With just two NHL games on the board today, we have picked two traditional lines and NHL betting markets for our picks.
Firstly, we are taking a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ trip to Buffalo, a matchup in which we expect goals to be scored. Elsewhere, we believe the under could be the way to go in Carolina as Las Vegas pays a visit.
Picks Summary
- Penguins/Sabres Over 6.5 Goals (-110)
- Golden Knights/Hurricanes Under 6 (-110)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres
Friday, January 17, 2025 – 07:00 PM ET at KeyBank Center
Leading Total Over Teams Face-Off
These two teams are two of the leading teams in the NHL when it comes to the total going over, as the Pittsburgh Penguins have the 2nd best record in the NHL and Buffalo Sabes the 3rd.
Combined, both teams allow an eye-watering 7.25 goals per game thus far this season, with the Penguins allowing the most goals per game and Buffalo the 5th most. Offensively, both teams aren’t the best, but also not the worst, with a combined average of 6.1 goals per game.
Although just 2 of the previous 5 meetings between these teams went over the total, they did average 10.1 goals per game during two of them. The last time these teams met, it ended 5-5 at the end of regulation with Pittsburgh taking the spoils in overtime.
The Pick
It might be a standard set of odds at -110 to go over 6.5 goals, but we wouldn’t mind laying as low as -115 for 7+ goals to be scored in this matchup.
We have seen both teams go over 6.5 goals in 50% of their previous 10 games. Neither team has many major injury concerns, so we should get plenty of action and goals in this game. The Penguins are winless in three games now and have won just 3 of their previous 10 road games, seeing an average of 6.4 goals per game. Tonight, we should see lots of goals from both teams.
NHL Pick: Penguins/Sabres Over 6.5 Goals (-110) at Bet365
Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Friday, January 17, 2025 – 07:00 PM ET at Lenovo Center
Top Team Matchup
It’s a clash of the heavyweights in Carolina tonight as the Hurricanes look to face the Golden Knights in a battle between the 2nd team in the Western Conference and albeit 4th in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes are only 1.5 wins or 3 points behind 2nd placed New Jersey, and they have an extra game in hand, so potentially in with a shout to finish 2nd come the end of the regular season.
The Golden Knights and Hurricanes have been the 2nd and 6th best-placed teams in the goals-against per-game department but we believe both defenses and goaltenders will be on top of their game in this out-of-conference game.
The Hurricanes come into this game having seen 4 of their previous five games go under 6.5 goals. The Golden Knights, on the other hand, have seen 3 of their previous 5 and 70% of their previous 10 matchups go under 6.5 goals scored.
The Pick
With that being said, the 6.5 line isn’t the one we are looking to bet on. The 6 line is coming in at -110 NHL betting odds and we like the chances of this game seeing less than 7 goals to be scored, at the very least we should be looking to get a push for this game.
The current odds at -110 are likely as low as we would go on the 6 push. However, we did manage to find a set of odds at the top-rated sportsbooks as high as +120 for over 6.5 goals to be scored, which we like a lot and would bet it down to +110.
Both teams will be well rested after having a night off Thursday night and both teams will be looking to keep things tight and bounce back with a win following their defeats last time out.
NHL Pick: Golden Knights/Hurricanes Under 6 (-110) at Bet365
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
