NHL Betting Guide: Lines, Trends & Picks For Wednesday, Jan. 4

NHL Betting Guide: Today's Lines, Trends & Picks

I hope everyone had a great New Year's, and welcome to 2023! We're making serious bank this year, so either get on board or get out of the way. Today, we have a small three-game NHL slate on this rivalry Wednesday, and it's the perfect one to start us off in the new year with some big winners. So be ready to make some wagers and let's cash. BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick.

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We'll start things off in Detroit, where the Red Wings will be looking to defend home ice against the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey got off to a hot start this season, but has since slowed down. They have lost three of their last five games, but I still have faith in one of my early favorite championship picks. The Devils are still outshooting their opponents every night, 34.8 to 27.2 on average, so I'm not worried. They are still scoring 3.4 goals per game and allowing just 2.6. Vitek Vanecek has been awesome in net, allowing just 2.4 GA/G and has a .911 SV%.

Detroit is a team that I have been fading whenever possible this season. I don't think they are as good as their record says, and the reason is in the numbers. They are getting just 29.6 shots on net per game but allowing 31.7 against their own goaltender. That's not a formula for success, and it will come back to bite them. They are scoring 3.1 goals per game and allowing 3.3, another negative stat that screams regression.

MY PICK: I'll take the Devils here, but I can't take them ML at this much juice. Instead, I'll take the -1.5 and hope for a blowout in the Motor City. I certainly think we could see that, as these are two teams I have very opposite opinions on.

Next up, we'll head over to Minnesota, where the Tampa Bay Lightning will travel to take on the home Wild. The Lightning are scoring 3.6 goals per game, which is excellent, and allowing just 2.8 per game. Their shots for and against are pretty much even at 31.9 to 31.0, so they haven't really been dominating puck possession as they have in the past.

Minnesota started off the year as a complete disaster, but they have since righted the ship, and now they are on track again for a playoff bid. They are scoring 3.1 goals per game and allowing just 2.8, which has really improved from the beginning of the season. Perhaps no one has improved as much as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has gone from a massive 5.0 GA/G to now down to a low 2.8 mark. He has finally gotten his SV% over .900 to .904, and he is trending upwards toward the goalie we have always known him to be.

MY PICK: Take the Lightning here at a more favorable number of -105. I don't see a huge difference in these teams right now, and if you are going to give me a more favorable number with either, I'll take that number.

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BetMGM NHL OGP Insurance Play of the Day

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Here is my play for today, using the strategy of taking both teams to go under their maximum goal total in the 1st period (gimmie legs), taking the favorite at their maximum spread, and adding the most likely goal scorer; you can apply this strategy to any game, any night: 

Kaprizov Anytime Goal
Lightning Under 2.5 1P
Wild Under 3.5 1P
Wild +2.5
(OGP odds: +150)

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