Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, January 16

This Tuesday night is set to feature games of multiple varieties. Some of the matchups will feature elite teams as close favorites, matchups between great teams, and finally, matchups between terrible teams. All of these games bring great value to NHL fans and sports bettors through sportsbooks.

These oddsmakers are giving great opportunities for fans of the NHL and casual bettors to potentially earn some great winnings tonight through DraftKings.

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Colorado Avalanche vs. Ottawa Senators

• Time: 7:00 PM E.T. - Tuesday

• Moneyline: Avalanche (-135) | Senators (+114)

• Puck Line: Avalanche -1.5 (+164) | Senators +1.5 (-198) 

• Total: Over 7 (+105) | Under 7 (-125)

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My Pick: Colorado Avalanche (COL)

Kicking off the first game of the night is the Colorado Avalanche (28-13-3) going on the road to take on the Ottawa Senators (15-23). The Avalanche are coming into this game as a surprisingly slight favorite over a poorly playing Senators team. This betting line should be a great opportunity for sports bettors to put their trust in the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions.

One aspect of the small line is that the Avalanche are coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadians the night before. Colorado will be playing their third game in five days. There are, however, plenty of reasons to go with the heavy Stanley Cup contenders in this matchup.

The Avalanche possess some of the best scorers and assisters in the league. Among them are 2024 NHL All-Star selections in center Nathan MacKinnon and defender Cale Makar. The Avalanche are second in the league in goals per game (3.66) as they have scored at least three, goals in the last eight games. MacKinnon has accounted for 70 points and 23 goals this season while Makar has accounted for 51 points and 41 assists.

Colorado’s offense alone creates a huge mismatch for the Senators, who have one of the worst defenses in the NHL. In the last six games played, Ottawa’s defense has allowed an average of 4.6 goals per game. Ottawa is coming off a three-day rest after defeating the San Jose Sharks at home 5-4 this past Saturday. That was their only win in the last six games.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Dallas Stars

• Time: 8:00 PM E.T. - Tuesday

• Moneyline: Kings (+120) | Stars (-142)

• Puck Line: Kings +1.5 (-198) | Stars -1.5 (+164) 

• Total: Over 6.5 (+102) | Under 6.5 (-122)

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My Pick: Dallas Stars (DAL)

One of the biggest matchups of the night is set for a huge Western Conference battle as the Los Angeles Kings (21-11-8) go on the road to take on the Dallas Stars (25-12-5). This game tonight will be the first time this season that these teams will meet in a potential Western Conference Finals preview.

Both the Stars and the Kings have shown this season that they are incredibly capable of coming out of tough losing streaks and getting back to playing at an elite level. The night before, the Kings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on the road with a 5-2 score to shed an eight-game losing streak. The Stars have won only three of their last seven games, but two of those wins have come against the Minnesota Wild while the other is over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Dallas and Los Angeles are two teams that have similar roster structures. They are teams that possess multiple great goalies, solid defenders, and a set of reliable offensive players who do not overlap with each other in terms of contributions.

The Stars are ranked third in the league in goals per game (3.64) and have been consistently elite within the past few weeks. Their defense has slipped in terms of production as they allow an average of 3.05 goals per game (15th in the league).

The Kings’ defense remains elite as they allow an average of 2.5 goals per game (second in the league). Their offense has taken a slight slip of production during the eight-game losing streak, but still averages 3.33 goals per game.

San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

• Time: 8:30 PM E.T. - Tuesday

• Moneyline: Sharks (+114) |  Blackhawks (-135)

• Puck Line: Sharks +1.5 (-218) | Blackhawks -1.5 (+180) 

• Total: Over 6 (+105) | Under 6 (-125)

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My Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (CHI)

Shield your eyes or look at this following game with disgust, either way, this game has a lot of value. Two of the worst teams in the NHL are set to collide as the San Jose Sharks (10-31-3) go on the road to take on the Chicago Blackhawks (12-29-2). To make matters worse for this game, the Blackhawks are going to be without their star rookie center Connor Bedard, who suffered a broken jaw in the 4-2 road loss to the New Jersey Devils on January 5.

It has not been an easy few years for the Sharks and the Blackhawks, who are both in the middle of rebuilding their franchise and trying to develop new talent. Both San Jose and Chicago possess some of the worst offensive and defensive units in the league.

The Blackhawks have seen great production from their star rookie and 2023 NHL Draft first overall pick in Connor Bedard in his short season with Chicago. While Bedard is playing at an elite level, the Blackhawks are still barren of impactful players throughout the roster. Chicago ranks 31st in the league in goals per game (2.26) and 29th in goals allowed per game (3.65).

The Sharks, on the other hand, have proven they are among the worst teams in the history of the NHL. There isn’t a lot of hope that the Sharks can get it together and make themselves legitimate contenders this season or within the next few seasons. San Jose is ranked last in the NHL in goals per game (2.00) and goals allowed per game (3.65).

San Jose has only won one game in their last 15 games. Chicago has won three of their last 15 games. They defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 on January 7, the game after Bedard suffered the injury. This shows that the Blackhawks can win a game without Bedard.