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

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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Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Canadiens Moneyline (-118)

Nothing is going right for the Chicago Blackhawks these days. The Hawks have been easily disposed of in five straight games, and their metrics support that there’s no end in sight. Expect the scorching-hot Montreal Canadiens to take advantage on Friday night.

Montreal is amid its best stretch of the season. They have three straight wins against some of the NHL's best teams, and their metrics support that those victories come from a sustainable place. The Habs have outplayed their opponents in six of their past seven while getting elite production at both ends of the ice. Across the seven-game sample, they’ve fallen below nine high-danger chances only once and have limited opponents to seven or fewer quality chances on four occasions.

The Blackhawks are in a state of disarray. They’ve lost five straight by a cumulative 27-12 margin. More concerningly, the Hawks have been falling apart analytically. Chicago has been outplayed in four straight and has a shockingly limited amount of offensive production. They’ve been held off the scoresheet at five-on-five in consecutive outings. Moreover, the Hawks average 8.2 quality opportunities per game across their recent sample.

These teams are speeding in opposite directions. The Canadiens are building momentum as playoff contenders, and the Hawks haven’t won since December 19th. We see an advantage in backing the Habs as short favorites.

Ottawa Senators vs. St. Louis Blues

Blues Moneyline (-102)

The Ottawa Senators are swimming upstream early in 2025. The Sens have been evicted from the Canadian Tire Centre for the World Juniors Championship, forcing them on a five-game road trip to open the calendar year. Those travel woes are amplified by playing on the second night of a back-to-back, leaving an edge on the home underdog St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis has been on a tear lately. The Blues have won three of their past four while putting together some of their best on-ice performances of the season. They’ve generated a 57.7% expected goals-for rating across the four-game sample while surpassing 64.5% game scores in two of those contests.

Winners of seven of ten, the Sens have also been on a run. However, their success is contraindicated in their metrics. Ottawa has been outplayed in five of six, producing a lackluster 46.5% expected goals-for rating. As a result, the Sens are skating around with a moderately bloated PDO, implying they are regression candidates over the final few games of the road trip.

This is a troublesome spot for the Sens. They’ve been on the road for an extended trip, are playing on consecutive nights, and have faltered on the ice. As a result, there’s an implied advantage in backing the Blues at an underdog price.

Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks

Predators Moneyline (-140)

Goaltending will be a concern for the Vancouver Canucks as they take on the Nashville Predators on Friday night. The Canucks are coming off an overtime win last night, needing to use both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. Demko was forced out of the contest early, forcing Lankinen into action. Lankinen will likely be standing in the blue paint when the puck drops against the Preds.

Vancouver has alternated above and below-average performances over its recent stretch. Still, they’ve been consistently weak in the attacking zone. The Canucks have been held to seven or fewer high-danger chances in four straight, averaging just 6.5 opportunities per game. They’ve overachieved relative to their production metrics, suggesting the Nucks could enter a correction phase over the coming games.

The Predators have been trending positively since the middle of December. Nashville has posted expected goals-for ratings above 52.0% in seven of its last eight, yielding a cumulative 56.6% eGF. Undoubtedly, more wins will follow those superb efforts.

The Canucks are at a significant disadvantage on Friday night. Nashville is the superior analytics team, and Vancouver is playing on consecutive nights with the same netminder. We see an edge in backing the guests in this one.

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