NHL Best Bets and Betting Picks: January 22nd

What a great weekend of NHL betting and now we move into another week! With the NHL All Star break coming in early February you are going to start seeing the cream rise to the top as every game is starting to mean that much more. This sentiment is reflected in the picks today as I have two great road teams winning on the Money Line and that's all given the 6 game slate and you know that we don't force bets here! 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: 81-66-3
- Bankroll: +9.05 units
- Dog of the Day Record: 7-9 (+1.4 Units)
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**all bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.
NHL Best Bets for January 22nd
Pittsburgh Penguins at Arizona Coyotes
For the first and only time this NHL regular season the Pens are backing their bags and heading out to the desert to take on the Coyotes! This should be a fun matchup as one side is much older and the other team is full of young future stars of the game. I lean the Penguins in this one though as they've been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since the start of 2024 grabbing points in 8 of their past 11 games and it appears that Tristan Jarry may be back. Jarry leads the leage in shutouts this season with 5 and has allowed just 10 goals over his past 5 starts and holding down a SV% north of .920%. Considering the Coyotes have only scored 2.6 goals per game over the past 30 days at home this could be a issue for them, especially when Pittsburgh has scored 4.2 goals per game on the road during that span. Going to have to eat some chalk for the Money Line but I think the Penguins get the job done tonight and win outright.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-140 on BetMGM)
Florida Panthers at Nashville Predators
I will say the Predators have surprised me this season and I pegged them for a team rebuilding but now over halfway through the season they are in the thick of the playoff hunt. I still don't see them as a top team though given the metrics and the fact that they are just a +1 in goal differential on the season but somehow have 25 wins on the season. That has me eyeing up the Panthers tonight because they are an elite team but are riding a 4 game losing streak and the books are down on them giving good value tonight. The Panthers have been a good road team as well with a 14-7-2 mark on the season and have scored 4.8 goals per game over the past month while allowing just 1.8 goals on the road. The margins are just pretty far apart for me tonight and getting the Panthers on the Money Line should cost us more on the odds but it won't so sign me up for a Florida Panthers Money Line!
Pick: Florida Panthers Money Line (-120 on Caesars)
Player News
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said Monday that Kyrie Irving is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn left ACL.
Irving was injured in early March and does not have a concrete timeline for returning to game action. However, Harrison’s words about the point guard will spark optimism regarding his return to the court. “Kyrie’s ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab,” Harrison said, according to the Dallas Hoops Journal. “He’s going two or three times a day. As much as he wants to rush it, we don’t want him to. But he’s going to be fine.” Due to Irving’s injury, the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency and re-signed Dante Exum. They’ll handle the point guard responsibilities while Dallas awaits Kyrie’s return, with Russell being worth the risk in standard league drafts.
Jordan Walsh was ejected from Monday’s game against the Heat during the second quarter.
Walsh started well on Monday, but the 2023 second-round pick could not keep his cool, resulting in a premature trip to the showers. He picked up two technical fouls during the first half, the second after shoving Pelle Larsson out of bounds. With his contract for the 2025-26 season only partially guaranteed, Walsh can’t make his case from the locker room. He finished with 12 points, three rebounds, one steal and one three-pointer, shooting 5-of-8 from the field.
Ryan Nembhard amassed 11 points (4-of-8 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, eight assists and two three-pointers in Monday’s loss to the Hornets.
Having already agreed to a two-way contract with the Mavericks, Nembhard knows he’ll be in training camp with the team this fall. However, his performances in Las Vegas have likely opened some eyes within the organization and throughout the league. Nembhard was the lone Mavericks player to score in double figures against the Hornets and was also responsible for eight of the team’s 15 assists. Nembhard won’t be worth the risk in fantasy drafts, but he could be an intriguing option for the future based on how he’s played in Las Vegas.
KJ Simpson produced 18 points (6-of-13 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), one rebound, seven assists, one steal and two three-pointers in Monday’s win over the Mavericks.
Simpson cleaned some things up after shooting poorly in Saturday’s win over the 76ers. In addition to improving his shooting, the point guard committed just one turnover on the evening. Due to Charlotte’s depth at the point, Simpson’s chances of entering next season as a fantasy-relevant player are slim. However, due mainly to LaMelo Ball’s injury history, there may be opportunities throughout the season for Simpson to step into a larger role.
Kon Knueppel accumulated 16 points (5-of-10 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in Monday’s win over the Mavericks.
Knueppel was far more impactful Monday evening after a pedestrian performance in his summer league debut on Thursday. The fourth overall pick in last month’s draft shot 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and was solid defensively, which likely mirrors what the Hornets will ask of Knueppel once the regular season begins. He’ll be more valuable to dynasty league managers than those competing in redraft leagues, but Knueppel possesses a relatively high floor in his new home.
Johnny Furphy accumulated 15 points (5-of-9 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in Monday’s loss to the Bulls.
If Monday’s game was the last of the summer for Furphy, he finished with a flourish. The Pacers wing produced one of the highlights of summer league with his second-quarter dunk over Chicago’s Noa Essengue, and he was impactful on both ends of the floor. According to Pacers team president Kevin Pritchard, Furphy since the end of the 2024-25 season. He clearly needed to get stronger after playing limited minutes as a rookie, and he appears to have done that. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle does not hesitate to go deep into his bench, so Furphy will have opportunities to earn more playing time.