NHL Betting Guide for January 4: Big game hunting with Panthers and Predators

Eight NHL games have survived COVID-19 postponement tonight. We’ll focus on the Flames vs. Panthers at 7:00 p.m. ET and the Predators vs. Golden Knights at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Of course, we’ll be using FanDuel Sportsbook to give you all the latest odds for tonight’s games.

It’s a little surprising that the Golden Knights are favored in this game.

Sure, Vegas is first in the Western Conference, but the Predators have been sneakily good. Nashville is fourth in the West, three points behind Vegas, but have played two fewer games.

The Golden Knights have been rolling with their competent backup Laurent Brossoit in the net, while Robin Lehner has been sidelined. However, it looks like Vegas’ third-string goalie Logan Thompson will make his first career NHL start tonight.

Additionally, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty are out again. Pacioretty is out long-term after having wrist surgery, and Stone was back to practice on Monday but is unlikely to play Tuesday. Nicolas Hague is also day-to-day with a wrist injury.

Vegas has won seven of its past ten but is coming off an overtime loss to Winnipeg. They’re fourth in goal-scoring, averaging 3.54 goals per game. Nashville has lost two of its previous three but had seven straight wins before that. The Preds are 15th in goal-scoring, finding the back of the net 3.03 times per game.

However, Nashville has been better defensively, limiting opponents to 2.67 goals per game. The Golden Knights allow 3.06 a night, and that number will likely be higher for Vegas with Thompson starting.

The Golden Knights lead the league in first-period goals, but with two-thirds of its top line missing, we wouldn’t feel comfortable betting on that trend.

With so many key players out for Vegas, we think there’s value with Nashville tonight.

The Picks: Predators Moneyline (-104), Under 6 (-108)

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.