This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Best Bets & Picks: Kraken vs Devils, Flyers vs Sabres & More – Expert Game Previews
The National Hockey League (NHL) has just four games on the schedule for Wednesday, but it's an action-packed slate. The Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres meet at 7:30 p.m. EST in the front end of a nationally-televised doubleheader on TNT/HBO Max/truTV, with the second half featuring the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings tangling at 10 p.m. EST at Crypto.com Arena.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Wednesday's NBA and/or NCAA basketball action. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.
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For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.
Seattle Kraken 
at New Jersey Devils 
The Kraken (21-15-8) and the Devils (23-21-2) square off at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., at 7 p.m. EST, and we have two teams going in different directions.
Seattle is 11-8-3 on the road, and New Jersey is 11-8-2 at home, so it looks like it could be fairly even on paper. However, the Kraken is playing tremendous hockey recently, while the Devils are a hot mess, pun totally intended.
New Jersey has won five straight meetings, including season sweeps in each of the past two years, while the Under is 5-0 in that span. In fact, we've had a total of just 21 goals in the past five meetings, or 4.2 goals per game (GPG).
Since Dec. 20, the Kraken is on the rise, picking up points in 11 of the past 12 games, going 9-1-2 in the span, collecting 20 of a possible 24 points available to sit third in the Pacific Division, just four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place.
The Devils have a Dougie Hamilton problem, as he was a healthy scratch over the weekend, and they're trying to find a trade partner for the veteran, who feels unfairly singled out.
New Jersey is in freefall, going just 1-4-0 in the past five games, though it did cobble together a surprising 5-2 win in Minnesota Monday, all the more impressive since it came on no rest. Still, the Devils are 3-7-1 in the past 11 games, so there is still a lot of work to be done.
Joey Daccord (12-10-5, 2.83 GAA, .901 SV%, 2 SO) is expected to be opposed by Jake Allen (11-11-1, 2.68 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO) in net.
We'll back the Kraken, because they're playing great hockey lately, and we'll go low on the total based on the series trends.
- Kraken ML (+138 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Under 6 (-105 at BetMGM)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Philadelphia Flyers 
at Buffalo Sabres 
The Flyers (22-14-8) and Sabres (24-16-4) tangle in a battle of two hungry teams looking to finally break long droughts and get back into the playoffs. It's nice to see some fresh blood, as the NHL needs these teams to be better, and they are.
Philadelphia can continue its march to the playoffs, but it needs to not face the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a back-to-back at home, the Flyers were routed 7-2 and 5-1 on Saturday and Monday, stunting their growth a little bit. After a 5-2-1 run from Dec. 22-Jan. 8, the uncompetitive hockey shows that the Fly Guys still have a way to go to compete with the big boys.
Buffalo might be a bit closer to contending than Philly. It held its own in a 4-3 loss to the visiting Florida Panthers with third-string tendy Colten Ellis in between the pipes, and the Sabres are an impressive 13-2-0 in the past 15 games, collecting 26 out of a possible 30 points.
In recent seasons, we've seen the Sabres come on late, usually after elimination, giving fans hope for the next season, only to falter early on. This season, Buffalo looks for real. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (9-6-1, 2.63 GAA, .903 SV%) is expected to be in there, opposed by Dan Vladar (16-7-4, 2.42 GAA, .907 SV%). Both are rather unheralded and deserve more attention from the national media. They're each likely headed for All-Star nods, too.
Let's back the Sabres on home ice as moderate favorites, and with Buffalo cashing high in four in a row coming in. And, while Philly is 5-2 to the Over in the past seven, we'll go low on the total based on the solid tendy matchup.
- Sabres ML (-145 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Under 6.5 (-125 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Vegas Golden Knights 
at Los Angeles Kings 
We typically do just two games at a time, especially when there is a short slate, but the Golden Knights (21-11-12) and the Kings (19-16-10) cannot be ignored.
Man, these teams sure do love doing extra work, too, as Vegas has gone to overtime or a shootout 18 times, including a 6-5 SOW against Los Angeles in its opener Oct. 8 in the first meeting of the season. The Kings have gone to OT or SO on 17 different occasions, so expect things to be tight.
VGK is piecing things together after a bump in the road, winning four in a row, while averaging 5.0 GPG in the win streak, hitting high on the Over three times in four games, while going 9-3 in the past 12 games.
L.A. was stopped 4-1 by Dallas at Crypto on Monday night, and it is just 1-2-1 in the past four games, and 5-8-3 across the past 16 outings. The Over is 7-2 in the previous nine outings, too.
Our goaltender battle should feature Akira Schmid (13-4-5, 2.49 GAA, .895 SV%, 2 SO) against Darcy Kuemper (12-9-7, 2.49 GAA, .905 SV%, 2 SO).
Keeping it short and sweet here, we'll roll with VGK, and based on the trends, especially if you can get Over 5.5, go high on the total.
- Golden Knights ML (-108 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 (-120 at Bet365, BetRivers, Caesars and DraftKings Sportsbooks)
Parlay Strategy and Super Parlay Picks for NHL Betting Slates
6-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+3634 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kraken ML (+136 at Devils)
- Under 5.5 (+100) - Kraken at Devils
- Under 6.5 (-138) - Flyers at Sabres
- Sabres ML (-152) vs. Flyers
- Golden Knights ML (-110) at Kings
- Over 5.5 (-124) - Golden Knights at Knights
3-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+646 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kraken ML (+136 at Devils)
- Sabres ML (-152) vs. Flyers
- Golden Knights ML (-110) at Kings
3-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+523 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 (+100) - Kraken at Devils
- Under 6.5 (-138) - Flyers at Sabres
- Over 5.5 (-124) - Golden Knights at Knights
2-Leg NHL Conservative Parlay (+315 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kraken +1.5 (-184)* at Devils
- Golden Knights +1.5 (-290)* at Kings
- Sabres 3-way ML (+100) vs. Flyers (graded on result at end of regulation - no push)
*never bet straight up, as it is too much risk. Only include as part of a multi-leg parlay
