Top NHL Winter Classic Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (1/1)
There is just one game on the schedule, but it’s special. We have the Winter Classic, which takes place at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Kraken are hot, but they have a tough test against the reigning champions, who need some wins.
For additional prop bets check out our brand new daily NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet. Additionally, our analysts will post their top picks in our BettingPros Discord, which is free to join and filled with info from some of the sharpest analysts in the field.
NHL Winter Classic Best Bet
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Vegas Golden Knights (-142) at Seattle Kraken (+118) | O/U 5.5 (-130/+106)
The Golden Knights do not look like the team that hoisted Lord Stanley last year. They’re struggling by dropping four of their last five with a -8 goal differential in that time. During the playoffs last year, they were getting equal contributions from both sides of the ice; currently, they are scoring just 2.8 goals in the previous five games, with Jack Eichel having just one goal in that span and Jonathan Marchessault having three points. Goalie Logan Thompson had been great for the season, but he’s been struggling lately by allowing 13 goals in his last two starts.
The Kraken are on an opposite run, with them coming in and winning four straight. They’re not an overpowering offense, as they’re 27th in goals scored, and besides Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jared McCann, the lines get thin, especially when you consider a defenseman leads the team in points. They do, although, move the puck very well and create a lot of scoring opportunities, and they’re ninth in Corsi percentage. They will win games through the blue line and goaltending; they play tough in the neutral zone, allow under 30 shots per game, and are first in expected goals against 60. Secondly, Joey Daccord has been a savage between the pipes, with a .915 save percentage and 2.46 GAA.
Seattle needs to have some resemblance of an offense, and they could get some goals with a struggling Thompson. They have the defense to make trouble for a Vegas team whose top players aren’t performing well. The Golden Knights are trying to get out of a slump, but on the road in a different element is not where it happens.
Pick: Kraken Moneyline (+118)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday:
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- Top NHL Winter Classic Odds, Picks & Predictions
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