Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Lightning-Blackhawks, Knights-Leafs, Rangers-Sharks)

We have another eight-game slate in the NHL, and I’m coming off a profitable 2-1 night on Thursday. The Panthers pulled it out in a shootout, and the Red Wings and Wild had a back-and-forth third period to get to the over.

I’m looking at a trio of favorites to take care of business tonight.

Read on as I break down my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Friday, Jan. 23.

NHL Best Bets for Friday, Jan. 23

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-105) at Chicago Blackhawks
Vegas Golden Knights (-125) at Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks (-120) vs. New York Rangers

Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-105) at Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are feeling good after a 4-3 shootout win in Carolina last night. However, those good vibes may not last too long as they return home to host the Lightning in the second half of a back-to-back.

Tampa Bay is 13-0-1 since December 20 with a goal differential of 63-31. Of those 13 wins, 10 came by at least two goals, which is why I’m looking at the puck line tonight.

Chicago is an impressive 8-5-1 since the holiday break, but it has been outscored 43-40 in that span, and all five regulation losses were by at least two goals.

After a hard-fought win in Carolina on Thursday night, the Blackhawks will get humbled at home by the Lightning tonight.

Vegas Golden Knights (-125) at Toronto Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner makes his return to Toronto on Friday night, and the Golden Knights are going to be ready for this one. They didn’t come out too sharp last night, but put together a strong third period to make it close in Boston.

Back-to-backs haven’t been too much of an issue for Vegas, which beat Toronto 6-5 in overtime after a win in Los Angeles the previous night last week.

Toronto has lost two straight games and four of its last five. More importantly, they’re still without William Nylander and lost two defensemen in their last contest.

Vegas is a deeper team than Toronto, and arguably has better top-end talent as well. I’m not afraid of backing them on the back-to-back to get the job done for Marner in Toronto.

San Jose Sharks (-120) vs. New York Rangers

The Sharks return home from a 2-2-0 road trip to host the struggling Rangers on Friday night. San Jose is now 8-4-0 since the holiday break, with its losses coming against top teams in their respective conferences (Tampa Bay twice, at Detroit, and vs. Vegas).

Meanwhile, the Rangers are 2-8-2 since the holiday break. Their wins came in the Winter Classic and then against a Flyers team that had lost five games in a row and was dealing with injuries.

New York is also still without Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox.

I wouldn’t have thought at the beginning of the season that I’d be confident in the Sharks as home favorites against anyone, but that’s the way this year has gone for these two squads.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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