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Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (Take the OVER in Devils vs. Hurricanes)

Breaking down three best bets to place for NHL's action scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 25, including Devils vs. Hurricanes.

By Iain MacMillan

May 11, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) shoots
May 11, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) shoots / James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
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It's time for me to admit that I'm officially on the coldest streak in any sport I've ever been on in my life as a sports bettor. Since January 7, I'm an embarrassing 11-30-1 (-20.76 units) with my NHL picks. I can't hit a winner to save my life and anything that could go wrong, has gone wrong.

The good news is, you all can benefit on this by just taking the complete opposite of my plays. I'm not going to stop betting hockey and I'm not going to change my strategy when it comes to making my picks, so please feel free to just do the opposite of what I tell you to.

If you want to fade my picks tonight, go ahead and click the link below to sign up for an account at DraftKings Sportsbook. If you do, you'll receive $150 in bonus bets when you place your first $5 wager, even if that pick loses!

Bet on the NHL at DraftKings now!

Best NHL Bets Tonight

  • Devils vs. Hurricanes OVER 6.5 (+100)
  • Predators vs. Wild UNDER 6 (-112)
  • Blue Jackets +160 vs. Flames

Devils vs. Hurricanes prediction

The Devils are an OVER bettors dream. They're great offensively, averaging 3.33 goals per 60 minutes, but they also have the worst goaltending in the entire NHL. Nico Daws is expected to get the start tonight and he's been cold in his last two starts, including allowing six goals to the Dallas Stars on January 20.

The Hurricanes have goaltending issues of their own. Antti Raanta sports a save percentage of .866 on the season, one of the worst marks in the NHL.

This is a game between two teams who rank inside the top 10 in goals per game while also having some of the worst goalies the league has to offer. To me, that sounds like an easy OVER bet.

Predators vs. Wild prediction

I have convinced myself the Wild are going to be a great UNDER team in the second half of the season so I've taken that bet in their last four games. Naturally, the total soared way over in all four of them with the lowest scoring game in that stretch seeing seven goals scored.

I'm too stubborn to change my opinion so I'm going to stupidly continue to take the UNDER in their games. They're in the top 10 in expected goals against over their last 25 games but are also 28th in expected goals for over that stretch.

Now, they face a Predators team that ranks 25th in shooting percentage. This game has to go UNDER, doesn't it?

Blue Jackets vs. Flames prediction

The Blue Jackets are a solid underdog look tonight. The Flames outrank them in most metrics, but not by enough to justify them being -190 favorites. For example, the Flames come in at 18th in CORSI% over their last 25 games but the Blue Jackets are close behind, coming in at 25th.

I'll take a shot on Columbus as a road underdog tonight.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

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