champion, perhaps you’ll feel a little skittish fading them.
But for me? I don’t think it’ll be that hard.
This roster is quite disorganized, and it’s even more of a mess with Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin out. If you read my Rangers vs Bruins preview, I talked about whenever Fox is not on the ice for the Blue Shirts, they have never had a positive shot differential in the time he’s been a pro.
Not only that, when he was injured earlier this season, New York went 6-5-3, while getting outscored 39-34.
And with Shesterkin out? I think I’m good.
I’m not crazy about the Kraken, but they have been hot, going 7-1-2 in their last 10. So with them being underdogs on the moneyline, I’ll ride with Seattle here.
Pick: Kraken ML (+122)
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Lightning vs. Flyers
Continuing to hide in the shadows of this league is the Philadelphia Flyers.
Did you happen to know that they’re currently 23-13-8 this season?
GM Danny Briere has pulled all the right strings with this team, and Rick Tocchet is the perfect coach to help guide them.
Trevor Zegras has been a slam dunk of a pick up and Travis Konecny is always one of the more steady producers in hockey as well.
However, in comes the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have won nine straight games, and are probably one of the scarier teams to face right now.
And not just that, they toppled the Flyers in Philly on Saturday by the score of 7-2.
There’s no way around it. Tampa is playing like the best team in the league. At 5-on-5 play on both sides of the ice, it’s been on an absolute tear, and the Bolts have also crushed it on the power play.
But I am a total sucker.
All good things must come to an end, right? Not just that, the Lightning have been traveling a lot as of late.
From spending New Year's on the West Coast, to coming back home for one game, only to travel up north to Philly, and stay there for a couple of days?
I’m going to back the Flyers here. There’s a strong opportunity at plus money to not just play spoiler, but to aim for revenge.
Pick: Flyers ML (+136)
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Oilers vs. Blackhawks
Just when you think you want to count out the Blackhawks, here they come back up with a vengeance.
And they got back the boy wonder, Connor Bedard, who was out for a month with an injury.
Meanwhile, the Oilers come into town, and they’ve had themselves quite the eventful season thus far (is anyone actually surprised though?).
We all know that Edmonton is going to get theirs. It’s just a matter of how much, and will goaltending hold up to carry the team to a win? That’s always the unpredictable factor here.
Since returning from the holiday break, the Oilers have averaged 3.1 goals per game. And given that the Blackhawks are a bit of a crap shoot defensively, I’m going to wager that this ends up being a high scoring game.
With Bedard back, Chicago’s offense unlocks. Tyler Bertuzzi has been not just the perfect complementary piece for Bedard, but he gets involved in the dirty areas that can cause goaltenders headaches.
Over the past 10 games, Bertuzzi is tied for first in most high danger shot attempts, and fourth in high danger expected goals in all of the NHL.
For as long as this season runs, I will continue to fade Edmonton’s goaltending. That franchise has the perfect “over” setup in all the league, and you know I love my Oiler overs.
By no means is hitting the over a guarantee, but with the high power scoring the Oilers have, along with the shaky goaltending, it’s going to continue being a tantalizing play.
I may also be doing a Bertuzzi anytime goal bet if you're into that kind of thing.
Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)
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