Last Updated on January 4, 2026 9:59 am by Anthony Rome
After knocking off the Red Wings on Saturday in Detroit, what will the Penguins do for an encore when they visit the Blue Jackets at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday? Can the Panthers upend the red-hot Avalanche as a home underdog at 5:00 p.m. ET? Will the Devils pull of a small upset when they host the Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. ET? Our Sunday NHL Best Bets Jan. 4 article has selections for these matchups.
NHL Best Bet: Penguins +112 ( at Blue Jackets)
The Penguins and Blue Jackets kick off the NHL Sunday slate in Columbus in what could be a metropolitan division dogfight. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby has been driving the offense this season with 45 points in 40 games — a strong output for the 38-year-old captain — while Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha provide secondary scoring. Pittsburgh enters off a 4-1 win over Detroit, showcasing a balanced attack and sharper goaltending.
The Blue Jackets have quietly been a dangerous squad at home, with recent momentum — including a 5-1 throttling of the Sabres that snapped Buffalo’s 10-game win streak. Columbus has tightened defensively of late and boasts contributions from Zach Werenski and gritty forwards like Cole Sillinger and Dimitri Voronkov
Analytical models lean slightly toward Columbus — giving them around a 54 % win probability — but Pittsburgh’s firepower and Crosby’s scoring edge keep this one close.
Prediction:
Penguins win 4-3 (OT/SO possible)
Penguins +112 is justified — expect a tight, competitive game that could tilt Pittsburgh’s way if they hit the power play and ride their recent confidence.
NHL Best Bet: Avalanche -130 (at Panthers)
This is perhaps the biggest storyline of the NHL weekend: the Florida Panthers — **back-to-back Stanley Cup champs — take on the Colorado Avalanche, one of the most dominant teams in the league this season. The Avs are riding a 10-game win streak with elite performances from Nathan MacKinnon (leading the NHL with 74 points — 35 goals, 39 assists), Cale Makar, and resilient depth scoring that kept Colorado perfect in comeback opportunities.
Florida, meanwhile, comes off a lopsided 5-1 loss to the Rangers in the Winter Classic, and there could be a confidence hangover even though they’ve shown they can compete with the league’s best. The Panthers still have Dynamic threats like Matthew Tkachuk (getting closer to returning), but they face a defense that’s been extremely tough and opportunistic.
Prediction:
Avalanche 4-2
The Panthers have fight, but Colorado’s depth and MacKinnon’s elite season likely push the defending champs back in this one.
NHL Best Bet: Devils +105 (vs. Hurricanes)
This spot sees the Devils taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in a matchup of two strong Atlantic Division clubs. New Jersey has sneaked back into form with a recent 4-1 win over Utah Mammoth, powered by offensive pieces like Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier. They’ve displayed good balance and improved two-way play, which is key versus an aggressive Carolina squad.
Carolina, coming off that Colorado loss, still packs star power — Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Andrei Svechnikov are all threats to tilt a tighter game. However, Carolina’s goaltending has been opaque, and Frederik Andersen just extended a tough stretch of results.
Prediction:
Devils 3-2
New Jersey gets it done in a tighter contest. Devils +105 has real value here if they capitalize on Carolina’s recent defensive struggles.
Sunday NHL Best Bets Jan. 4
- Pittsburgh Penguins +112
- Colorado Avalanche -130
- New Jersey Devils +105
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