NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, January 27

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Published on January 27, 2025

NHL Best Bets Tonight: Expert NHL Picks for
Monday, Jan. 27

The National Hockey League (NHL) has five total games on the scheduled, including the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. on NHL Network. The other four games can be streamed on ESPN+. We'll pick a couple of games, and we'll cobble together a parlay or two, as we try and build up our bankroll for the Super Bowl, the 4 Nations Face-Off, etc. Let's get started.

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Los Angeles Kings at Detroit Red Wings

The Kings (26-14-6) and the Red Wings (23-21-5) meet at Little Caesars Arena in the Motor City, and again, this game can be viewed on NHL Network at 7 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles is making the second stop on a five-game road trip. It lost 3-2 in overtime Saturday in Columbus, as Darcy Kuemper did his job, but the offense could manage just two regulation goals. It was 2-1 late into the third period, but Quinton Byfield struck with the extra attacker with assists to Alex Laferriere and Kevin Fiala to at least notch one point.

The Kings have really struggled offensively, and it shouldn't be a shocker to see them make a move to acquire some offense. Since flipping the calendar from December to January, Los Angeles has managed just 20 goals in 10 games, obviously 2.0 goals per game (GPG) in the span. It has managed two or fewer goals in eight of the past nine games, too. It's no surprise that the Under is 7-3 in the past 10 outings.

Darcy Kuemper (14-4-6, 2.09 GAA, .922 SV%, 2 SO) is projected to get the starting nod opposite former Kings tendy Cam Talbot (13-10-2, 2.90 GAA, .906 SV%, 2 SO).

These teams met Dec. 16 at Crypto.com Arena, with the Kings coming away with a 4-1 victory at home as heavy favorites (-197) as the Under (5.5) cashed. David Rittich kicked aside 17 of the 18 shots he faced to earn the win, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him get another shot in the Motor City. Talbot stopped 37 of the 40 shots he faced, as Mikey Anderson, Tanner Jeannot and Adrian Kempe scored regulation goals against Talbot, while Kempe returned for the empty-net goal to put a bow on the scoring.

The Kings have picked up seven wins in the past nine meetings in this series, with the Over going 5-1 in the past six installments. The only Under was the first meeting this season, though, so be careful.

We'll back the Kings on the moneyline on the road while going low on the total.

Kings ML (-140 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (-114 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Don't make any wagers on your favorite sports betting apps without first studying the latest NHL odds.

New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers

The Devils (28-17-6) and the Flyers (22-22-6) meet at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, and the puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

These teams met last Saturday at Prudential Center, with the Flyers posting a 3-1 win in a matinee game as moderate underdogs (+160) as the Under (6) cashed.

In that win, Samuel Ersson kicked aside 12 of the 13 shots he faced, only letting Dougie Hamilton beat him early on. The Flyers erased that lead, as Matvei Michkov scored at 1:56 of the second period to level the score, and Bobby Brink scored on the power play to give Philly the lead, with Travis Konecny striking for the empty-net goal to make it 3-1. Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates each had primary and secondary assists on both of the third-period goals.

In this series, Philadelphia has won three of the past four meetings since Dec. 19, 2023, with the Under cashing in each of those wins.

New Jersey is coming off a 4-3 OT win Saturday as moderate favorites (-165) as the Over (6) cashed. Jake Allen is expected to get the start again, as Jacob Markstrom is sidelined for a few weeks due to a lower-body injury. Despite that, the Devs have won the past two against the Boston Bruins and Habs, scoring nine total goals with Allen allowing just four markers.

On the flip side, since beating the Red Wings 2-1 in overtime last Tuesday, the Fly Guys have dropped the past two games against the New York Rangers and New York Islanders on the road, getting outscored 9-2 in the span.

Ersson (14-8-2, 2.80 GAA, .891 SV%, 2 SO) is expected to get the starting nod for Philly, and the Under is 5-3-1 across his past nine starts.

Let's back the Flyers lightly, as they seem to have the number of the Devils. We'll go low on the total in this Metropolitan Division battle, too.

Flyers ML (+120 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 6.0 Goals (-128 at BetMGM)

Today's NHL Best Bet(s)

On Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights won 4-1 against the Florida Panthers, but we came up just short of an empty-net goal from hitting the Over (5.5) on our best bet.

For Monday, our best bet is backing the Kings on the moneyline in the Motor City.