Richard Masana 
It’s the second night of a back-to-back for NHL Top Bets as we dive into the Thursday NHL slate. The people made it known they wanted expanded NHL betting content and Win Daily listened. We have a huge slate of games ahead of us “eleven” including the Chicago/Buffalo game which was postponed yesterday and rescheduled for tonight due to extreme winter weather.
As always, think for yourself. The information below is only meant to supplement your knowledge and if you don’t agree with a portion, that’s fine, we’re all entitled to our own opinions. Also be sure to scour as many sportsbooks as possible before placing a bet as the odds tend to vary a little in most circumstances.
Aside from reading this 1/18 NHL Top Bets article, don’t forget to check out our NHL DFS Projection Model which is available every morning. If you like what you see, sign up for more Win Daily content here.
1/18 NHL Main Slate of Games – Beginning 7 p.m. ET
*All odds and player pricing below have been obtained from DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the time of writing*
Colorado Avalanche (+120) at Boston Bruins (-142) – 6 Projected Goal Total
Montreal Canadiens (+154) at Ottawa Senators (-185) – 6.5 Projected Goal Total
Chicago Blackhawks (+230) at Buffalo Sabres (-285) – 6 Projected Goal Total
Minnesota Wild (+120) at Tampa Bay Lightning (-142) – 6.5 Projected Goal Total
Dallas Stars (-135) at Philadelphia Flyers (+114) – 6 Projected Goal Total
St. Louis Blues (+100) at Washington Capitals (-120) – 5.5 Projected Goal Total
Toronto Maple Leafs (-125) at Calgary Flames (+105) – 6.5 Projected Goal Total
Seattle Kraken (+170) at Edmonton Oilers (-205) – 6.5 Projected Goal Total
Nashville Predators (+130) at Los Angeles Kings (-155) – 6 Projected Goal Total
Arizona Coyotes (+170) at Vancouver Canucks (-205) – 6.5 Projected Goal Total
New York Rangers (-125) at Vegas Golden Knights (+105) – 6 Projected Goal Total
Record “starting Jan 17, 2024” – 1-1
1/18 NHL Bet One
Toronto Maple Leafs at Calgary Flames – Calgary ML (+105)
The home team has won four straight games yet comes in as the underdog with plus odds. The Maple Leafs on the flip side are losers of four straight and remain on a west coast road trip that already isn’t off to a good start. Toronto may stick out due to some of the stars up top and the Flames are dealing with a number of injuries. However, Calgary has a 5-1 record in their last six home games and the Leafs are arriving in middling form.
Calgary will enter the night 10-4-0 over their last fourteen games. Blake Coleman has been leading the charge with 38 points in 44 games, but the talent is spread out across the Flames’ lines. The goaltending split between Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar has also worked out for them to date. After a slow start, the Flames are sitting right outside the playoff window and should be motivated against a fellow Canadian visitor.
Meanwhile, Toronto, the “Dallas Cowboys of the NHL?”, has racked up four straight losses while facing quality competition. During this putrid losing stretch, the Leafs have been allowed 17 goals so just over four allowed per game. Prior to that they had won four straight games, but that comes with the caveat that stretch included two games against the Sharks and one against the Ducks. They’re no doubt the more talented of these two teams on the whole but these are two teams clearly in different form at the moment.
It would not be very surprising if by a few hours from gametime the Calgary money line shifts from plus to minus odds and this becomes an even money game. Toronto’s trip out west has not started out well and after facing the Flames they might want to return home as quickly as possible.
1/18 NHL Bet Two
Seattle Kraken at Edmonton Oilers – Under 6.5 (-105)
Nobody in the NHL is hotter than the Edmonton Oilers right now. Winners of eleven straight, it’s surprising these odds aren’t even shorter hosting the Kraken. If it’s a matter of talent, well, there’s simply no comparison here. If it’s a matter of recent form, well, Edmonton could not be any better.
Seattle has been winning games recently which prevents them from being an even bigger underdog here. Even though many of their wins have been against bad teams, they do come in 8-2 over their last ten games. These teams are only separated by two real life points in the standings. However, the point differentials tell the whole story here with the Oilers at +23 to Seattle’s -6.
Despite their reputation for free flowing, high scoring games, Edmonton has been winning differently as of late. Over their last ten games, seven of their ten wins have come in under 6.5 total games with many of those far under the total. Given that this style has let to such consistent success, it is hard to imagine the Oilers going back to open play of old, at least at the moment.
Seattle has similarly had seven of their last ten game totals go under 6.5. It is easy to look at this game and think of the Oilers’ superstars lighting up the scoreboard. However, instead we are probably looking at a close and rather closed off hockey game that Edmonton probably wins with a total under 6.5. The Oilers have owned the Kraken recently, winning four straight games against them overall and two straight at home. In fact, Seattle has won only once over their past seven matchups with the Oilers. Edmonton has limited Seattle to two goals or less in three of their last six meetings.
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