NHL Betting Picks for Friday 1/26/24: Will the Avalanche Blow Out the Kings?

Friday has just four games, but let's try to find some winners we can bet on tonight.

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.

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.

NHL Best Bets

Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche

Colorado -1.5 (+162)

The Los Angeles Kings head on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche. About a month ago, you could call this a matchup between two of the best teams in the Western Conference. However, with the Kings in freefall mode, that is no longer the case.

LA has won just 2 of their 12 games in January and has fallen to a wild card spot after being a top three team in the Pacific Division nearly all season. It's gotten to the point where head coach Todd McLellan is fielding questions about his job security.

The Kings' had strong five-on-five play before their slump, but they've fallen to 14th in expected goal (xG) percentage at full strength during this skid. They are not a team with the talent to shoot their way to success, and they rely more on shot volume, which they haven't been able to generate. Since December 28th, only the lowly San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks have scored fewer goals per game than the Kings.

Meanwhile, Colorado has been rolling in January. They've won eight of their 11 games and have scored 4.55 goals per game in the month. The Avs are currently in second in the Central Division but are tied with the Winnipeg Jets in points.

Colorado has a significant home-ice advantage, going 19-5-0 in the altitude of Denver. With the way things are going for LA, it's very difficult to see them competing in this game.

The Avs have the best offense in the NHL, scoring 3.81 goals per game. The Kings have struggled to score so much of late that if the Avs are able to score four goals, they likely will cover this spread.

Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins

Panthers Moneyline (-134)

The Florida Panthers have been a streaky team all season long. Before this current two-game winning streak, they had lost four consecutive contests. Prior to that, they had won nine in a row.

Since they got back Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, their top two defensemen, the Panthers have been one of the best teams in the league. They have the second-best xG percentage in the NHL in the two months since they've been back in the lineup.

They were missing Aleksander Barkov for a few games in the recent losing streak. He returned in their 6-2 win on Wednesday, giving Florida a full-strength lineup that's deep at forward and on the blue line.

They'll take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road tonight. Pittsburgh is currently seven points out of a playoff spot and has lost two games in a row.

The underlying data suggests that Pittsburgh is better than this, but they are still a much worse possession team than the Panthers.

Pittsburgh will be starting Alex Nedeljkovic in goal. While Ned has played well this season, it's been in only 15 games. He had negative goals saved above expected (GSAx) in 74 games over the previous two seasons.

Florida should be able to get the win here, even on the road. They are one of the strongest teams in the NHL when fully healthy, while Pittsburgh has yet to fully gel with their current group.

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

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.