NHL Best Bets & Picks: Sabres vs Blues, Sharks vs Ducks and More – Expert Game Previews
The National Hockey League (NHL) has 11 total games scheduled for Monday night. We have five games in the early window before 8:00 p.m. EST, three games at 9:00 p.m. EST and three more puck drops at 10:00 p.m. EST. All games are available on ESPN+.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with Monday's Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL game, 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.
Buffalo Sabres 
at St. Louis Blues 
The Sabres (19-14-4) kick off a three-game road trip against the Blues (15-16-8) at 8:00 p.m. EST at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, and Buffalo is looking to exact a little revenge.
In the first meeting on Nov. 6 at KeyBank Center, St. Louis picked up a 3-0 win as slight underdogs (+120) as the Under (6.5) easily connected.
In that win, Mathieu Joseph picked up an unassisted shorthanded goal to open the scoring midway through the first period, while Nick Bjugstad had a goal early in the second, with Joseph and Justin Faulk picking up apples. Faulk was back in the third with an empty-net goal to put a bow on the scoring, as Joseph picked up a third point on the only assist. Joel Hofer stopped all 28 shots he faced, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed two goals on just 16 shots in the loss.
The Sabres have been red-hot lately, winning eight straight games since Dec. 9, and four of those victories are in one-goal games, including a pair of overtime wins and one shootout victory. The Under has cashed in four straight games while also going 6-1 in the past seven matchups.
Meanwhile, the Blues have alternated wins and losses in each of the past eight games. St. Louis exorcised some demons with a 3-2 win as short underdogs (-105) at home Saturday as the Under (6.5) cashed behind Hofer.
St. Louis is 3-1-1 in the past five games, while the Under has cashed at a 4-1 clip in the span.
Hofer (8-7-2, 2.86 GAA, .900 SV%, 3 SO) is confirmed to start for Monday's game, while Alex Lyon (9-6-3, 2.87 GAA, .907 SV%, 1 SO) is projected for the visitors.
You have to strike while the iron's hot, so keep rolling with the Sabres. Additionally, based on the trends, let's go with the Under, perhaps even with two units.
Sabres ML (-108 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
Under 6 Goals (-115 at BetMGM and BetRivers Sportsbooks)
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San Jose Sharks 
at Anaheim Ducks 
It's a battle of California in the late game, as the Sharks (18-17-3) and Ducks (21-15-2) tangle at Honda Center at 10:00 p.m. EST.
The Sharks doubled up the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on the road as short underdogs (+120) as the Over (6) cashed Saturday while play resumed following the holiday break. The Sharks have had trouble stopping pucks, allowing 27 goals in the past six games, or 4.5 GPG. The Over is 5-0-1 in that six-game span.
The Ducks were paddled 6-1 by their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, on Saturday. Anaheim is 1-3-1 in the past five games, and 2-5-1 across the previous eight matchups. The Over is 3-1-1 in the past five games, as they've allowed 24 goals in that five-game run, or 4.8 GPG.
Yaroslav Askarov (13-10-1, 3.35 GAA, .896 SV%) and Lukas Dostal (13-9-1, 3.01 GAA, .894 SV%) are projected to face each other, and that likely means a lot of goals.
We'll side with the Ducks, who have won six in a row in this series, including a wild 7-6 overtime win in San Jose on Oct. 11 as the Over (6.5) cashed. We'll also go high based on the very giving goalies and the trends lately.
Ducks ML (-195 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Over 6.5 Goals (-115 at Bet365 and DraftKings Sportsbooks)
Don't make any bets on your favorite sports betting apps without first consulting the latest NHL odds.
Slovakia vs Team USA World Juniors Betting Insight
In group play at the World Juniors Championships, Team USA and Slovakia meet at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul at 6:00 p.m. EST.
Slovakia opened its tournament with a 3-2 loss to Sweden on Friday, while posting a 4-1 win against Germany on Saturday. Team USA doubled up Germany 6-3 on Friday, while easing by Switzerland 2-1 on Saturday.
Slovakia should be able to cash as underdogs on the puck line, and we'll go Under on the total.
Slovakia +3.5 (-104 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Under 7.5 Goals (-115 at FanDuel Sportsbooks)
Parlay Strategy and Super Parlay Picks for NHL Betting Slates
5-Leg NHL + IIHF Juniors Super Parlay (+1796 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Sabres ML at Blues and Under 5.5 - SGP (+266)
- Ducks ML vs. Sharks and Over 6.5 - SGP (+164)
- Slovakia U20 +3.5 (-104) vs. Team USA
4-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+866 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Sabres ML at Blues and Under 5.5 - SGP (+266)
- Ducks ML vs. Sharks and Over 6.5 - SGP (+164)
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+184 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 (+110) - Sabres at Blues
- Over 6.5 (-128) - Sharks at Ducks
