Free NHL Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (1/26/23)

We have a four-game NHL schedule on this Friday evening heading into the weekend. We're running out of time before the All-Star break and subsequent bye weeks for several teams, so let's ensure we nail this slate and get our weekend started on the right note!

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In this article, I'll provide my favorite betting picks for the NHL games on Friday, January 26, 2024. We will focus on money line bets, totals, and team totals. With all of that said, let's break down some hockey games. Follow me on Twitter/X @BKemp17.

Today's NHL Betting Picks - Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche

O/U: 6.5 | Moneyline: COL (-148)

Fresh off of a 6-2 beatdown of the Washington Capitals, the Colorado Avalanche complete a brief two-home homestand Friday night against a struggling Los Angeles Kings club.

In taking Wednesday's matchup from Washington, the Avs improved to a whopping 19-5-0 record at home this season, tops in the NHL. They are also the top home offense and a top-10 home defense with the underlying metrics to support all of the above. They boast quality special teams and Alexandar Georgiev has been stellar between the pipes. Very few holes on this team, once again.

There are far more storylines surrounding the Kings entering this one tonight. After coming out of the gate hot, the Kings have dropped 11 of their last 13 and have fallen into Wild Card territory after initially challenging for the Pacific Division lead.

The club just hasn't been any good at either end of the ice of late. They have scored more than three goals once over their last 14 games and have averaged just two goals per game over their last five. At the same time, they have allowed four goals or more in four of their last seven with 3.43 goals against per game in that time. They have allowed a minimum of three goals in 11 of their last 14 contests.

Still, this is a club sporting a plus-23 overall goal differential, ninth-best in the NHL. Additionally, they rank second in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) of five-on-five (5v5) action, according to Natural Stat Trick. They also rank fifth in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) at 5v5. For good measure, they own the NHL's best penalty kill at 87.5% on the season.

In short, this team is simply just going through a tough spell as the underlying data suggests they have indeed been one of the better teams in the NHL this season, at both ends of the ice.

Let's see if they can go into enemy territory and raise their game against a dangerous Avalanche team tonight in Denver.

Pick: Kings moneyline (+124, DraftKings sportsbook)

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Today's NHL Betting Picks - St. Louis Blues vs. Seattle Kraken

O/U: 6 | Moneyline: SEA: (-170)

The St. Louis Blues conclude a three-game road trip tonight in Seattle as they take on a Kraken team that just snapped a four-game skid with a thorough 6-2 win over the Blackhawks on Wednesday.

The Blues are riding high as they shut out the Capitals at home before taking the first two games of this road trip from the Flames and high-powered Canucks, the latter of which came in overtime. They remain just 10-12-1 on the road but have won six of their last 10 with points in seven of those 10 contests.

Still, the numbers aren't great. While the offense has improved following a dreadful start, they still sit 26th in overall offense and 27th in xGF/60 at 5v5. Their 14.18% clip on the power play also checks in at 27th league-wide. Their defense hasn't been quite as bad in share of 17th overall but they also rank 29th in xGA/60 at 5v5.

As for Seattle, they've taken a step back following a 100-point season in 2022-23. They currently sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 20-18-9 record, including a weak 10-9-3 record on home ice.

They sit one spot behind St. Louis in overall offense at 27th and 24th in xGF/60 at 5v5. Also like the Blues, their defense has been better than their offense as they sit 11th in overall defense and eighth in xGA/60 at 5v5. They have received excellent goaltending from the upstart Joey Daccord who sports a 2.32 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in 31 outings (28 starts) with a 17.17 goals saved above average figure that ranks third in the NHL behind only Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko, as per Hockey Reference.

With a couple of low-octane offenses and solid defenses clashing, this one has the makings of a low-scoring affair from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Pick: Under 6 (-115, DraftKings sportsbook)

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