Expert NHL Betting Picks Today: Friday, January 23

Written by

Daniel Dobish

Published on January 23, 2026

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NHL Best Bets & Picks: Devils vs Canucks, Rangers vs Sharks & More – Expert Game Previews

The National Hockey League (NHL) has eight games on the schedule for Friday night, with two puck drops at 9 p.m. EST, and three more set for 10 p.m. EST.

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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.

New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks

The Devils (26-22-2) and Canucks (17-28-5) meet at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN+.

Vancouver has struggled this season, but it posted a 2-1 road victory as short 'dogs (+100) as the Under (5.5) cashed. Vancouver has won three of the past four meetings, with all of those victories coming in New Jersey. In fact, the road team has won each of the past five in the series, with the underdog cashing in all three meetings.

New Jersey has won four of the past five games, with the Under cashing in four consecutive games. The past three wins have each been by a single goal, too.

Vancouver posted a 4-3 win as moderate underdogs (+145) as the Over (6.5) cashed behind Kevin Lankinen in net. The four goals were the most for the Canucks since Dec. 20 in Boston.

While the Over cashed in the past two games for the Canucks, the Under is 3-2 in the past five outings.

Jacob Markstrom (13-11-1, 3.27 GAA, .882 SV%) is expected to start for the Devils, while Lankinen (7-14-4, 3.38 GAA, .887 SV%) is projected for the Canucks. Let's go Over, based on the goaltender matchup, as each has been very giving, and we'll go with the Devils, sticking with the road team trend.

Devils ML (-148 at BetRivers and DraftKings Sportsbooks)
Over 5.5 (-135 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.

New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks

The Rangers (21-24-6) and Sharks (25-21-3) meet at SAP Center in San Jose at 10 p.m. EST, and the game is also on ESPN+.

In the first meeting, San Jose posted a 6-5 OTW as heavy underdogs (+220) as the Over (6.5) cashed on Oct. 23 at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers have been road warriors for most of the season, but they've dropped each of the past two games, while going 1-6-1 in the past eight outings. Since Igor Shesterkin went down with a lower-body injury, the Blueshirts have really gone into the pishadoo.

Spencer Martin (1-1-0, 4.11, 8.48 SV%) is likely to go for the Blueshirts, while Alex Nedeljkovic (9-8-2, 2.92 GAA, .899 SV%) is confirmed for the home side.

The best bet in Rangers games lately has been going with the opposition, while going Over. The total has gone high in four in a row, while going 6-0-1 in the past seven outings, and 8-1-1 across the previous 10 contests.

On the flip side, the Sharks have cashed low in four in a row, but they're 8-4-0 in the past 12 games, while the Over is still 12-4-1 across the past 17 outings. Let's back the Sharks and go high on the total. The Over is 4-2 in Nedeljkovic's past six starts, and the Over has hit in each of Martin's outings so far.

Sharks ML (-115 at Bet365, BetRivers, Caesars and Fanatics Sportsbooks)
Over 6.5 (-134 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Anaheim Ducks at Seattle Kraken

The Ducks (26-21-3) and Kraken (22-18-9) meet at Climate Pledge Arena at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN+.

Seattle has won each of the two previous meetings this season, both by a 3-1 score, including the first meeting at CPA on Oct. 9. The Under has won in each of the games this season, while going 7-3-0 in the past 10 in the series since March 30, 2023.

The Ducks have been on fire lately, winning five in a row, while the Under has cashed in four of those games. Three of the past four wins have been in either OT or a shootout, and four of the five wins have been as an underdog.

The Kraken picked up a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders as slight underdogs (+100) as the Under (5.5) cashed. The Kraken are still just 1-3-0 in the past four games, and 2-4-2 in the past eight outings, while the Under is 4-2-2.

We're going to stick with the Kraken to get the job done and go with the Under. Seattle just seems to have the number of Anaheim, so roll with it.