2 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Friday 1/17/25

Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL projections, powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

NHL Betting Picks Today

Get inside the crease and access who is starting in tonight’s NHL matchups and save projections with SportsGrid’s Starting Goalies Page.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Moneyline (-162)

Friday night’s showdown between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes could be a preview of this year’s Stanley Cup Final. As expected, both squads have cemented their position atop their respective divisions and will be looking to snap out of their recent funks at the Lenovo Center.

Carolina enters tonight’s inter-conference affair on a two-game slide. But despite the recent setbacks, the Canes have maintained their elite level of play. The Metropolitan Division contenders have outplayed their opponents in four straight on the strength of improved offensive production. Across that sample, the Canes are averaging 11.8 quality chances per game while out-chancing their opponents by a wide margin in all four contests.

That’s a strength the Golden Knights won’t be able to defend. Vegas continues to rank as one of the worst defensive teams in the league. So far this season, they’ve given up the 11th-most scoring chances and the eighth-most high-danger opportunities. Vegas goaltenders are running out of steam, giving up four or more goals in two of their past four with a cumulative .860 save percentage.

The Hurricanes can deploy their unrelenting attack, and sadly, the Golden Knights won’t have an answer. Getting a piece of Carolina at a diminished price only amplifies its betting value.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres

Penguins Moneyline (+114)

The Buffalo Sabres, winners of three of their last four, are back in action on Friday night, this time hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Neither team is getting the results it wants on the season, but the Pens have a decisive advantage in terms of analytics.

Pittsburgh has solidified its analytics footing over its recent stretch. The Penguins have outplayed their opponents in three straight games by a substantive margin each time out. All three of their game scores have exceeded 64.9%, contributing to a cumulative benchmark of 68.3%. The Pens are dictating the pace and tempo at both ends of the ice, totaling 31 quality chances while giving up a minuscule ten.

Conversely, the Sabres are starting to overachieve relative to their underlying metrics. Buffalo has been dismantled in three of its previous five, resulting in expected goals-for ratings below 39.7%. Ineffective offensive production continues to be a limiting factor, with the Sabres failing to eclipse nine high-danger chances in any of those outings, resulting in a forgettable average of 6.6 opportunities per game.

We predict Buffalo will spend most of the game chasing the puck. When they have it, the Sabres can’t be trusted to generate enough offense to keep pace with the offensively superior Penguins. That gives the Pens an advantage that is not yet reflected in the betting price.

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