Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, January 27

San Jose Sharks vs Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes -1.5 -120 (FanDuel)

The San Jose Sharks will battle the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time this season. These teams are in significantly different spots in the standings, so this is not a highly touted game on the Friday slate.

The Sharks are having another poor season and sit in 13th place in the Western Conference. They have struggled all season long and have gone on many losing streaks. 

In fact, they are on a small losing streak right now. San Jose lost their previous game to the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in overtime (their third loss in a row). The Sharks are simply one of those teams that do not have many pieces. They occasionally have four or five+ goal games but are averaging under three goals on the season. Defensively, they are significantly worse and allow 3.71 goals a game. In addition, San Jose has some of the worst goaltenders in the NHL, with their worst goaltender (James Reimer) allowing 3.25 goals per game. 

I only say all this to illustrate that the Sharks will struggle in this game.

The Hurricanes had an excellent regular season last year and are having another one this year. Carolina is on the opposite track of San Jose. 

They started the season hot and have gone on one long winning streak to put themselves in a great position. The Hurricanes are in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points. 

Offensively, they are just outside of the top ten, but their defense and goaltending are where they really stand out. They only allow 2.62 goals per game and have two consistent goaltenders in Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen. Their save percentages are a little low, but they both have winning records.

The Hurricanes have much more going on than the Sharks and are simply a better team overall. Bet Carolina -1.5.

Los Angeles Kings vs Florida Panthers

Over 6.5 Goals -130 (FanDuel)

The Los Angeles Kings will travel east and face the Florida Panthers for the second and final time this season. These teams battled in early November, with the Kings winning 5-4.

The Kings will likely make the Playoffs once again this season. They are not excellent, but they are in the second place spot in the Pacific Division (and could move up one). 

Their goaltending and defense are not perfect and have a few problems, but their offense is decent and averaging just under 3.2 goals per game. The Kings are playing on the road, so I do not expect them to put on an offensive show, but they will score three goals today.

The Panthers had a fantastic regular season last year but have not been able to replicate it this year. 

They are playing pretty average this season, but they can still make the Playoffs. Florida is only four points out of the second Wild Card spot. Their offense is quite solid and in the top ten, but their defense is horrendous. The Panthers average 3.4 goals per game but allow 3.5. They also have two subpar goaltenders in Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. Knight performs well at times, but neither is consistent. They both allow over three goals a game.

If you combine the Kings’ three goals with the Panthers' four goals, you can see why the over is the better bet.

Calgary Flames vs Seattle Kraken

Kraken Moneyline -115 (FanDuel)

The Calgary Flames will take on the Seattle Kraken in the closest game of the day. There are eight games on slate today, and these two teams have the odds closest to each other.

The Flames are in the second Wild Card spot, but just barely. They could be on the outside of the Playoff picture looking in with a loss tonight. Their offense is below league average, but their defense is a little better. More importantly, Calgary struggles on the road. They come into this game with a 9-8-7 record away from the Scotiabank Saddledome. They are also playing a back-to-back, so they will not be well rested. In all reality, very few signs are pointing toward the Flames winning this game.

The Kraken struggled last season but have turned a corner this year. Seattle has 59 points and is in third place in the Pacific Division. Interestingly, they do not have any stars and have zero players with 40 points or more. However, they have six players with 30+ points. Since Seattle has so many consistent performers, they have managed to put together the fourth-best offense in the NHL. They will be missing one or two of these players this game, but they will still have enough to get the victory.

Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs -1.5 -105 (FanDuel)

The Ottawa Senators will make the short trek to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs for the second time this season. These teams first faced each other way back in October, with the Maple Leafs winning 3-2.

The Senators have struggled to win games all season long. They have gone on two four-game winning streaks but usually have their momentum halted after winning one or two games. 

Their lack of success this season is not hard to explain. They have an underachieving offense and an average defense. Ottawa has five players with 14 goals or more but often struggles to score three or more goals a game. 

The Senators are also much worse on the road. I do not see them coming close to winning this game.

The Maple Leafs are having a great season and in second place in the Atlantic Division. They have many offensive pieces and average 3.39 goals per game.

 They also have a stellar defense that allows less than 2.6 goals per game. I do not need to say much more. The Maple Leafs are much better than the Senators and killers at home. Bet Toronto -1.5.