NHL Betting Guide: Tuesday 1/25/22
We've got nine games on Tuesday, so let's see where we can find value in the betting market.
Please note that lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated information.
Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken
Seattle moneyline (+150) 1-Star Rating Out of 5
Seattle +1.5 (-172) 2-Star Rating Out of 5
It's not been an easy inaugural season for the Seattle Kraken. Some people were expecting them to compete for a playoff spot based on the weakness of their division and how well the Vegas Golden Knights did in their first season. Things haven't gone to plan, but the Kraken are still probably better than people give them credit for.
Seattle is coming off of an impressive win over the Florida Panthers and has won three of their last four games. They still play strong, defensive hockey, as they allow the fewest scoring chances and second-fewest high-danger chances per 60 minutes. They don't get an easy matchup tonight, but they should be able to compete in this game.
Seattle is at home against the Nashville Predators. Nashville has been climbing the standings for a while now and has gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. However, in those 10 games, they've lost the battle for shot attempts in seven of them. When you look at expected goals percentage at all strengths, Nashville's 49.19% only slightly edges Seattle's 48.06%.
Like a lot of NHL games, this will likely come down to goaltending. While Philipp Grubauer has been perhaps the most disappointing player in the league this season, he has won three games in a row and played well in all three. Seattle definitely should be able to keep this close, making them to cover +1.5 goals a good bet. If they are able to keep it close and go to overtime or a shootout, +150 on the moneyline looks good, as well.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks
Over 6.5 (+104) 1-Star Rating Out of 5
Oh, what could have been for the Edmonton Oilers. They started off the season so well, looking like they would cruise into a playoff spot. They were looking to potentially take the next step into true contention with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl still in their mid-20s, but instead, they have dipped to a team that looks like it will have to fight just to make the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks' season has gone in the opposite direction. They are 10-4-2 since Bruce Boudreau became the head coach and are now tied with the Oilers with 40 points. Tonight's game could set up nicely for a lot of goals on both sides.
The Oilers finally got a win on Saturday after losing seven straight games. Draisaitl looked back to his best, with two goals and two assists. The firepower is certainly still there for the Oilers, as this team has enough talent to blow up and score a lot on any night. In that same game, they allowed a whopping 47 shots on goal. Mikko Koskinen had a good game that night but has generally has struggled in net, allowing 7.64 goals above expected.
Speaking of goaltending, the Canucks find themselves in a conundrum. Both of their regular goalies -- Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak -- are on the COVID list. It looks as if they will turn to Spencer Martin, who on Friday played his first NHL game since 2017. His numbers in the AHL are nothing to write home about, and now he has to face two of the most dangerous players in the league.
The Oilers have been leaky defensively for a while now and aren't getting the goaltending to make up for it. This has the makings of a game with lots of goals, so the over makes sense. Our model agrees with this thinking, leaning toward the over.
