NHL Best Bets - Who Should I Bet on Today?
The ultimate resource to help you find the best bets each and every day in the NHL.
This page is divided into 3 simple sections.
The first section lists all of our premium member best bets for the day. This section lists all the games for all sports, including NHL. If you don't have a membership at Doc's Sports you can test out our premium best bets risk free with a complimentary free $60 account here.
The second section lists one or two of our complimentary NHL matchup reports. We write these daily for every single NHL game. These articles are more for the do-it-yourself types that want to really dig in and also have the time do the extensive research required each day.
The third section ties into the second section where our experts give advice on what to do with the information and how to spot a best bet in NHL.
Best NHL Bets Tonight [Updated Daily]
THIS WEEK'S TOP FOOTBALL GAMES
AVAILABLE FOR JUST $30 APIECE ABOVE THE GRID
FRIDAY
NICK MENKEN – 6-Unit College Football Play (7:30 p.m.)
GRIFFIN MURPHY – 6-Unit College Football Total (7:30 p.m.)
SATURDAY
ARUN SHIVA - 7-Unit NFL Play (4:30 p.m.)
STRIKE POINT SPORTS – 7-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
NICK MENKEN – 7-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
VERNON CROY – 7-Unit NFL First Half Play (8 p.m.)
CRAIG TRAPP – 6-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
SCOTT SPREITZER – 5-Unit College Football Play (11 a.m.)
RAPHAEL ESPARZA – 5-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
NOTE: Strike Point Sports, Menken, Croy Esparza and Trapp have various sides in the same game.
SUNDAY
AUGUST YOUNG – 7-Unit NFL Play (1 p.m.)
ROBERT FERRINGO – 7-Unit NFL Play (1 p.m.)
GRIFFIN MURPHY – 7-Unit NFL Play (1 p.m.)
SCOTT SPREITZER – 7-Unit NFL Play (4 p.m.)
DOC’S SPORTS – 7-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
CRAIG TRAPP – 7-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
ARUN SHIVA - 6-Unit NFL Totals Play (1 p.m.)
VERNON CROY – 6-Unit NFL Play (1 p.m.)
TONY GEORGE – 6-Unit NFL Play (4 p.m.)
RAPHAEL ESPARZA – 6-Unit NFL Play (8 p.m.)
NOTE: Young, Murphy and Croy have various sides in the same game.
NOTE: Doc’s Sports, Trapp and Esparza have various sides in the same game.
TODAY'S TOP NBA PLAYS
SCOTT SPREITZER has a 7-Unit NBA Play Friday (8 p.m.). Scott's 9-2 with his last 11 NBA releases and he's won 70% ATS in the NBA since Dec. 1! Scott's long-term NBA winning run has produced +12,515 overall. And all top plays have produced +26,120. Get the 7-Unit NBA release on Friday by signing up below.
STRIKE POINT SPORTS has hit three of four winning NBA plays and hit another 7-Unit winner on Wednesday (Houston). SPS is on a +2,320 run and is releasing a 7-Unit NBA Play (8 p.m.) from the Western Conference. SPS is having another winning NBA season and sign up below!
DOC’S SPORTS NBA is heating up with 8 of 12 winning nights and scored a 7-Unit winner on Monday. Doc’s is back Friday with a prediction they are very confident in, a 7-Unit NBA prediction (8 p.m. EST). Doc’s expects an easy winner tonight! Sign up below for Doc’s Friday NBA card.
RAPHAEL ESPARZA hit a 4-Unit NBA win last night with the Nets-Bucks ‘over’ and he has cashed three straight NBA plays (+1,200). Esparza has a 6-Unit NBA Play (10 p.m.) Friday and he has beaten the books for three of five winning NBA seasons. Sign up below and get on it!
NICK MENKEN has been steamrolling in the NBA, going 6-1, +1,530, and he is going with a 6-Unit NBA Play (8:30 p.m.) Friday. Menken is confident in this matchup and you can get on board by signing up below!
CRAIG TRAPP went 3-0 with his hoops plays on Thursday, including an NBA daily prop win. Trapp has gone 3-2, +310 with his NBA service and is releasing a 5-Unit NBA Play (10 p.m.) tonight you don’t want to miss. Sign up below and build your bankroll with Trapp.
TODAY'S TOP SOCCER PLAYS
DOC’S SPORTS SOCCER is on a run of nearly +2,400 since the middle of December and they are excited for the Friday card as they have had one match circled all week, and this is a 7-Unit French Ligue 1 prediction (3 p.m. EST). Doc’s is very confident in this selection and expects a sharp winner today. Sign up below!
TODAY'S TOP DAILY PROP PLAYS
CRAIG TRAPP tallied an easy 3-Unit daily prop winner on Thursday with Jayson Tatum easily going ‘over’ his P/R/A. Trapp is back with a 5-Unit Daily Prop Play (10 p.m.) from the Western Conference on a line where he sees a lot of valued. Sign up below for this one!
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Complimentary NHL games today [Updated daily]
Montreal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks Prediction, 1/3/2025 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds
by Tony Sink - 1/2/2025
The Montreal Canadiens are on the docket to meet the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Friday, January 3, 2025. Protecting the goal for this matchup will be Sam Montembeault for Montreal and Petr Mrazek for Chicago. This report includes betting odds and our expert NHL picks for todays game. Read More >>
Ottawa Senators vs St. Louis Blues Prediction, 1/3/2025 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 1/2/2025
The Ottawa Senators are on the docket to go head to head with the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Friday, January 3, 2025. Patrolling the crease for the game will be Linus Ullmark for Ottawa and Jordan Binnington for St. Louis. This report includes betting odds and our expert NHL picks for todays game. Read More >>
What Makes a Best Bet in NHL?
Here you will find a list of tips from our NHL experts that will help you understand what makes up a NHL hockey best bet and what you should be looking for in order to spot one on your own.
Doc's Sports – What we like to look for happens off the ice as we like to make our best bets from situational handicapping spots in hockey. Situational handicapping comes in many forms, but these four spots are what we normally look for. Revenge, look-ahead games and letdown situations are traditional things to look for. But we're going to focus on the scheduling opportunities that make up a best bet. We like to look for teams playing back-to-back days or three games in four nights. Every team has to do it, and some nights you just expect a team not to have "it" based on how their first game or first two games have gone. Tired legs are never a good thing in hockey. And it's up to us to find these situational spots and exploit them.
Robert Ferringo – Hockey is unique to other moneyline sports because the difference between the teams is so slim. That leads to a lot of upsets. So when it comes to a best bet or top play in hockey, the main thing that I'm looking for is regression. I like to find a team whose recent results don't match up to their recent play. Again, weird upsets and odd results happen all the time in hockey. So I like to find teams that have either won several games that they shouldn't or lost several games that they shouldn't. Shots on goal, power play performance and overtime results are two key indicators that suggest a team is due for a regression. Mix in either extra motivation against an opponent or some long-term head-to-head trends against that opponent, and that should add up to excellent value and a top play.
Tony George – Rarely do I sway from 3- or 4-Unit flat betting method that I use in all sports. There has to be a preponderance of evidence, game day scenarios, and the perfect storm to go against one team to take a side or total with high degree of certainty. Two of the things that I pay a lot of attention to are the goalies and recent trends. Several teams do not like playing the same goalie two games in a row on back-to-back days. And many of those teams have less than stellar back-ups that we can take advantage of. Also, long-term trends can show that certain teams fair better against certain opponents than others. When those trends cover a large sample size and we get a good price, then that's a great opportunity for a best bet.
Raphael Esparza – A hot goalie can cash you tickets left and right. A perfect example is the year the Blues won the Stanley Cup. Without Jordan Binnington dominating in the net during the playoffs, the Blues would not have won the championship. Another thing I look at is backup goalies and teams playing on back-to-back nights. If the back-up goalie is scheduled to go that night and maybe the team is off a back-to-back night, then it could be a big play depending on the money-line and game situation. If you see a hot goalie, don't be afraid to ride him.
Vernon Croy – When I'm looking for a best bet in the NHL I always try to find value and I like to take high quality teams that give us the best shot a victory. I look at the goaltending matchups and how each team has done against the goalies in the past. Are we going with a hot goalie against a team that has struggled recently? Little things like this play a small part of creating a best bet in the NHL for me. Teams have tendencies in the NHL, and I also look for strengths there as well. I also always make sure there are no key injuries on the team we are backing, because unlike other major sports like the NBA when a star player goes down in the NHL they are very hard to replace no matter how much the team steps up in their absence.
Indian Cowboy – There are several factors that go into making an NHL best bet. A good place to start is really breaking down the schedule of both teams. You should take a look at who these teams both played last. Then which team are they playing now? Finally, who are they playing next? What you are looking for here is for teams coming off an emotional divisional game or a big rivalry situation. Then consider whether or not the current opponent sets them up for a possible look ahead spot. For example, if the team we want to bet against is coming off a tough game against a division rival and are now playing a below .500 team from a different conference or division, they might not be as motivated and this can be great set up to back an underdog.
Strike Point Sports – Hot goalies and home ice are both crucial components for a best bet in the NHL. However, I have learned to not be afraid to ride a hot team or go against a team in a lull. The hockey season has so many ups and downs for clubs that you can't expect these teams to turn things around over night. Even the best teams can go through spells where they lose four of five or five of seven games, and being able to spot a team that is tired or just out of sync is important. One of the stats that we look for is blocked shots. That's a pretty good indicator of effort. And when teams aren't giving a full effort, they are ripe for a loss.
Scott Spreitzer – The market is softer in NHL betting than in the other major sports. While it doesn't mean it's easier to beat than the NFL, or college football, for example, creating your own power numbers can be helpful. This makes implied probability of utmost importance. If you have a team that's listed at -125, for example, the implied win probability is 55.56%. If you take the time to develop a solid set of power ratings, and your line for the same side in the same game is -132, for example, your rating show an implied probability of 56.88%. This means at -125, you're on the right side and in the long run, you're likely to turn a profit. A simpler NHL handicapping tool is the Vegas flu. Season one of the Golden Knights existence saw opponents struggle badly if they arrived in Las Vegas the night before playing VGK. Teams took advantage of their off night in Sin City to party it up, and the results were outstanding for VGK bettors. After season one, opposing coaches and teams decided to take care of business first and hit the town afterwards. And going back to season two (2018-19), through the current season in 2019-20, teams have had a difficult time winning in their first game after leaving Las Vegas. If you use those two tools, one with a greater degree of difficulty than the other, you should find yourself in the black by the end of an NHL season.
Alan Harris – Look for spots where you can play on a team that has a competent backup goalie in goal. If the backup is decent, teams will look to give them between 25-30 and sometimes up to as many as half of the starts. In many cases, a team's backup goalie will have stats similar to that of the starter. But when they are inserted into the line-up, the moneyline will sometimes drop by 20 or 30 cents. When a starting goalie goes down with an injury, look to play on the backup until the oddsmakers adjust for the fact that really there isn't that much difference between the starter and backup (in some cases). Also, the players know that the backup busts his hump in practice and when he earns a start, the players sometimes play with some extra effort to try and get him a win.
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