NHL Tuesday best bets: A half-dozen moneylines worth your attention

We stumbled into a pair of winners Monday as the under survived not one but two Stars short-handed goals - hockey's version of a defensive/special teams touchdown. Meanwhile, Jeremy Swayman stood on his head for Boston, but Colorado won the shootout to save us a headache.

As usual, Tuesday has a more robust board, and we've got a half-dozen games worth a play.

The cheat sheet

If you're thinking about betting any game on the slate, here's a look at the price you should be hoping to get on the moneyline for a valuable bet.

Best bets for Jan. 9

Kraken (-105) @ Sabres (-115)

The Kraken have won six straight, making them the favorites in the betting market for Tuesday night's game in Buffalo. Those wins have been spread out due to scheduling, though, so it's not like Seattle comes in on fire. The Kraken haven't played since last Thursday. If that cools down Joey Daccord, the Sabres and their track-meet style can shake the Kraken back to reality.

We found an underdog winner with Buffalo on Saturday, recognizing that the team's recent level of play was better than the market thinks. With Seattle getting credit for its results and the Sabres still trying to get noticed, we'll back Buffalo to jump on a Kraken team coming across the country after a poorly timed layoff.

Pick: Sabres (-115)

Kings (-120) @ Lightning (+100)

Winning with the Avalanche validated the idea that you should bet on Colorado if you can get the team at home for a short price. The same concept holds for the Kings, even outside of Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles' low-event style is perfect for the road, so it's no surprise the team is 13-4 away from home.

The Lightning still haven't hit their stride, so they don't qualify as an upper-echelon team that might dissuade a play on the Kings. L.A. has the league's best penalty kill and has allowed one fewer high-danger chance per game at even strength than the next-best team, so the Kings should test Tampa Bay's reliance on the power play.

Pick: Kings (-120)

Canucks (+100) @ Islanders (-120)

With wins over the Devils and Rangers already in the bag during their foray into the New York metropolitan area, the Canucks are feeling pretty good about themselves. That's not an ideal mindset for dealing with the Islanders' low-event style and a goaltending matchup of Casey DeSmith versus Ilya Sorokin.

From an even-strength standpoint, the Isles are a better team at home than the Canucks are on the road. With three more games left on its trip, Vancouver can scoop a few more wins against lesser opponents and consider its longest road stretch of the season a success.

Pick: Islanders (-120)

Panthers (-185) @ Blues (+155)

After a trio of pick 'em-adjacent games, it's time to get grimy on a Tuesday.

The Panthers are on a roll, and the market's respect for them is evident. However, the Blues have racked up respectable wins against the Stars, Canucks, and, most recently, against the Hurricanes on the road.

Jordan Binnington's GSAx of 1.54 per 60 minutes in three contests since the holiday break suggests that one of the league's streakiest goalies is up for stealing a game or two as St. Louis has quietly crept up into a tie for the last wild card in the Western Conference.

Pick: Blues (+155)

Ducks (+190) @ Predators (-225)

Our longest shot of the night is more about the Predators not being a team that should be a big favorite than dying to back the Ducks.

Anaheim has lost five straight, but the team has played three straight low-event games that have gone under the total, showing the Ducks are at least trying to play tighter to the vest. The Preds are up for that kind of game, but it can leave you susceptible to some bad luck, and a goal in an outlier situation means much more to their chances of victory.

Maybe it ends up being warranted, but the Ducks' rating is starting to drift into the "San Jose Zone." With Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Florida next up, we should get Anaheim's best effort in Nashville.

Pick: Ducks (+190)

Bruins (-150) @ Coyotes (+130)

As alluded to above, the Bruins were fortunate to get out of Denver with a point. They spent most of the 65 minutes of Monday's play chasing the Avalanche at high elevation, giving up seven power plays and being outchanced in the high-danger areas 14-8 at even strength. Colorado only scored once out of seven man-advantages and on just one of those 14 HDCs.

The Coyotes have admittedly been terrible in 2024, with home losses of 4-1, 5-1, and 6-2 to three good teams. But while the Bruins qualify as a good team, the desert 'dogs are in real trouble going forward if we don't get Arizona's best effort against a tired opponent.

Pick: Coyotes (+130)

Wednesday cheat sheet

With just three games on the board, here are the moneylines to target if you're looking to bet them on Wednesday.

Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.