Check out tonight's NHL best bets as I share NHL picks and predictions for Friday, January 24.
We have a smaller slate on tonight's NHL docket, but that will never stop us from crafting a few NHL Best Bets.
For tonight's edition, I've cooked up a moneyline play and a play prop pick.
NHL Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8:00 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Golden Knights vs. Stars
Vegas entering a dry spell was inevitable. No team, no matter how good they are, will be unflappable (well, maybe except for the ‘96 Chicago Bulls).
But perhaps the spell has come and gone. The Golden Knights started January with three straight wins, but they have recently lost four out of their last five.
The Knights are coming off an exceptional win in St. Louis against the Blues by the score of 4-2 and get right back to it in Dallas against the Stars. However, Vegas is usually strong on the back end of back-to-backs, going 5-2 overall and 3-1 on the road.
Tonight’s no easy task because the Stars dominate in front of their fans with a 17-7-1 home record. However, Dallas is going through a bit of a dry spell itself, trading wins and losses for the past two weeks – including a loss at home to Carolina.
In reality, we have a matchup between two powerhouses that seem temporarily stuck.
What’s funny is that despite the rough stretch, they’re both some of the highest-performing offenses in the NHL over the past 10 days. The glaring hole here is defense – primarily from Dallas.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has been everything you would want out of a goalie, with a .914 SV% (.942 in the past five starts) and an 8.2 GSAx. The problem is the team in front of him is leaving him out to dry.
Dallas, usually armed with prolific and talented defensemen, is playing to an eighth-worst 2.69 xGA/60 since January 11. To that point, Vegas’ offense is playing at a 10th-best 53.38 xGF%.
The Knights will also roll out Adin Hill, who should be playing better, but has made big plays down the stretch.
The books don’t seem to favor the Knights since they’re coming off a back-to-back and Dallas is fresh, playing at home. But given Vegas’ aptitude to play at a high level on back-to-backs (especially on the road), I’m backing the Knights to win this one.
Pick: Golden Knights ML (+125)
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Utah vs. Jets
Point prediction is always tough to determine when betting the NHL; even more so when you’re betting for a player to score multiple points in one game.
Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets is my target tonight. The franchise’s all-time second-leading scorer has feasted on the Utah Hockey Club, dating back to when they were the ArizonaCoyotes.
Winnipeg has only played Utah twice this season: a 3-0 win in November and a 5-2 loss four days ago in Salt Lake City.
Scheifele registered points in both games and dominated the Coyotes with 31 points in 29 games.
Furthermore, his connection with Kyle Connor is palpable. Connor is on a tear, with 60 points in 49 games, but has been held pointless in his last three.
It creates an opportunity for Connor to get back on the scoresheet, as Scheifele has assisted on 46% of Connor’s 26 goals this season.
I’m looking to take a chance here and get some value on #55 in front of the home crowd in Winnipeg, where the Jets are 18-5-3 in.
Pick: Mark Scheifele 2+ Points (+210)
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