3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Thursday, 1/9/25

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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Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild

Wild Moneyline (+115)

The Colorado Avalanche are in an unfortunate spot on Thursday night. Fresh off their 3-1 defeat against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Avs are back in action against a tip-top Minnesota Wild side. This isn't a spot where Colorado should be favored.

Colorado may have outplayed the Hawks on Wednesday night, but that was the outlier in an otherwise unreliable stretch. Before last night, the Avs had posted expected goals for ratings below 50.0% in four straight and ten of their past 13. Consequently, they've fallen to 12th in the season-long eGF rankings.

Minnesota is trending in the opposite direction. The Wild have outplayed their opponents in four of their last seven and have surpassed the Avalanche in expected goals-for rating. That advantage is amplified in the friendly confines of the Xcel Energy Center.

Tonight's Central Division battle will be closer than the betting line implies. Moreover, the Wild aren't deserving of their underdog price tag. On that basis, we see an edge in backing Minnesota at home.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Maple Leafs Moneyline (+140)

Two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams face off in what should be a heated clash in Raleigh. The Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs invade the Lenovo Center for a date with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Winners of five in a row, the Leafs are operating at peak efficiency. Toronto has totaled 17 goals across its winning streak and has supporting metrics validating ongoing success. They're averaging 10.0 high-danger chances per game over their past 14, balancing actual scoring with expected results.

Those high-octane benchmarks clash with the Canes’ eroding defensive play. Carolina has given up 12 or more high-danger chances in five of its previous nine, correlating with an increase in goals against. Across that same sample, the Canes have given up 27 goals, with four opponents going north of four goals in a game.

The Leafs' offense should have no problem overwhelming the Hurricanes' faltering defense, which should be the difference in their sixth straight win.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Ottawa Senators

Senators Moneyline (-160)

The Ottawa Senators‘ ascent continues with an intra-divisional clash versus the Buffalo Sabres. The Sens are the rightful favorites, but our analysis supports the price as still being too low.

While Ottawa has been mired in a recent downturn, the Sens are due for a bounce-back effort at home. Their defensive structure will be too much for the Sabres to break through. The Senators have held four of their past six opponents to eight or fewer high-danger opportunities, setting the stage for another resilient effort.

The Sabres continue to operate one of the most anemic offenses in the NHL. Buffalo has been held to nine or fewer quality chances in nine of 11. Worse, they've shown signs of regression after a brief torrid stretch. Buffalo has tallied just one goal at five-on-five over its last two outings.

The under is worth a look at in this one, but we can't overlook the value of backing the Sens at home.

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