3 Best NHL Bets and Predictions for Wednesday 1/29/25

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

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Minnesota Wild vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Moneyline (-178)

Compared to previous iterations, this is an objectively worse Toronto Maple Leafs team than years past. Nevertheless, the Atlantic Division leaders have been on the rise with their recent performances, boosting their chances against the Minnesota Wild.

Toronto has started to tilt the ice in its direction. Over their last four games, the Leafs have outplayed their opponents in all but one of those contests. Moreover, they’ve seen a sharp rise in high-danger opportunities, cracking 12 in each of the last two. Despite the increased productivity, the Maple Leafs lost both contests. Watch as their renewed commitment to offense starts to result in more wins.

The Wild have been on a lesser run over the past few weeks. Since January 11th, Minnesota has outplayed their opponents just three times across an eight-game sample. Altogether, they’re skating around with a deflated 43.6% expected goals-for rating, the fifth-worst mark in the NHL over that stretch.

The price on the Leafs doesn’t accurately reflect their chances of winning on Wednesday night. As a result, we see an edge in backing them on the moneyline.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Florida Panthers

Kings Moneyline (+134)

The Los Angeles Kings’ five-game road trip is off to a rough start. LA has dropped its first two contests against lesser-than Eastern Conference opponents. They’ll have to figure things out quickly as they try to get past the defending champion Florida Panthers.

The Kings’ recent outcomes don’t accurately reflect the on-ice product. Los Angeles has outplayed their opponents by a substantive margin, eclipsing game scores above 65.0% in both outings. Moreover, when these teams met last week, the Kings thoroughly dismantled the Panthers, posting a 67.2% expected goals-for rating.

There are other concerning metrics arising from the Panthers’ recent efforts. First, they’re giving up a plethora of quality chances. Two of their last three opponents have exceeded 13, including the Kings. Second, they’ve been out-chanced in high-danger opportunities in three of their past four. Inevitably, those types of performances will eventually lead to more losses.

We’re forecasting another depleted effort from the Panthers in this one. Consequently, getting a piece of the Kings on the moneyline is a top value play.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Utah Hockey Club

Penguins Moneyline (+118)

Wholesale changes could be on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They continue to underachieve and have been relegated to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. Still, this isn’t a team that will just roll over and die. We expect a reversal of fortunes, starting with tonight’s tilt versus the Utah Hockey Club.

Pittsburgh’s results aren’t reflective of its on-ice product. The Pens have outplayed their opponents in four of their last five but only have one win for their efforts. As usual, they’re playing with a solid defensive structure, holding all but one of those opponents to eight or fewer quality chances. But we’ve seen improved offensive production more recently. The Penguins have totaled 27 high-danger chances in their last two, eclipsing 11 in both contests.

The Penguins’ strength plays into Utah’s recent inefficiencies. The NHL’s newest team has given up 26 quality chances over its last two, precipitating a decrease in their expected goals-for rating. Utah has been outplayed in two straight and three of four, putting them at a disadvantage against the Pens.

The Penguins’ analytics are much better than their record implies. Getting a piece of them as underdogs in Utah is a sharp move.

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