NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Thursday, January 30

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Published on January 30, 2025

NHL Best Bets Tonight: Expert NHL Picks for
Thursday, Jan. 30

The National Hockey League (NHL) has 10 total games on the scheduled for Thursday night, including the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+/hulu/Disney+, and the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. We'll look to get back on track to build some bankroll for the upcoming Super Bowl, 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, March Madness, etc. Let's get started.

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Los Angeles Kings at Tampa Bay Lightning

The Kings (26-16-6) and the Lightning (26-20-3) meet at Amalie Arena in Tampa at 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

Los Angeles picked up a 2-1 victory in the first meeting at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 4, as Darcy Kuemper stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced in the win. Victor Hedman opened the game with a goal against Kuemper just 69 seconds into the contest, and it appeared Tampa Bay was in good shape. However, Mikey Anderson scored at 7:58 in the first period against Andrei Vasilevskiy to level the score. It wasn't until 14:12 of the third period that Adrian Kempe struck for the game-winning tally.

The Kings are 0-2-1 on the first three games of a five-stop road trip which wraps up at Carolina on Sunday. The Under is 3-1 in the past four outings.

For the Lightning, they've dropped four of the past five games, with just one total goal scored in the past two games. The Under is 3-1 in the past four games for Tampa Bay, too. That's our play. We don't have a feeling on a definitive winner, but the Under is awfully attractive.

Under 5.5 Goals (+105 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

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

Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

The Capitals (34-11-5) and the Senators (26-20-4) square off at Canadian Tire Centre at 7 p.m. ET in a battle of North America's NHL capital teams.

Washington picked up a 1-0 win in overtime in the most recent trip to Ottawa two weeks ago Jan. 16, as the Capitals cashed as short 'dogs (+104) and the Under (5.5) obviously connected.

Since Jan. 11, the Capitals have won seven of eight games, but the offense has been having some issues scoring. Washington is generating just 2.5 goals per game (GPG) in the past four games, but Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren have been on fire in the crease. Thompson, fresh off a contract extension, has two shutouts just since Jan. 14, while Lindgren blanked the Seattle Kraken on the road Jan. 23.

For the Capitals, the Under has cashed in 10 straight games since Jan. 8. As far as the Senators are concerned, they're on a five-game Under run, while the total has gone low at a 20-2-4 pace in the previous 26 outings.

We'll back Washington straight up, as the goaltenders have been fire lately, while also siding with the Under, as it has dominated for both sides.

Capitals ML (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Under 5.5 Goals (-125 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames

The Ducks (21-23-6) and the Flames (24-18-7) hook up at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary at 9 p.m. ET. Calgary has won five of the past six meetings in this series, including a 3-2 OT win in Anaheim on Jan. 7 in the first meeting of the season.

The Flames (-143) won that game, which was a seesaw affair. MacKenzie Weegar opened the scoring at 19:04 of the first period, while Alex Killorn answered at 8:34 of the second period. Nazem Kadri helped Calgary re-take the lead at 12:44 of the second before Mason McTavish struck on a power-play goal at 7:36 of the third to force overtime.

In the extra session, Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov was whistled for interference. Matthew Coronato hit Jonathan Huberdeau with a pass, and the latter struck for the OT winner past John Gibson to give the road team the win as the Under (6) held on.

After three straight wins, Calgary has lost two in a row, scoring just three goals in the span. The Over is 3-1 in the past four outings.

For Anaheim, it has pieced together three straight wins, scoring five or more goals, averaging 5.3 GPG. The Over is 3-0-1 in the past four games.

We'll roll the dice on the Ducks, as they look for revenge, but play it safe and play the puck line. And, let's also go low on this total.

Ducks +1.5 (-175 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Under 6 Goals (-120 at BetMGM)

Today's NHL Best Bet(s)

In Wednesday's game, we were unable to hit the Over in the Vancouver-Nashville game, so we're back to .500 on our best bets in the past 11 selections.

Looking to Thursday's plays, we'll back the Under in the Los Angeles-Tampa Bay game, and we'll also side with the Under in the Washington-Ottawa game, too. Confidence is rather high in each of those outings.