We have ourselves a pretty deep NHL slate for Tuesday, January 6, so why not dive deep and ring up a couple of picks on this fine evening?
Tonight, the two games that I've singled out, the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET, featuring the New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders and Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs.
Let's dive into my NHL predictions and picks for Tuesday, January 6.
NHL Best Bets, Tuesday January 6
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Devils vs. Islanders
The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders have both struggled to find offense over the past month.
As far as the Devils go, frustrations have been boiling and they're going to have their work cut out for them tonight against an Islanders team that is coming off a massive win.
Since December 14th, the Devils have been the lowest-scoring team in the NHL.
Over that 10-game span, New Jersey has been scoring just 1.70 goals per game, while its power play has converted at a 16% rate.
The Devils are also skating to the fifth-lowest high-danger chances per 60 at 5-on-5 (10.14), and Jack Hughes has only scored one goal in seven games since returning from injury. New Jersey's top guys have not been scoring goals, and it's becoming a serious issue for the team. Nico Hischier has two goals in his last ten games, while Jesper Bratt has three in that span.
While the vibes have felt better on Long Island, the goal scoring has not been much better than New Jersey. In the same span (from December 14th), the Islanders are tied for the second-lowest scoring team in the NHL, averaging just 2.11 goals per game.
But the good news for the Islanders is that Ilya Sorokin is set to make his return from injury tonight. Sorokin hasn't played since December 19th, but he has been arguably the best goalie in the NHL this season. He boasts a .910 SV% and a 2.55 GAA with a league's third-best +14.9 goals saved above expected.
Mat Barzal has one goal in his last nine games and Bo Horvat is out due to injury.
I don't expect a lot of goals in this one.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-120)
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Panthers vs. Maple Leafs
The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have built up quite the rivalry over the past couple of seasons, and tonight's game should live up to that.
The Leafs and Panthers have both played pretty similar stretches of hockey over their last ten games, but there is one factor that could decide this one tonight. Auston Matthews has caught absolute fire over this recent span of games, scoring seven goals in his last nine games and adding five assists to that as well.
Not only has Matthews been buzzing, but Toronto's special teams have been clicking as a whole. Since December 14th, the power play is converting at a 24% rate, while their penalty kill has been even more impressive, at an 88.9% success rate.
The Panthers' special teams haven't been bad, but they haven't been nearly as good as the Leafs' over these past few games. The Panthers' power play is at a mere 17% success rate over their past ten games. They've converted on just two of their last 13 opportunities.
Toronto is coming off a tough overtime loss on the road against the Islanders, but it has won two out of its last three games. The Panthers had a huge bounce-back win at home against Colorado, but they have dropped two of their last three games.
Goaltending is typically an advantage for the Panthers, but Sergei Bobrovsky has not been playing his best hockey as of late. Over his last six starts, Bobrovsky is skating to a .884 SV% with a 2.85 GAA.
Toronto has been getting much better offensive production as of late, not only from its top guys like Matthews and William Nylander, but across the board with contributions from Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson.
I don't often like to take the Leafs, but as a home dog tonight, I like the angle.
Pick: Maple Leafs ML (+100)
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