Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Mammoth-Lightning, Bruins-Rangers, Kings-Blue Jackets)

The NHL opens the week with a five-game slate on Monday night. I closed last week with a 2-1 night on Friday thanks to the Golden Knights winning in Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto and the Sharks taking down the Rangers.

I’m looking at the Mammoth, Bruins, and Blue Jackets for my picks tonight.

Read on as I break down my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Monday, Jan. 26.

NHL Best Bets for Monday, Jan. 26

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Utah Mammoth (+136) at Tampa Bay Lightning
Boston Bruins (-122) at New York Rangers
Columbus Blue Jackets (-118) vs. Los Angeles Kings

Utah Mammoth (+136) at Tampa Bay Lightning

The Mammoth have been a streaky team this season, and they’re hot right now. They’ve won five straight games, including a 5-2 decision in Nashville on Saturday, and are 8-0-1 in their last nine games.

The Lightning have been playing some pretty good hockey themselves, going 14-1-1 since December 20, but those two losses came in their last five games, and they’re in a tough spot tonight. This will be the third game in four nights for Tampa after a win in Chicago and loss in Columbus this weekend.

Tampa Bay deserves to be favored tonight, but this line seems a tad too long for Utah. The Mammoth have the fifth-best expected goals share in the last 10 games, so they should be able to keep up with the Lightning, who are tops in that category in that span, per Natural Stat Trick.

Boston Bruins (-122) at New York Rangers

The Bruins put a beating on the Rangers in their last meeting, taking down New York 10-2 in Boston on January 10. The Rangers will be looking for revenge on home ice, but they’re unlikely to get it.

New York just lost three straight games out west and is 2-9-1 with a goal differential of 35-57 in their 13 games since the holiday break. Dating back to December 6, the Rangers are just 6-13-4.

Boston has won two straight games and eight of its last nine with the only loss coming in Dallas. New York has been awful at home this season at 5-13-4, and while the Bruins haven’t been great on the road at 11-12-1, Boston is in position to get the job done at Madison Square Garden.

Columbus Blue Jackets (-118) vs. Los Angeles Kings

Rick Bowness has the Blue Jackets playing well in Columbus again. They’re 5-1-0 under their new head coach, including an 8-5 win over the Lightning on Saturday.

The Kings bounced back with two wins in their last two games, but those were against some mediocre teams in the Blues, who they beat in a shootout, and the Rangers, who they beat by just one goal. They dropped their previous four games, scoring a total of six goals during that streak.

Columbus picked up a 3-1 win in Los Angeles last month and is 13-8-4 at home this season. The Jackets are playing well and should be able to protect home ice tonight against Los Angeles.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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