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Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (Coyotes Are Strong Upset Pick vs. Wild)

Breaking down why the Coyotes are a strong upset pick to take down the Wild tonight

By Iain MacMillan

Jan 13, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) celebrates
Jan 13, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller (9) celebrates / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
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We took a small step back last night, going 1-2 with my NHL picks after losing the Sabres as a +160 underdog in overtime.

The bright side is the only winner as a +115 bet on the Avs puck line, which helped soften the blow a bit. We move on to Thursday night's action with plenty of games across the league. As per usual, I have three bets locked in and one of them is on the Coyotes to upset the Wild. Let's dive into them.

If you want to tail (or fade) these plays, be sure to take advantage of this offer from DraftKings Sportsbook. If you click the link below, DraftKings will give you a sweat-free bet up to $1,000!

NHL Best Bets Today

  • Devils -175 vs. Blues
  • Bruins -134 vs. Maple leafs
  • Coyotes +124 vs. Wild

Blues vs. Devils prediction

I am once again fading the St. Louis Blues as I have done several times over the past couple of months. They rank dead last in the NHL in both CORSI% and 5-on-5 expected goals percentage over their last 25 games.

Yes, that's right, they're even wore than the likes of the Blackhawks and Sharks in those two key metrics.

They have survived solely based on strong goaltending but that's not going to be enough against a Devils team that's as good between the blue lines as the Devils are. It's a bit of a hefty price, but I still think there's some nice betting value on New Jersey tonight.

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins prediction

I bet on the Maple Leafs to take down the Bruins a couple of nights ago and I learned my lesson. The Bruins have no beat the Maple Leafs in six-straight games and Toronto continues to play uninspired hockey in big games.

Boston has that extra edge and grit that allows the team to win games they don't have business winning, whereas the Maple Leafs continue to find ways to lose games they have no business losing.

The Bruins are a terrible matchup for the Maple Leafs and I think we'll see the same result tonight then what we saw on Monday.

Wild vs. Coyotes prediction

Few teams have had goaltending as bad as the Minnesota Wild has had in 2024. Since the calendar turned to the new year, Filip Gustavsson sports a disgusting .876 save percentage in 15 starts. I have no interest betting on a team as road favorites when their goaltender can't stop a beach ball.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes are better than their recent record indicates. They may be 6-16-3 in their last 25 games, but they're 13th in CORSI% and 14th in 5-on-5 expected goal percentage over that stretch. They should be a great candidate to pull off the upset at home tonight.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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