3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Saturday 1/4/25

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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Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Moneyline (-150)

Two Original Six franchises and Atlantic Division foes take to the ice on Saturday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins amid a decline in defensive zone coverage. Consequently, we see an edge in backing the Leafs at a short price.

It hasn’t been a great year for the B’s. Boston is stuck in a slow start, making a coaching change a few weeks ago. However, the team hasn’t responded positively over their recent stretch. The Bruins have been outplayed in four of their past six. More concerningly, they’ve given up at least 10 high-danger chances in four straight.

You can’t afford those defensive lapses against the Leafs. Toronto continues to rank as a elite analytics team, a distinction that’s more evident over its recent sample. The Atlantic Division contenders have outplayed their opponents in all but one of their past four, resulting in three wins over that stretch.

Another solid effort is expected from the Maple Leafs on Saturday. They should have no problem exposing the Bruins’ lackluster defensive zone coverage and could put this one out of reach early. We see value in backing the hosts.

Minnesota Wild vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Moneyline (-225)

Coincidentally, the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes are sister franchises. Both teams are relatively new additions to the NHL and both have built their reputations on solid defensive hockey. However, the Canes have a decided advantage on Saturday night as they look for their third win in four games.

Carolina is on the precipice of a hot streak. They’ve gone 2-0-1 over their previous three contests, an upward trajectory that should continue over their coming games. The Canes have outplayed their opponents in 9 of their last 11 but only have 6 wins to show for their efforts. As a result, their actual outcomes don’t reflect their expected results. We’re anticipating more wins for Carolina in the short term.

Unfortunately, the Wild are trending in the opposite direction. Minnesota has been outplayed in two of its previous three and has a 46.1% expected goals-for rating over its past six. That downward trajectory puts them at a sincere disadvantage against the surging Hurricanes.

Based on our analysis, there’s an edge in backing Carolina as short home favorites. They have superior metrics, and their chances of winning exceed the implied value of their current betting price.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Seattle Kraken

Over 6.5 (+106)

The Edmonton Oilers don’t evoke any thoughts or connections with low-scoring hockey games. They remain one of the most potent offenses in the league, albeit, while mired in a recent slump. We like their chances of breaking out of that rut against the Seattle Kraken.

Edmonton has finally gotten its production back in order. The Oilers have gone north of 10 high-danger chances in four of their last six, a stretch that includes at least 24 scoring opportunities in all but two of those contests. Still, that has yet to translate to meaningful output. The defending Western Conference Champions have been limited to three goals in five of those six outings. Expect a boost in output over their coming games.

Their biggest jump could come on Saturday night against the Kraken. Seattle has been one of the worst teams at defending its own end over the past few weeks. Since December 19, four of their six opponents have recorded at least 10 high-danger and 23 scoring chances. The Kraken can’t afford to make those mistakes against the Oilers.

The over looks even more tantalizing when we consider that Edmonton started its primary goalie, Stuart Skinner, on Friday night. That means that Calvin Pickard is the last line of defenses, ensuring that this Pacific Division tilt goes over the total.

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