NHL Best Bets and Betting Picks: January 19th
As we roll into Friday in the NHL let me just mention what a stretch this month of January has been as the article is up around 6 units and riding the green streak! It has been super satisfying to watch the months of data and hard work start to pay off and if you have stuck around this whole season thank you so much, better days are here! Tonight we have 4 games on the NHL slate which means fewer ways to attack the board but don't worry I still have some bets for you all! If you like the rationale then tail the picks, if you don't feel free to fade as sometimes the best bets are the ones not taken!
- Season Record: 78-64-3
- Bankroll: +7.35 units
- Dog of the Day Record: 7-8 (+1.9 Units)
Follow me on twitter @jwaggs10
**all bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.
NHL Best Bets for January 19th
Minnesota Wild at Florida Panthers
Well we attacked the Wild last night, what do you think is stopping me from just doing it again? I liked the Wild the past few years but this team is falling apart and you have to take advantage of teams like that. The Wild are playing again less than 24 hours after they got smacked around by the Lightning last night 7-3. It bumped up the Wild goals averages against to 4.8 goals on the road over the past 30 days, that's a complete meltdown. On the Florida side they aren't quite the team I pegged them to be but they are winning games, 7 of the last 10 to be exact but they are looking to snap their 3 game losing streak tonight. The Panthers are 13-6-2 on home ice this season which is a leg up but I also like that Sergei Bobrovsky will be in the net with his 2.46 GAA and 21-12 record. Poor Minnesota I feel bad doing this twice in two days but if the shoes fits, you have to make a wager.
Pick: Florida Panthers 60 Minute Money Line (-130 on BetMGM)
Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have been a weird team this season and I don't mean weird in a bad way but just the way they've played hockey is unusual to their brand of hockey. I say this because they are allowing 3.3 goals per game on home ice over the past 30 days which is an inflated number for them but also that they are scoring 3.9 goals during that same time period. They play like the Oilers of last season, strange stuff but great for betting a game total. The Canes have hit the over at home in 11 of 19 games this season and will look to pile it on a Detroit team that has allowed 3.27 goals per game on the road this season. The Red Wings are now stranger to offense either as they have scored 3.41 goals per game on the road overall, the 4th highest mark in the NHL. Alex Lyon scares me a bit in net for the Red Wings but I think that Carolina blows by him and the over is hit tonight in Raleigh.
Pick: Red Wings & Hurricanes Over 6.5 Goals (-105 on Caesars)
Player News
Dylan Crews is not in the starting lineup for the Nationals on Thursday against the Braves.
Crews is hitting just .136/.255/.277 in 13 games in May with 13 strikeouts and five walks. The Nationals are unlikely to compete this year and will certainly know Crews is a big part of their future, so we expect them to give him a long leash but he’ll need to start producing soon. Alex Call will start in right field on Thursday.
TJ Friedl (wrist) remains out of the lineup for the Reds on Thursday against the White Sox.
Friedl is still being evaluated for the injury, and the Reds have yet to make a decision about putting him on the IL. Will Benson will remain in center field on Thursday and bat sixth with Connor Joe playing right field and batting ninth.
Joe Boyle threw five shutout innings for Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, allowing just one hit.
Perhaps more importantly, Boyle walked only one and struck out five on the day. Boyle now has a 1.46 ERA on the season and has walked just 13 batters to 39 strikeouts. It turns out, the Rays’ decision to reshape Boyle’s pitch mix and cut back on the movement of his pitches might have been the magic elixir to fix his command. Zack Littell has no minor league options left, so there doesn’t appear to be any space in the Rays’ rotation unless they want to give the struggling Shane Baz a brief break in the minor leagues. When Boyle does get a chance, he will be worth an immediate add in all fantasy leagues.
Tim Elko will head to the bench for the White Sox on Thursday against the Marlins.
Elko has gone just 2-for-14 with four strikeouts in four games since being called up, so perhaps the White Sox are just giving him a day to regroup. Still, he hit .348 with 10 home runs in 31 games at Triple-A this season, and this White Sox team is going nowhere, so it makes more sense for them to keep him in the lineup and see if he can adjust to MLB pitching. We’ll hope this is just a routine off day. Lenyn Sosa will play first base and bat sixth, with Josh Rojas sliding over to second base
Nationals OF prospect Robert Hassell III went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run for Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
The eighth overall pick from the 2020 MLB Draft is now hitting .289/.340/.387 with three home runs and eight steals in 38 games at Triple-A this season. He also has 30 strikeouts and 19 walks, so his overall plate discipline has been pretty solid. The Nationals are starting Jacob Young in center field, and while he plays elite defense, he is also hitting just .216 in 119 plate appearances this season. There will come a time in the summer when the Nationals decide it’s time to turn center field over to Hassell, who is one of the big-name prospects who came over in the Juan Soto trade.
Nationals 3B prospect Brady House went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
The former first-round pick is hitting .286/.346/.476 with six home runs in 38 games at Triple-A this season. He does have 45 strikeouts to just 14 walks, so the plate discipline is likely something that the Nationals want to see the 21-year-old continue to work on, but he’s nearing a call-up to the big leagues.