NHL Odds, Picks, Predictions Tonight Jan 18: Back Bruins, Stars & More

Today's NHL Betting Odds, Lines & Picks

Today we have a small, five-game NHL slate on this rivalry Wednesday, and it's a perfect time to join up with us and start winning copious amounts of money every day. The model has gone 63-37 (63%) on ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NHL puck line picks in the last year! 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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Bruins at Islanders Picks & Prediction

We actually talked about this one in our betting trends of the day article, but it also just happens to be one of my favorite bets of the day as well. The Boston Bruins will be traveling to New York to take on the Islanders, and I see some value here. Boston is the NHL's best team by record, and there's a reason that they are. The Bruins are 34-5-4 this season and not by accident, as they are scoring 3.81 goals per game and allowing just 2.12, the best ratio in the league. You are going to win a lot of games when that is the case.

Meanwhile, New York hasn't looked quite like the team that I had been backing over the last several years. Sure, they are 23-18-4, but they are a team that is on my "fraud" list right now. Goaltending has saved them a lot this season, as they allow just 2.69 goals per game, but are giving up 31.2 shots per contest. In contrast, the offense is producing only 3.02 goals per game and 30.6 shots. The Islanders are a very average team at best in my opinion.

MY PICK: Bruins -1.5. I'll take the plus money that comes with the puck line for the Bruins here. They are far and away the better hockey team, and I think their winning by two or more has a better chance of hitting than the Islanders winning the game outright.

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: 

Pastrnak Anytime Goal
Islanders Under 2.5 1P
Bruins Under 3.5 1P
Bruins +2.5
(OGP odds: +100)

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Stars at Sharks Picks & Prediction

Let's now head out west to California for our last pick of the day, where we see the San Jose Sharks look to defend their home ice against the visiting Dallas Stars. I will say, I don't think the Sharks are as bad of a team as some people tend to think they are by just looking at their record. What kills San Jose is their goaltending, which has been just terrible, to say the least. They allow 3.71 goals per game, one of the highest marks in the NHL this season. However, they allow 30.8 shots per game and get 29.8 shots per game of their own, so they really haven't been outplayed that badly overall.

Dallas is a good hockey team that will look to make noise in the postseason again this coming season. Their offense is a great one, scoring 3.33 goals per game and getting 32.1 shots on goal per contest. That doesn't exactly bode well for the Sharks struggling netminders, who will face a serious challenge in this game. Meanwhile, Dallas allows just 2.60 goals per game of their own against a rather average San Jose attack.

MY PICK: Stars -1.5. I hate to give two games where we have to lay goals, but they are both plus-money bets that I think have a good chance of hitting. San Jose, while not as bad of a squad as most perceive, isn't equipped to handle the high-powered offense that Dallas brings in.

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