Every week, I single out two NHL best bets that seem appealing to me and tonight's slate just may have the answers.
For Thursday's best bets, I'm zeroing in on the Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens, as well as the Detroit Red Wings vs Minnesota Wild.
Let's dive into my NHL best bets, prediction and pick for Thursday, January 22.
NHL Best Bets for Thursday, January 22
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 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. | ||
Sabres vs. Canadiens
The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are gearing up for a big Atlantic Division clash. The Sabres currently sit four points back of Montreal with one game in hand, so this is a huge opportunity for them to gain some ground in the standings.
Buffalo has been one of, if not the hottest, teams in the league over the past month or so. The Sabres are 13-3-1 over their last 17 games, but tonight's matchup will be their third game on the road in the last four nights.
The Canadiens have won two straight games, with their most recent win coming in dramatic fashion on home ice against the Minnesota Wild, thanks to a game-winning goal in the dying seconds of regulation from Cole Caufield. As hot as Buffalo has been, Montreal is not a team to sleep on right now.
The Canadiens have gone 7-3-1 in their last 11 games, and are getting some key contributions from their top guys, like Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Caufield. But, the Canadiens are also getting key secondary scoring from Alexandre Texier and Ivan Demidov, who is in the running for the Rookie of the Year.
While the Sabres have been playing some strong hockey as of late, they're not necessarily a strong road team, as they've skated to a record of 11-11-2 as visitors. Since the new year, the Sabres have been skating to a 45.49% xGF%, which means their opponents have the advantage in the share of shot quality.
Believe it or not, the Sabres are actually generating the fifth-lowest high-danger chances per game at 5v5 since the turn of the calendar (9.89 chances per game), and they're allowing the seventh most high-danger chances against in that span (12.86). To keep it in perspective, Montreal has a 50.45% expected goals share in the same span.
Sam Montembeault is expected to get the nod for Montreal tonight, and he is 3-0-1 in his last four starts. Montreal has won the last three meetings at home between these two teams, and I think they keep that streak going tonight.
Pick: Canadiens ML (-120)
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Red Wings vs. Wild
The Detroit Red Wings have been on absolute fire as of late, as they're riding a three-game win streak while winning seven of their last 10 contests.
That said, tonight they will be playing a second leg of a back-to-back after beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime last night.
The Minnesota Wild are coming off a devastating loss at Montreal, but aren't feeling too bad about themselves after winning two of the three games on their road trip. They're excited to return home, where they're looking to get back in the win column on home ice.
The last time the Wild won a game at home was more than a month ago, on December 20th against the Edmonton Oilers. Since then, the Wild have gone 0-4-1 on home ice, so it's fair to say that they're due for a win in front of their home crowd. Despite the recent stretch of losses at home, the Wild are 13-6-6 in front of their home fans.
John Gibson has been on an absolute tear for the Red Wings in the blue paint, but Cam Talbot is expected to get the nod tonight. Talbot has only gotten two starts this month and lost both of those games while skating to a 3.00 goals against average.
The Red Wings have needed their goaltenders to play well because their offense hasn't been thriving at even-strength. Since January 1st, the Red Wings have been generating the third-lowest high-danger chances per game (9.43), but their power play has been able to bail them out.
Special teams will play a big factor in this contest. The Minnesota Wild have converted on five of their last 11 opportunities on the man-advantage over their last three games, so they're feeling pretty confident coming into this one.
The Red Wings' penalty kill hasn't been great lately as they're skating to a 74.1% success rate over the past 10 games. Minnesota should be able to exploit the Red Wings on the power play tonight.
The Wild will be desperate to win on home ice tonight, while the Red Wings might have a little fatigue after a big win last night.
Pick: Wild ML (-140)
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