We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
Here at SportsTips, we are just as keen on the NHL as you are! We spend each and every day going through the best games and previewing them for you. Our experts offer up their free NHL picks, which means that you not only get enjoyment out of watching some intriguing games, but also make extra cash while doing so!
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
New York Rangers @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The New York Rangers have a short one game road trip when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. The Rangers are currently on a three game winning streak, which includes wins over the Sharks, Flyers and Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes have dominated in their last two games, against lower level opponents, outscoring the Canucks 4-1, and then winning against the Bruins, 7-1.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Rangers are off to a fantastic season so far in the NHL. The team sits in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with 56 points out of 40 matches as they have won 7 out of their last 9 fixtures. Chris Kreider has been the essence of the Rangers success as he has scored 25 goals in 40 games. Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad help him in front positions, while Adam Fox has been incredible on both ends for the Rangers as he tops the assists-list with 35 assists. The Rangers are coming into this fixture on a 3-game winning streak defeating the San Jose Sharks, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes will face each other for the first time this season. The Hurricanes won their last three head-to-head games, helping them win the series in the 2020 NHL Playoffs. This year, they have also been playing on a high level as they are currently 4th in the East with 54 points from 36 games. They have undoubtedly the best defence in the NHL at the moment that has conceded just 81 goals in the net. Their offence is also decent as the Finnish duo, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, has been magnificent throughout the first half of the campaign. In my opinion, the Hurricanes are slightly better at the moment and they will be able to come out victorious yet once again.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-170)
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers will head south for one game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday evening. They come into this game on a three game winning streak after picking up wins over the San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers are currently 26-10-4 through their first 40 games coming into this one. The Rangers currently find themselves in the driver’s seat of a super competitive Metropolitan Division as they hold a two point lead over their opponents in this game, the Carolina Hurricanes. They will be looking for a victory in this one to widen the lead.
On to the next mission.#NoQuitInNY | @Delta pic.twitter.com/JYv0VBdJ1V
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 20, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes come into this game as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League so far this season. Through their first 36 games they currently have a record of 26-8-2 on the season. Those 26 victories is good enough for second place in the Metropolitan Division, as previously mentioned they are two points behind the leaders who they will be facing in this game, which gives the Hurricanes the perfect chance to tie the Rangers with a victory. As for the result of this game, I have the Carolina Hurricanes picking up the victory over the New York Rangers at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-170)
Jeffery Thomas
A Metropolitan Division matchup on tap Friday night in Carolina, as the 1st place Rangers look to extend their winning streak to 4 games against the 2nd place Hurricanes. They’ve been in great form, as the Rangers are 7-2-0 in their last 9 games and 17-3-0 in their last 20 against the Eastern Conference. Their last outing was an impressive 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, coming back from a 1-3 deficit. The Canes sit at 26-8-2, and on a two game winning streak of their own following a couple wins over the Bruins and Canucks. Their form is also one of the best in the league as they’ve put together an 11-2-1 record over their last 14.
I can only imagine the high the Rangers are on right now after that big comeback against the Leafs, scoring 5 unanswered to end the game. I think the books have this price all wrong here and I’m loving the value here we get backing New York. They’ve won 6 straight against the Metro, while the Canes are 1-4 in their last 5 against teams with a winning % over .600. Let’s take the plus money with the Rangers here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+140)
Minnesota Wild @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8.30PM ET
The Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks kick off a two game back-to-back against each other on Friday night. The Wild come into this game winning three of their last four, and this takes their season record to 22-10-3. The Blackhawks had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Kraken, 2-3, in a shootout.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Wild will travel to Chicago on Friday to face the Blackhawks in what needs to be an easy win for them, if they want to keep their good spot in the top of the table. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, will try to gain even more momentum after going for a 4-game winning streak defeating teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks. They have been struggling throughout the biggest part of the season, but recently, their defence has been the thing that made the difference in the end. This run helped them close the gap between themselves and the teams into top 10 as they continue to be 14th in the West, but having 36 points means that they are a couple of wins away from getting into contention for the Playoffs.
The Minnesota Wild have been exceptional throughout the first half of the 2021/22 NHL campaign. The team found itself leading the table at some point, but a 5-game losing streak right around Christmas had a huge negative impact on their rankings. However, the Wild continue to be in the battle for the top spots as they are 5th in the Western Conference with 47 points out of 35 matches. They surely have all it takes to return to top 3 and even contest the first place of the Colorado Avalanche. The team has a perfect balance between offence and defence and this might help them a lot in their future endeavours. Keeping in mind Minnesota’s good form recently, I am willing to give them a chance against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-162)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Wild have had a roller coaster of a season. Just a while back they were the best team in the National Hockey League and now they aren’t even in first place in their own division. Now they are currently sitting in fourth place of the Central Division behind Nashville, Colorado, and St. Louis as all four teams have led the division at some point this season. They will be looking to get back on a hot streak and reclaim the lead in the division as the season passes the halfway point in the coming weeks. As they come into this game with a record of 22-10-3 through their first 35 games on the season. They will be looking to break a one game losing streak with a victory in this one.
The Chicago Blackhawks started out the season as one of the worst teams in the league. As the season has progressed they have slowly tried to climb their way back to a respectable record and potentially even reach the .500 mark. However they happen to be playing in perhaps the best division of the league and playing against these Central Division teams night in and night out has made it that much more difficult. The Blackhawks come into this game with a record of 15-18-6 on the season. They are currently in seventh place of the Central Division and on a one game losing streak that they will be looking to break. However, I don’t see that happening as I have the Minnesota Wild picking up the victory in this game on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-162)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild will travel to Chicago on Friday night for a matchup with the Blackhawks. This is the first of two back to back games against each other as they will also meet Saturday in Minnesota. The Wild sit at 22-10-3 and in 4th place of the Central Division. The hosts are not having a season to write home about as they sit 15-18-6 and 11 points back of the Wild in the Central. They have however, won 4 of their last 5 with the lone loss coming at the hands of the Kraken, in their last game.
Both defenses are coming into this one struggling a bit in the month of January and the Wild have one of the best offenses in the NHL. The over has hit in 14 of the Wild’s last 20 and 4 of the last 6 matchups of these two teams. Both teams are averaging over 3 goals a game and are not good on the PK. I see a 4-3 overtime win for either side which will safely cash the over for us in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-102)
Florida Panthers @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Florida Panthers who will take on the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. The Panthers are playing on back-to-back nights and last time out they won, 6-0, against the Oilers. The Canucks are currently on a two game winning streak, and this includes wins over the Capitals and Predators.
Denis Kirilov
The Florida Panthers take on the Vancouver Canucks in what promises to be a very entertaining match in Rogers Arena. The Canucks are almost cleared out of COVID-19 as most of the players will be able to make their return on the ice. The team has won its last two games in the NHL defeating the strong opponents of the Washington Capitals and the Nashville Predators. They are once again on the winning track after suffering three straight defeats in their previous fixtures in the absence of some of their top players. The Canucks continue to be 11th in the Western Conference as they surely have ambitions to make the Playoffs this season. However, this seems like a really tough task keeping in mind that they will need to battle it out against the likes of the Calgary Flames, the San Jose Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Anaheim Ducks.
The Florida Panthers can be quite relaxed at the moment as they are in 1st place in the West with 59 points to their name. Their Playoffs spot seems quite secure for now. The team is enjoying a fantastic season so far as they have scored the most goals in the NHL – 165 goals for the span of 40 matches. Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad have been clinical up front as they regularly get a lot of help from players like Sam Bennett, Anthony Duclair, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaeghe. The team, however, lost one of its most recent matches as they suffered a 1-5 defeat to the Calgary Flames. I think they will be looking to get revenge for that missed opportunity and they will completely smash the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+148)
Tony Battalio
The road trip continues for the Florida Panthers and man have they been on fire this season. This will be the second game of a back to back for Florida after they faced off with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday evening. Florida is one of the top contenders in an Eastern Conference that seems to be full of them. They are currently in second place of the Atlantic Division trailing only the Tampa Bay Lightning. They come into this game with a record of 27-8-5 through their first 40 games of the season. As they will be looking for a huge victory in this one to pick up two wins in two nights after trashing the Oilers 6-0 on Thursday evening.
Head Coach Bruce Boudreau speaks on the potential COVID situation surrounding J.T. Miller and Thatcher Demko. pic.twitter.com/ePRCyLyDoU
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) January 20, 2022
The Vancouver Canucks have had an up and down season up until this point. They come into this game with the Florida Panthers with a record of 18-18-3 through their first 39 games on the season. They are currently in the bottom half of the standings in the Pacific Division, but they could still compete for a playoff spot if they get things turned around quickly. However, at least as far as this game is concerned I don’t have them getting the win. I think the Florida Panthers will pick up the victory in this one on the road in Canada.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-166)
Jeffery Thomas
The Panthers will come into this second leg of the back to back on a high after a 6-0 drubbing of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. It was a much needed bounce back after a 1-5 loss to Calgary to start this 5 game road trip. The Panthers road struggles have been documented and they will look to build on Thursday’s result in this one. Vancouver is coming into this one well rested, and on a 2 game winning streak of their own after taking down the Predators on Tuesday. This game is also the start of a 3-game home stand for them as they try to climb out of the bottom and into the playoff picture.
The Canucks will need their offense to step up in this one to even stand a chance. The Panthers can drop 6+ on anybody when they’re firing on all cylinders and that makes them a dangerous team to bet against, but also a fun one to back when betting. With that being said, that’s exactly what we are going to do as we’re getting another great price on who I think is the best team in the league. The Canucks are 3-7 in their last 10 against the Atlantic and that trend will continue Friday night.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-166)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the middle of their three game road trip when they travel to Anaheim to take on the Ducks. The Lightning have won their last four games in a row, and this includes wins over the Sabres, Canucks, Stars and Kings. The Ducks will be looking to turn around the current four game losing streak they are on, and this drops their season record down to 19-16-7.
Denis Kirilov
The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to make the best out of the current situation as they are coming against the Anaheim Ducks on a 4-game winning streak. On top of that, the Ducks have been suffering throughout the last 10 days losing all 4 matches by a margin. Their team has been hit by COVID-19 as Troy Terry, Sonny Milano, and Cam Fowler have missed the last couple of games for the team which came in crucial for the overall performance of the team. The Ducks enjoyed a fantastic first half of the season, but it seems that it will be too difficult for them to keep up that pace for the rest of the campaign. They are currently 7th in the Western Conference with 45 points out of 42 matches.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to make yet another successful defence of the Stanley Cup. After winning two trophies in a row, the champions are still not looking to take their foot off the throttle. The Lightning top the Eastern Conference with 59 points from 41 games as they will most likely make the 2022 NHL Playoffs. Their performance in front position has also been nothing less than incredible as Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, and Brayden Point continue to amaze the crowd. Victor Hedman has been a reliable player on both ends as he leads the team with 34 assists, despite being a defenseman. I think that the Tampa Bay Lightning will take advantage of the issues within the Ducks’ roster and they will take a convincing win, easily covering their spread in the end.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+114)
Tony Battalio
The Tampa Bay Lighting come into this game looking like they have their focus set on being the first team to three-peat as Stanley Cup champions in many years. After a slow start to the season, the Lightning have really picked up the pace as they come into this game with a record of 27-9-5 through their first 41 games of the season as they currently sit in the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They also enter this game on a four game winning streak that they will be looking to extend as they hit the road again to go to the West Coast for the second game of a quick three game road trip that will end with a visit to San Jose.
The Anaheim Ducks have been struggling as of late as they have lost their last four games in a row. However they still remain in playoff contention in the Pacific Division because of how weak it has been so far this season, as Anaheim is currently still in third place despite the losing streak. They have a record of 19-16-7 as they are four games below the .500 mark heading into this one. As for the result of this game, I don’t expect it to get much better for the Ducks as I have them losing this one to the two time defending Stanley Cup champions at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-235)
Jeffery Thomas
This is a matchup Friday night of two teams heading in two different directions. The champs have won 4 straight and are looking primed to make another run at a title. They are 27-9-5 on the season and 2nd in the Atlantic to the Florida Panthers. As for the Ducks, they are in a tough spot. Having lost 4 straight and 5 of 6, and not scoring a single goal in the last 2 games, it’s tough seeing this one going good for them. They still sit 3rd in the Pacific Division and have everything to play for. They will be looking to get back on track with a statement win.
This one is as straightforward as it gets on this slate. The Lightning will win this one comfortably and because of that there are many ways to attack this from a betting perspective. You can take the Ducks team total under, as they have been in a ridiculous offensive slump as of late. You can take the Lightning team total over as they are top 10 in goals per game and shooting percentage. I see both of those cashing but my official play will be the puck line for the champs as they dominate and control this one throughout.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+114)
St. Louis Blues @ Seattle Kraken – 10.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues kick off a three game road trip on Friday night, and their first stop is in Seattle where they take on the Kraken. The Blues have won six of their last eight games, and this brings their season record to 23-11-5. The Kraken are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Sharks 3-2.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues will face the Seattle Kraken in what might turn out to be a tough game on the road for them. The rookies from Seattle have been struggling at home as they lost 8 straight games going winless for nearly a month and a half. They managed to put an end to this negative streak with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2 OT. They eventually topped that performance with another victory at home defeating the San Jose Sharks, 3-2. Their ambitions this season aren’t something unrealistic as they perfectly know that it will be a miracle, if they reach the Playoffs in their first season in the NHL. Right now, the Kraken are 15th in the Western Conference with 28 points out of 39 matches.
The situation within the St. Louis Blues is slightly different as they are huge favorites to make the 2022 NHL Playoffs. The team has been playing fantastically at home in Enterprise Center and they are doing just enough on the road to keep themselves in the top 3 in the West. The Blues are currently 3rd with 51 points from 39 games as it is getting more and more likely that they will make it through the Regular Season. Apart from their defender, Scott Perunovich, they have nobody on the injury list meaning that they will need to focus and use this to their advantage for as long as possible. That’s why I think they will dismantle the Seattle Kraken on Friday.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (+152)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues come into this game with a record of 23-11-5 through their first 39 games of the season. They are currently sitting in second place of the Central Division behind the Colorado Avalanche. As they will be looking to use the momentum from the victory in their last game to make it two in a row in this one. They will be going up against the National Hockey League’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken. They are a prime contender out of the Western Conference and will look to continue to get the division lead back from the Avalanche as the season progresses.
always, ALWAYS hug your goalie! 🤗🫂🥰 pic.twitter.com/GUIBwW5egJ
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) January 21, 2022
The Seattle Kraken are not having the season they had hoped for. Halfway through their first season as a member franchise of the National Hockey League they are one of the worst teams in the league. Seattle will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one after facing off with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. They picked up a much needed victory over the Sharks on Thursday. However, as for the result of this game I don’t think they will get another as I have the St. Louis Blues picking up the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-176)
Jeffery Thomas
These teams just met up last week, when the Blues inched past the Kraken 2-1. The Kraken will be coming into this one on a back to back after a hard fought battle Thursday, beating the Sharks 3-2. St. Louis is 6-2-0 since returning from the Christmas break and are just the far better team in this matchup. On the season they are giving up a goal less than the Kraken are defensively, and scoring a goal more than them as well. The Kraken’s record since the break is 2-6-1 and they have been struggling mightily on offense. They have netted 2 goals or less in 6 of the last 11. The goaltending hasn’t been any better as they rank 29th goals against and third in shots against per game. It hasn’t been a great inaugural season for Seattle.
This game checks all the boxes for the Blues to get a convincing win on Friday night. They are finally getting back to full health and are catching a team on a back to back. The Blues will score early and often, and this is one of my most confident plays on the board for today. Take St. Louis on the puck line as they will just be too much for the Kraken in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (+152)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
