The NHL has a condensed four-game slate on Friday, including a matinee between the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues at 3:10 p.m. ET. All four betting favorites are -150 or shorter on the moneyline, with two home underdogs between St. Louis and Anaheim.
My previous NHL Best Bets (12/19) yielded a profitable result at 2-1 with a pair of plus odds winners. The Panthers beat the Hurricanes with an epic 3rd period comeback as a home underdog, while the Devils and Mammoth went under 5.5 during New Jersey’s 2-1 road win. The lone loss came when the New York Islanders failed to win at home against the Canucks in a 4-1 rout.
I’ve found three best bets to tail ahead of Friday’s four-game NHL slate. Follow me on X @Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL analysis and free picks.
NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers
The evening slate features an opening puck drop at the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic when the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers face-off at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. Oddsmakers value the Panthers as a -144 betting favorite, while the goal total is set to 5.5.
The Rangers are currently on a cold slump, losing four of their last five games outright. To make matters worse, New York is 1-5 SU against the Panthers in their last six head-to-head matchups. Tonight, Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin, a pair of Vezina Trophy winners, will patrol the crease.
There’s value on the goal total at 5.5. The Rangers are the most profitable team on the goal total under in the NHL this season at 27-15. Florida is 22-17 on the goal total over, however, the Rangers have gone under 5.5 in three of their last five matchups.
In a marquee prime-time game at a neutral site, plus a pair of top-tier goaltenders, scoring could be limited. Let’s bet under 5.5 total goals at -102 odds.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-102)
Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim hosts Minnesota as a +108 home underdog at the Honda Center tonight. The Ducks have gone cold, losing four consecutive contests, while the Wild have also cooled off, going 2-3 SU in their last five matchups.
Minnesota is a much deeper roster with aspirations to make a deep playoff run. Anaheim has been a nice surprise early this season, contending for the Pacific Division. However, the Ducks’ inability to play defense is going to cost them against an elite Wild offense.
Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov are a potent tandem for Minnesota. The Wild should light the lamp plenty with Lukas Dostal expected in the net for the Ducks. Dostal has allowed four or more goals in three straight starts, while Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson has held opponents to two or fewer goals in four of his previous five appearances.
We’re landing the Wild at a good price as a road favorite at -130 odds. They shut out the Ducks 2-0 earlier this season on home ice, so let’s bet on Minnesota’s moneyline in a bounce-back spot against Anaheim.
Pick: Minnesota Wild Moneyline (-130)
Seattle Kraken vs. Vancouver Canucks
The other late puck drop tonight features the Seattle Kraken on the road against the Vancouver Canucks. Oddsmakers are backing the Canucks as a home favorite at -150 odds, despite being routed 6-3 on home ice in their last game played against Philadelphia.
Seattle has been trending upward, rattling off five wins in their last six matchups to climb back into the second Wild Card seed in the Western Conference. The Kraken will start Joey Daccord in the net tonight, who has held three straight opponents to five total goals.
Thatcher Demko is expected to start as Vancouver’s goaltender. Demko has allowed four goals in three consecutive starts for the Canucks, creating value on Seattle’s moneyline at +125 odds.
Vancouver is 1-9 SU in its last 10 home games. Seattle is 7-3 in its previous 10 matchups against the Canucks. The Kraken have the goaltending edge and more momentum on their side following a 4-1 win over Nashville on New Year’s Day.
This is the second game of a back-to-back for Seattle, which is why Vancouver is a -150 home favorite. However, don’t get tricked into backing the Canucks, who are 1-3 SU in their last four outings.
Let’s wrap up Friday’s NHL betting card by taking the Seattle Kraken on the moneyline at +125.
Pick: Seattle Kraken Moneyline (+125)
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