NHL Best Bets Today, 1/30: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Thursday
We have a loaded 10-game slate for NHL best bets tonight!
We're also down to the final 11 days of NHL action before we have a nearly two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off!
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/30
We're coming off a day where the NHL best bets went 2-2, so we'll look to build on that and come away with a winning day.
We're in for a very high-scoring slate given some of today's matchup, so let's jump in.
Islanders vs. Flyers Prediction: Thursday, January 30th
The New York Islanders are hot right now with a five-game winning streak and they take that into a matchup versus the Philadelphia Flyers, who are on the second night of a back-to-back.
Traditionally, the Islanders haven't been known as a high-flying offense, but we've seen them break that mold recently. Since the start of January, the Islanders have generated 64.73 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-highest in the league.
They are pushing the pace and it's led by Bo Horvat, who comes in with 32 shots on goal over his last 10 games. With time on the first forward lines and the first power-play unit, Horvat has gone over this 2.5 prop in 9 of the 11 games this month. Both Horvat and the Islanders overall have been solid and that shouldn't be slowing down against the Flyers tonight.
- Expert Islanders vs. Flyers Picks:
- Bo Horvat Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+100 on FanDuel)
Blue Jackets vs. Golden Knights Prediction: Thursday, January 30th
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to struggle with consistency in terms of picking up wins, but their players have a level of consistency we can trust.
Pavel Dorofeyev might not be a household name for all NHL fans, but he has been downright awesome for Vegas this season and a player we can trust. Dorofeyev leads the team with 22 goals, and he has 152 shots on goal, which are the second-most behind only Jack Eichel.
Dorofeyev comes in with at least 2 shots on goal in 13 of the 14 games in January, putting him in play to hit this prop every night. He has a great matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have allowed 66.87 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-most in the league since the start of the month.
While the team is a bit inconsistent, Dorofeyev is solid right now and we can trust him on a nightly basis.
- Expert Blue Jackets vs. Golden Knights Picks:
- Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-135 on DraftKings)
Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/30
- Mikko Rantanen To Score a Goal (+130 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Player News
William Contreras is DHing in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader versus the Cubs.
It looks like Contreras will get to play both games today after getting a partial day off as a DH yesterday. Danny Jansen is catching in game one.
Owen Caissie is making his second big-league start in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader against the Brewers.
Caissie served as a DH in his first game up Thursday, but he didn’t start at all over the weekend. He’s playing left field today, as Ian Happ has the first game off. The Cubs are also sitting Dansby Swanson and getting Willi Castro a start.
Browns named Joe Flacco as the starting QB for Week 1 against the Bengals.
This comes to the surprise of nobody. The Browns opened camp with what was announced as a four-way quarterback competition, but Kenny Pickett, rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, and rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders never stood much of a chance at unseating the 40-year-old signal-caller. Flacco led the Browns to a playoff appearance in 2023 when he threw for 1,616-13-8 in five starts on his way to winning AP Comeback Player of the Year. Last season with the Colts, Flacco threw for 1,781-12-7 in eight games, proving again to be prone to turnovers while playing more loosely and freely than in his days in Baltimore. While Flacco will open the season as the Browns’ starter, we would expect to see a few different starters under center before the season is up. He’ll profile a mid-QB2 against the Bengals in what could be a high-scoring affair.
Rhamondre Stevenson (undisclosed) was spotted in a non-contact jersey on Monday.
It’s an upgrade from last week, when Stevenson was completely sidelined in practice. Stevenson is dealing with an undisclosed injury that was first announced last Tuesday, but could be trending toward a full return by the end of the week. The fifth-year back could be on the wrong side of a split backfield after rookie TreVeyon Henderson has impressed through two preseason games, rushing for 5-38-1 while also returning a kick return for a 100-yard score. We’ll be sure to provide any updates on Stevenson’s availability as they are announced.
Matthew Stafford (back) returned to practice on Monday.
Our national nightmare is over. After refusing on Saturday to say if Stafford worked out as planned, the Rams’ QB1 took to the field in full pads and jersey on Monday, looking ready for his first taste of training camp practice. Stafford has been dealing with a back injury for weeks and, at one point, had an epidural to help with the pain. Stafford has endured numerous injuries throughout his 16-year career, including multiple back injuries. Head coach Sean McVay said last week that part of Stafford’s absence last week was due to function and pain tolerance, which doesn’t seem great. The Rams are going to do what they can to have Stafford ready for the season, but we wouldn’t assume he’s a lock to start Week 1 until we see how he progresses in the coming weeks. If he’s unable to go at any point in the season, Jimmy Garoppolo would take the reins at QB1.
Zach Eflin underwent successful lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in Florida on Monday.
Eflin hopes to have a normal offseason after spending the next few months recovering, but that’s not assured. The free-agent-to-be is probably going to have to settle for a one-year deal in the offseason after posting a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts this year.