NHL Betting Picks for Wednesday 1/24/24: Will the Leafs Dominate a Depleted Jets Squad?

We'll look at an interesting Wednesday slate that is busier than normal and try to find some value in the betting market.

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

Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings

Under 6.5 Goals (-124)

The Los Angeles Kings were one of the best teams in the NHL before Christmas. At that point, they were second in the NHL in points percentage and third in goals per game.

Things have not been the same since the holiday. They've basically flipped things around since then as they've been the third-worst team by points percentage and have scored the third-fewest goals per game.

The Kings have been reasonable defensively in their bad stretch. They've allowed the 14th-fewest goals per game since December 28th.

They'll take on a Buffalo Sabres' team that just played last night down the freeway in Anaheim. It's unlikely that Buffalo will be able to light up the Kings, as the Sabres average the eighth-fewest goals per game.

With both teams struggling to score as of late, I'm siding with the under tonight. The model on numberFire agrees with this bet, giving it a one-star rating.

Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken

Under 5.5 Goals (-106)

It's rare that we can feel good about putting money on an under with a 5.5 total, but it makes sense here tonight.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league all season. They've averaged just 2.17 goals per game, the second-fewest in the league.

It's been even worse since Connor Bedard got injured. In the eight games since their star rookie has been out of the lineup, Chicago has scored just 1.48 goals per game.

The Seattle Kraken aren't exactly free scoring, either. They average the sixth-fewest goals per game and are now without last season's rookie of the year, Matty Beniers.

Joey Daccord has been a solid goalie this season, with 6.4 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Even Petr Mrazek in goal for Chicago has positive GSAx this season at 3.7.

Chicago has scored no more than one regulation goal in six of their last seven games. With Seattle also sturggling offensively, the under is the side I want to be on.

Winnipeg Jets at Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs -1.5 (+168)

OK. We've done two unders while laying money. Let's now look at a fun bet that could give us a nice return if it hits.

It's not been fun if you have the misfortune of targeting bets against the Winnipeg Jets lately. They soared up the standings in December and January, and the Jets had a streak of 34 straight games allowing three goals or fewer.

That streak ended on Monday, and now the team is looking a bit injured. Mark Scheifele andGabriel Vilardi -- two of their top six forwards -- will both miss this game. They also will be starting Laurent Brossoit in net. Brossoit has been decent this season but is a huge downgrade from Connor Hellebuyck, one of the best goalies in the league.

They'll face the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road tonight. Toronto has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde type of team all season long. They haven't won a lot of regulation games, just 15 all season. That's equal to teams like the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators.

Toronto is seventh in expected-goal percentage at five-on-five, but they have been let down by goaltending all season. If they can get a solid performance from Ilya Samsonov -- like he gave on Sunday -- they could limit a depleted Winnipeg team.

Auston Matthews continues to tear up the NHL, with nine goals in 11 games in January. His form alone could lead Toronto covering the spread.

The Leafs will benefit from playing this game at home and the Jets missing three players, which could help Toronto cash this bet for us. Getting these nice plus odds on it certainly makes this bet intriguing.

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!

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.