It's a busy Tuesday night for hockey fans with eight games on the NHL betting board. We look at a trio of teams looking to bounce back from tough losses as we dive into the NHL odds and bring you our best picks and predictions for Tuesday, January 19.
NHL Picks for Today
Buffalo Sabres vs Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers opened the year with a pair of easy wins over the Penguins but crashed hard last night, losing 6-1 to the Sabres. They were outshot 37-22 in that game and it's worth noting that generating scoring chances was a problem, even against Pittsburgh, as despite totaling 11 goals in those two games they had just 45 shots.
We're expecting a tighter-checking game from Philadelphia tonight as it tries to lock down on the defensive end of the ice and prevent another barrage from Buffalo. After all, this is a Flyers unit that allowed the fewest shots in the league last season—while the Sabres had the second-fewest shots for.
While the Sabres looked great last night, I'm not convinced that their scoring renaissance is for real. Sure, the free-agent addition of Taylor Hall has helped but they still have questions when it comes to overall forward depth.
Despite a pair of mediocre goalies in nets for both teams, I'm liking the Under 6 on the tail end of a back-to-back.
PREDICTION: Under 6 (-110)
Carolina Hurricanes vs Nashville Predators
Editor's note: this prediction was written prior to the news that this game was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Hurricanes pulled away in the third period last night, icing the game with an empty netter for a 4-2 win in the first game of their back-to-back set.
That loss was the first of the season for Nashville, who opened its year with a pair of wins over the Blue Jackets. The Predators had looked strong in those games, scoring eight goals while goaltender Juuse Saros turned away 71 of 74 shots. Nashville rolled with Pekka Rinne in nets last night and should be happy to see the red-hot Saros back between the pipes today.
Meanwhile, the Canes opened their season by splitting a pair of games with the lowly Red Wings. Petr Mrazek will be in nets for Carolina tonight and he looked shaky in his last outing, allowing three goals on just 20 shots versus Detroit on Saturday. Mrazek was barely tested in the back-to-back versus the Red Wings and will definitely feel the pressure from the Preds tonight.
Look for Nashville to bounce back from a tough loss and take them at plus money.
PREDICTION: Nashville ML (+100)
Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings
Both of these teams come into this game well-rested with the Avalanche three days removed from their last contest and the Kings coming off a two-day break.
The Kings began the season with a pair of identical 4-3 overtime losses to the Wild. L.A. struggled last season, finishing 28th in the league in point percentage and 30th in goals scored with just 2.53 per game.
That said, it was a bit better on the defensive end of the ice, holding opponents to the fifth-fewest shots in the league and ranking 14th in goals allowed per game with 2.99. More importantly for us tonight, the Kings played very well against the Avalanche in the head-to-head, defeating them twice and losing the other contest in a shootout.
Colorado is coming off a dominating 8-0 win against the Blues to emphatically bounce back from a three-goal loss on opening night. The Avs entered this season as the Stanley Cup betting favorite, which is going to mean eating a lot of chalk when betting on them.
That gives a lot of value for the Kings in this spot. Colorado could be in for a bit of a let down after that incredible performance against the Blues, while the Kings will be eager for their first W of the year after dropping a pair of games in OT.
When you consider Colorado's struggles in the head-to-head, going 3-8 in the last eight meetings, and the fact that the Kings were actually playing very well before the COVID shutdown, winning seven games in a row, being able to back L.A. at +205 is tempting.
PREDICTION: Los Angeles ML (+205)
Top NHL Consensus for Today
Want to know who today's biggest NHL betting and consensus bets are right now? Check out our top NHL consensus picks.
Yesterday's picks: 0-3 (-3 units)
Season record to date: 5-12 (-5.09 units)
NHL Betting Card for January 19
- Buffalo/Philadelphia Under 6 (-110)
- Nashville ML (+100)
- Los Angeles ML (+205)
NHL Parlays
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Where Can I Bet on the NHL?
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