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The NHL slows back down tonight with just three games on the docket.
The San Jose Sharks saved me from getting shut out last night as the Red Wings lost to the Kings and the Canadiens beat the Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime.
I’m looking at a pair of favorites and an over for my picks tonight.
Read on as I break down my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
It’s a true tale of two teams in New York this NHL season. Both squads are coming off wins, but that’s about where the similarities stop.
Monday night’s overtime win in Boston was just the Rangers’ third win in 14 games since the holiday break. On the flip side, the Islanders have gone 9-6-1 in their last 15 games. That includes a 2-0 win for the Islanders over the Rangers back on December 27.
Ilya Sorokin is the Vezina Trophy favorite and shut out the Flyers on Monday night. He gives the Isles a huge advantage in net over either Spencer Martin or Jonathan Quick as Igor Shesterkin is still on the shelf.
The Avalanche have been struggling a bit recently, losing four of five games prior to their 4-1 win in Toronto on Sunday. Sometimes a team needs a road trip to get back on track, and that may very well be the case for Colorado.
The Senators are coming off a big 7-1 win over the Golden Knights, but they’ve still lost four of their last six games and 11 of their last 17 since just before the holiday break.
Colorado is the best team in the league and Ottawa is toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Avs are 15-8 as road favorites this season, and a perfect 7-0 when the line was between -148 and -178 overall. On the flip side, the Senators are 5-10 as underdogs and 1-2 as home underdogs.
This line should be a lot bigger for the best team in the league tonight.
I’m doubling down on this game by taking the over. The Avalanche are capable of putting up four or five goals on any given night, and Colorado’s goaltending hasn’t been perfect recently.
Ottawa showed that it can still score by putting up seven in its last game, and the Senators are 31-21 to the over this season.
Finally, the Avs beat the Sens 8-2 just a few weeks ago. Granted, that game was in Colorado, but we should see another high-scoring game tonight in Ottawa.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Ryan is a sports betting writer at Sports Illustrated. He has experience working for NHL.com, NBC Sports, Covers, and more throughout his decade in the industry. As a Philadelphia native, he understands the passion and pain that come with being a sports fan.
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