NHL Picks Today: Saturday, January 17
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Recent matchup results often prejudice bettors, and this is a prejudice that we have to avoid. It is true that the Hurricanes beat the Devils when they last played two weeks ago, but circumstances were completely different then. New Jersey center Jack Hughes had not regained his form after returning from a long injury. As evident in his high assist totals, he does a great job of facilitating offensive production when he is in form. His team's outlook is strong tonight because Hughes’ recent games show that he has regained his form – he enters tonight’s game having achieved at least one assist in each of his last four games.
Whereas the Devils will be stronger tonight than they were in their last game against Carolina because Hughes will be better, the Hurricanes will be weaker. Carolina is playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. Although the Hurricanes beat New Jersey in this spot, they had lost three games in a row and were desperate to win. They have no such psychological edge tonight. Without that exceptional edge, it’s relevant that the Hurricanes this year are 3-4-1 in second legs this year. While that record isn’t horrible by itself, it is horrible relative to their 29-15-4 season record. They become a substantially worse team in second legs, making it unjustified for them to be road favorites tonight.
Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals
Florida will seem like many bettors to be an obvious fade after it lost its last game by eight goals. But history shows us that this is precisely the spot in which the Panthers deserve our fullest confidence. This year, they are 4-0 after losing their last game by four or more goals. It’s not like they were simply lucky and got to bounce back against bad teams. Their victims include Dallas, whom they beat 4-0. They also bounced back against the Kings by scoring five goals against their second-best goal-scoring defense. The Panthers are the defending champions, so it makes sense for them to be a prideful team. After getting embarrassed, they become extra motivated. Additionally, Florida is also in a great spot tonight because it is 5-0 in the final game of road trips.
| Matchup | Pick | Odds | Confidence Level | Sportsbook |
| Hurricanes vs. Devils | Devils ML | +101 | Highest | BetOnline |
| Panthers vs. Capitals | Panthers ML | +127 | Highest | Bovada |
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Recent matchup results often prejudice bettors, and this is a prejudice that we have to avoid. It is true that the Hurricanes beat the Devils when they last played two weeks ago, but circumstances were completely different then. New Jersey center Jack Hughes had not regained his form after returning from a long injury. As evident in his high assist totals, he does a great job of facilitating offensive production when he is in form. His team's outlook is strong tonight because Hughes’ recent games show that he has regained his form – he enters tonight’s game having achieved at least one assist in each of his last four games.
Whereas the Devils will be stronger tonight than they were in their last game against Carolina because Hughes will be better, the Hurricanes will be weaker. Carolina is playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. Although the Hurricanes beat New Jersey in this spot, they had lost three games in a row and were desperate to win. They have no such psychological edge tonight. Without that exceptional edge, it’s relevant that the Hurricanes this year are 3-4-1 in second legs this year. While that record isn’t horrible by itself, it is horrible relative to their 29-15-4 season record. They become a substantially worse team in second legs, making it unjustified for them to be road favorites tonight.
Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals
Florida will seem like many bettors to be an obvious fade after it lost its last game by eight goals. But history shows us that this is precisely the spot in which the Panthers deserve our fullest confidence. This year, they are 4-0 after losing their last game by four or more goals. It’s not like they were simply lucky and got to bounce back against bad teams. Their victims include Dallas, whom they beat 4-0. They also bounced back against the Kings by scoring five goals against their second-best goal-scoring defense. The Panthers are the defending champions, so it makes sense for them to be a prideful team. After getting embarrassed, they become extra motivated. Additionally, Florida is also in a great spot tonight because it is 5-0 in the final game of road trips.
