Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – January 14th Edition

The Tampa Bay Lightning are running away with the 2018-19 season in the National Hockey League, from a statistical point of view. Their +56 goal differential is 20 greater than the second-best team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and their 72 points through 46 games are 10 ahead of the second-best Calgary Flames, who have 62. A team trending in the absolute wrong direction right now is the Colorado Avalanche, losers of three in a row and nine of ten (seven of those losses coming in regulation). Keeping those things in mind, let’s take a closer look a the top three NHL betting picks for you to choose, along with it’s latest preview.

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – January 14th Edition

These teams are good, but are they really Stanley Cup CONTENDERS this season?!? Full power rankings here: https://t.co/cMcFnDVmNS pic.twitter.com/eGgHvYGI4U

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 13, 2019

Monday, January 14

Colorado at Toronto (7:00pm ET, ESPN+)

Colorado has lost their last three games by a combined score of 15-7, including a 3-0 shutout loss at Montreal on Saturday. The irony of Colorado’s tailspin is that they have the top-scoring line in the NHL in Nathan McKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, who have scored 73 goals and 112 assists on the season, but Carey Price was able to deliver a 28-save shutout for Montreal. Colorado could not make it through a clogged neutral zone, while the Avalanche permitted 30 shots — two more than Semyon Varlamov could stop. The Avs now face a Maple Leafs team that has split their last four games, alternating dominating wins over Vancouver and New Jersey with losses to Nashville and Boston, falling 3-2 to the Bruins on Saturday. Against Boston, the young Maple Leafs made a pair of key mistakes on the back end late in the second period, and the Bruins took advantage, converting a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead. Auston Matthews, who has just one goal in his last nine starts, had an empty net with four minutes to go, but he couldn’t get the puck on net, and Toronto could not tie. I think the Avs will help the Maple Leafs get back on track. NHL Betting Prediction: Toronto 4, Colorado 1

Montreal at Boston (7:30pm ET, NBC Sports)

Montreal has split their last four games, including that aforementioned 3-0 whipping of the Avalanche on Saturday night. Montreal got goals in that win from Brett Kulak, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordie Benn, all coming in the third period. The key for Montreal was a defensive commitment in neutral zone, staying up on the play and refusing to give the Avalanche any space. The Canadiens renew their Original Six rivalry once again when they head to Boston on Monday night. The Bruins have won three of four, including that 3-2 win over the Leafs on Saturday. Sean Kuraly and David Pastrnak were the ones who eliminated the Leafs’ lead and then took the lead for the Bruins, and Tuukka Rask stopped 30 Toronto shots on the night. He is 5-0-0 in his last five starts for Boston, with a 1.28 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. I see the Bruins keeping things going on Monday night. NHL Betting Prediction: Boston 3, Montreal 2

Tuesday, January 15

Washington at Nashville (8:00pm ET)

Washington saw a three-game winning streak end on Saturday as they lost at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1. They had knocked off Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston by a combined 12-8 score before losing to the Blue Jackets in overtime. Against Columbus, Washington goalie Braden Holtby went down with an eye injury during the second period. Washington did salvage a point when Evgeny Kuznetsov tied the game with 1:06 remaining in the third period, but they still couldn’t deliver the win. Now the Caps head to Nashville with Holtby’s status still in doubt (so you’ll want to check the latest injury updates before locking in your wager). The Predators have dropped two straight by a combined 10-6 score, losing 4-3 in Columbus on Thursday and then again, 6-3, at Carolina on Sunday night. Pekka Rinne struggled, giving up five goals on 20 shots before being pulled, but Filip Forsberg was a bright spot for the Preds, scoring two goals. The Predators have 14 points in their last 10 games and remaining in second in the Central Division. NHL Betting Prediction: Nashville 3, Washington 2