Top NHL picks January 27: Take the under between Flames, Kraken
Fans and bettors have eight NHL games to enjoy on Friday.
The pregame narrative: The Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers are struggling between the pipes, putting the over in their game firmly in play. We’ll take a stab at the under when the Calgary Flames face off against the Seattle Kraken, while also looking at another under in that contest.
Find our top NHL picks for January 27 below.
Odds as of 12:40 p.m. on 01/27/2023.
NHL picks
Best Bet: Kings vs. Panthers over 6.5 goals (-137)
Two high-powered offences with horrendous goaltending situations are what we like to see when scoping out an over — even one with this much juice.
The Panthers are firing offensively, averaging 4.4 goals per game over their last seven. They also place a respectable 12th in expected goals per 60 (3.34) and sit seventh in high-danger chances per 60 (15.32) over the last seven days, according to Natural Stat Trick.
For as good as they’ve been offensively, they’ve been equally horrendous in their own zone and between the pipes.
The Cats have allowed 27 goals over their last seven games. They’re allowing the second-most expected goals per 60 (4.4) in the last week and are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the second-worst team save percentage (.851).
The Kings share a lot of similarities. They sit ninth in expected goals per 60 (3.48) over the last week but own the eighth-worst team save percentage (.885) in the league.
Expect a lot of offence and little resistance from both teams.
Key stat: The over on this total has hit in five consecutive Panthers games.
Quick picks
Flames vs. Kraken under 6.5 goals (-130): This is a clash of styles. Calgary is uncharacteristically playing run-and-gun hockey while Seattle’s playing very conservatively.
Even with the Flames opening things up, the under on this total has come through in three of their last five.
Similarly, the under on 6.5 goals has hit in three of the Kraken’s last five home contests. The under has hit in more than 50% of each team’s games this season, according to Scores and Odds.
Flames under 3 goals (-121): Calgary’s offence really isn’t firing, scoring one goal or fewer in three of the squad’s last five contests. After losing to the Blackhawks on Thursday, the Flames are playing their second game in as many nights.
In five games with zero days of rest this season, Calgary is averaging just 2.8 goals per game.
Seattle’s not a great matchup for any offence, as the Kraken are allowing the third-fewest expected goals against per 60 (1.99) and own the best team save percentage (.957) over the last week. They’ve held each of their last three opponents to three goals or fewer.
