3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Friday 1/10/25

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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Los Angeles Kings vs. Winnipeg Jets

Jets Moneyline (-126)

Inter-divisional foes with Stanley Cup aspirations take to the ice on Friday night. The Winnipeg Jets host the Los Angeles Kings in what could be a preview of the upcoming Western Conference Final.

Winnipeg opened as short favorites, but we see this line drifting further in their direction as we approach puck drop. The Jets have been on a torrid pace of late. They've outplayed seven of their last eight opponents, bolstering their offensive output more recently. The Jets have eclipsed ten high-danger chances in four straight, correlating with a slight uptick in output.

That offensive attack will be too much for the Kings to handle. The typically stout Pacific Division contenders have given up ten or more quality chances in three of four, averaging 10.8. Not surprisingly, that correlates with a 46.6% expected goals-for rating.

This is an ideal spot to back the Jets. They've been the superior team, but the betting price doesn't reflect their probability of success.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals

Over 5.5 (-142)

The Washington Capitals welcome the Montreal Canadiens to the nation's capital on Friday night. This should be a high-octane affair. Both teams wield lofty offensive metrics, which should help this one go over the projected total.

Curiously, the Caps were held to just two goals last time out despite putting up their most scoring and high-danger chances since the start of December. As such, we don't expect them to stay down too long. Washington will get back to its league-leading shooting percentage ways against the Habs.

Montreal isn't quite at Washington's level, but the Habs have been emulating that output over their recent schedule. The Canadiens have scored three or more goals at five-on-five six of eight, bringing their shooting percentage up to 11.9% over that stretch.

Both teams operate efficiently in the attacking zone, and neither prioritizes defensive responsibility. As a result, we forecast this one going north of the total.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Canucks Moneyline (+130)

The Carolina Hurricanes are skating on the second night of a back-to-back on Friday night. While they vanquished the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, we're forecasting a different outcome against the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

Carolina continues to get outworked in its own end. The Canes have given up 12 quality opportunities in three of their past five. However, despite the defensive miscues, Hurricanes goals have posted identical .931 save percentages at five-on-five in each of the last two. That imbalance implies that we should see regression in the short term.

The Canucks have dropped five in a row, but those outcomes don't reflect their efforts. Vancouver has posted above-average expected goals-for ratings in three of their past four. Moreover, Thatcher Demko's return has been confirmed for Friday night, bolstering the Nucks’ chances.

This is an ideal spot to back the Canucks. The Hurricanes are primed for regression, and Demko’s return bodes well for Vancouver. We see value in the underdogs.

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