3 Best NHL Bets and Predictions for Wednesday 2/5/25

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

Get inside the crease and access who is starting in tonight’s NHL matchups and save projections with SportsGrid’s Starting Goalies Page.

Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers

Rangers Moneyline (-200)

The Boston Bruins are coming off a 3-0 blanking of the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Now, they are looking to make it three in a row versus this same New York Rangers squad they beat at the end of last week. But the odds are stacked against the Bruins in this one.

Boston elected to start primary netminder Jeremy Swayman in last night’s win, meaning Joonas Korpisalo is the projected starter in New York. Moreover, the Bruins have posted deteriorating metrics lately, compounding their goaltending decisions. The Bs have been outplayed in three of their past five while giving up 29 high-danger chances across their last two outings.

The Rangers are coming in on much more solid analytic footing. New York has been out-chanced in high-danger chances just once during their last four games. Further, they’ve seen a sharp increase in production over that stretch. The Broadway Blueshirts are averaging 11.3 high-danger and 24 scoring opportunities, a boost not yet fully reflected in their output.

When these teams met last week, the Rangers outplayed the Bruins but came up empty-handed. We’re anticipating a similar effort with a different outcome on Wednesday.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Over 6.5 (+104)

The Edmonton Oilers are not a team you can keep down forever. The defending Western Conference Champs will look to break out of their offensive slump when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.

Edmonton’s production metrics had taken a modest hit recently. Before last night, the Oilers had been held to nine or fewer high-danger chances in two of three while averaging a suboptimal 9.3 per game. However, they showed on Tuesday that they were ready to break free from that rut -- putting up 13 high-danger chances at five-on-five and 18 opportunities across all strengths, signaling a reversal of fortunes.

Moreover, Edmonton’s goaltending decisions could impact their competitiveness on Wednesday night. The Oilers gave Stuart Skinner the start last night, leaving Calvin Pickard and his .901 save percentage to clean up the mess tonight.

Not surprisingly, Chicago’s best offensive performances come at home. They’ve recorded at least three goals in three of their past four home games, which should be enough to help send this Western Conference tilt over the total.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings

Kings Moneyline (-245)

Fresh off a win on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens return to the ice for an inter-conference battle versus the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Montreal will have a hard time leaving Crypto.com Arena with the win.

The Habs have had difficulty finding the back of the net of late. Over their last four games, Montreal has tallied just two goals at five-on-five. Predictably, that correlates with lackluster output across all strengths, with the Canadiens recording just seven total goals over that stretch. Equally concerningly, they’ve given up at least three goals at five-on-five in four of their past five.

As is typically the case, the Kings have the analytics working in their favor. LA has outplayed its opponents in four of six, yielding a cumulative 57.3% expected goals-for rating. Despite the on-ice success, the Kings have just two wins in that span to show for their recent efforts. Consequently, we have them earmarked for positive regression in the immediate future.

Analytically, the Kings have a more substantive edge than the betting line implies. On that basis, we see an edge in backing Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

All customers get a 25% Profit Boost Token for a 3+ leg parlay or SGP on any NHL game taking place February 4th through 6th! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!