Monday’s NHL slate offers plenty of betting opportunities, with several games presenting intriguing value. From the Flyers’ potential upset against the Devils to the Canucks taking on the Blues, these matchups highlight underdog plays that can cash at plus money. Additionally, Rickard Rakell’s hot scoring streak makes him a great target for an anytime goalscorer prop. Here are the best bets and prop picks for January 27, complete with expert analysis and value insights.
Flyers ML vs. Devils (+125, BetMGM)
The Devils have been a phenomenal team this season, and we have some future wagers on them that I wrote about before the season that we can hope to cash. However, this just feels like a spot where they could have a bit of a letdown, and I like the value of the Flyers here at home for +125 odds to pull off a small upset.
Philadelphia doesn’t have the most sterling record at 22-22-6 on the year, but they also haven’t really played as bad as that record says. They are outshooting their opponents each night on average 27.5 to 26.6, and have one of the NHL’s most elite defensive units. Their goaltending has been an issue despite that great defense, as ever since their starting goalie got caught up in a huge scandal last season, they have not been able to find a suitable replacement. Still, their defense allows them to stay in a lot of hockey games.
The Devils are great and also own one of the league’s best defenses, so I anticipate this being a lower scoring game. They have also gotten much better play in net from their netminders, which is a large reason why their record is 28-17-6 instead of closer to the Flyers record. The offense hasn’t been overwhelming this year, but they have been good enough in net and on defense that it has seemed that way.
Overall, I think Philly can keep this game close and low-scoring, which gives them an opportunity at +125 to get the win at home.
Canucks ML at Blues (+119, BetMGM)
This is another wager that I am willing to take a shot on at plus money, as I just don’t think the St. Louis Blues deserve to be favorites against almost anyone. Neither one of these teams has been impressive at all, and the Blues are getting favored here because they are at home, but I feel that is somewhat overrated here.
The Canucks have shown a propensity to lose games in overtime, having already racked up double-digit OT losses. While that obviously has sucked for them, it also means they have kept a lot of games close and could have a lot more wins if some pucks went their way. I am not entirely defending them, as their offense is a disaster and generates just 25.3 shots per game. However, they have played solid defense and have decent netminding, and play a lot of close games because of it.
St. Louis is 23-23-4 and is about as mid as it gets. Their offense is also terrible, and their defense is just about average. They have gotten some pretty good goaltending from Jordan Binnington and company, but overall, this team is the definition of average.
I would much rather take a shot at +119 on the Canucks here than lay money with a Blues team that isn’t very good.
Rickard Rakell Anytime Goalscorer (+150, FanDuel)
The Penguins are a stinker this season, which is a shame because they are wasting the end of Sidney Crosby’s career, but at least they get to face the San Jose Sharks tonight. Their defense is atrocious, and that is being kind to them, allowing a whopping 32 shots on their net per game and allowing their opponents to generate a ton of high-danger chances as well. They are a young team and make a lot of mistakes, and that has been very evident with their play.
Rakell has been scoring at a rapid pace, already up to 23 goals this season, and has been a big beneficiary to Crosby’s still terrific playmaking. He’s listed as “day-to-day” right now, but indications are that he will likely play in this game. I think he will have a great chance to score against such a terrible defense, and a goaltender with a 3.67 GAA.
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