NHL Picks Today: Friday, January 9
Los Angeles Kings vs. Winnipeg Jets
I get that it is very tempting to blind-fade the team on a big losing streak. The Jets enter tonight’s game on an eleven-game losing streak. But streaks have to end at some point. At some point, it becomes too unrealistic to expect a team to lose more games in a row. The Jets are not as bad as their losing streak suggests, making it imperative to believe that they are due for a win. Their losing streak includes four overtime losses. They stayed within a goal of Colorado in its venue. They took the Wild to overtime. Most recently, they took Vegas to overtime and stayed within a goal of Edmonton. They are clearly hungry for a win, and they are able to compete with high-caliber teams.
Tonight is Winnipeg’s night. The Jets face a Los Angeles team that is so thin that it is relying on AHL players. One Kings player is away for personal reasons, and three different Kings players are sufficiently beaten-up that their status is uncertain for tonight. One of those beaten-up players is their captain, Anze Kopitar. The Kings, who already rank third-to-last in goal-scoring, are deficient in forwards and face a Winnipeg team that has plenty of goal-scoring talent – such as Kyle Connor with his 21 goals and 30 assists – ready to go to support their Vezina Trophy winner in net. The Jets, despite constantly being right there with good teams, is a home underdog because oddsmakers don’t account for injuries. Jets ML is a great value play and simply a great wager tonight.
St. Louis Blues vs. Utah Mammoth
The Blues’ last game looks bad, for sure, but bettors lose a lot because they commonly assume that what happened in one game will take place in the next. This psychological phenomenon is called recency bias, and we have to avoid it. What happened in St. Louis’ last game is a hiccup, which is normal for young teams to experience. It does not negate what took place before. Two games ago, the Blues defeated Montreal 2-0. Three games ago, they beat Vegas by a goal. As evident in their recent 6-2 win at Florida, it does not matter whether they play at home or away. They are a very capable team right now, which is why the odds feel way off for this game. The Blues have won their last three games that directly followed one in which they allowed over five goals. So expect them to bounce back strongly tonight. Wager on Blues ML for a big payout.
| Matchup | Pick | Odds | Confidence Level | Sportsbook |
| Kings vs. Jets | Jets ML | +110 | Highest | BetOnline |
| Blues vs. Mammoth | Blues ML | +153 | Highest | BetOnline |
Los Angeles Kings vs. Winnipeg Jets
I get that it is very tempting to blind-fade the team on a big losing streak. The Jets enter tonight’s game on an eleven-game losing streak. But streaks have to end at some point. At some point, it becomes too unrealistic to expect a team to lose more games in a row. The Jets are not as bad as their losing streak suggests, making it imperative to believe that they are due for a win. Their losing streak includes four overtime losses. They stayed within a goal of Colorado in its venue. They took the Wild to overtime. Most recently, they took Vegas to overtime and stayed within a goal of Edmonton. They are clearly hungry for a win, and they are able to compete with high-caliber teams.
Tonight is Winnipeg’s night. The Jets face a Los Angeles team that is so thin that it is relying on AHL players. One Kings player is away for personal reasons, and three different Kings players are sufficiently beaten-up that their status is uncertain for tonight. One of those beaten-up players is their captain, Anze Kopitar. The Kings, who already rank third-to-last in goal-scoring, are deficient in forwards and face a Winnipeg team that has plenty of goal-scoring talent – such as Kyle Connor with his 21 goals and 30 assists – ready to go to support their Vezina Trophy winner in net. The Jets, despite constantly being right there with good teams, is a home underdog because oddsmakers don’t account for injuries. Jets ML is a great value play and simply a great wager tonight.
St. Louis Blues vs. Utah Mammoth
The Blues’ last game looks bad, for sure, but bettors lose a lot because they commonly assume that what happened in one game will take place in the next. This psychological phenomenon is called recency bias, and we have to avoid it. What happened in St. Louis’ last game is a hiccup, which is normal for young teams to experience. It does not negate what took place before. Two games ago, the Blues defeated Montreal 2-0. Three games ago, they beat Vegas by a goal. As evident in their recent 6-2 win at Florida, it does not matter whether they play at home or away. They are a very capable team right now, which is why the odds feel way off for this game. The Blues have won their last three games that directly followed one in which they allowed over five goals. So expect them to bounce back strongly tonight. Wager on Blues ML for a big payout.
