Last Updated on January 29, 2026 12:45 pm by Anthony Rome
Are the Avalanche a safe bet to knock off the Canadiens in Montreal at 7:00 p.m. ET? Can the Ducks get it done as a road favorite against the Canucks in Vancouver at 10:00 p.m. ET? Our Thursday NHL Best Bets Jan. 29 column explores these two matchups and offers a pick on the total for the 7:00 p.m. ET matchup between the Flyers and Bruins, as well.
NHL Best Bet: Flyers/Bruins under 6.5
Boston has been strong defensively in close games, and Philadelphia enters this one struggling to find consistent offensive rhythm against Eastern Conference foes. According to tonight’s betting trends, Boston has covered the puck line repeatedly as a favorite, and Philadelphia has lost double-digit games when facing conference rivals.
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Flyers offense has been inconsistent on the road, with struggling special teams and low shot volume.
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Bruins defense and goaltending have bent but rarely broken this season, especially in tighter affairs.
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With the O/U line around 6.5, the Under leans toward both teams playing status-quo defensive structures rather than high-scoring affairs — and recent trends support that lower outputs are common in this pairing.
Bet: Under 6.5 Goals
NHL Best Bet: Ducks -136 (at Canucks)
This is one of the more clear-cut moneyline plays of the night. Models and recent odds projects show the Ducks favored, and historical trends underline Anaheim’s win probability well above 60% in this matchup, especially with Vancouver’s defensive woes.
Why this works:
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Ducks have hit the moneyline in 7 of their last 8 games, showing improving consistency and goal-scoring depth.
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Canucks have been prone to defensive lapses at home, and Anaheim’s forecheck and special teams can make them dangerous in transition.
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The -145 line here offers value given Anaheim’s recent ATS and ML performance, especially if goaltending remains steady.
Bet: Ducks -136
NHL Best Bet: Avalanche -125 (at Canadiens)
Tonight’s Avalanche–Canadiens matchup sets up well for a Colorado bounce-back, even as the Habs remain competitive. The Avs enter having stumbled recently and will have extra motivation to right the ship — and moneyline odds around -135 provide a solid return relative to the implied win probability.
Reasons to like Colorado ML:
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Avalanche still boast strong goal scoring and depth on all lines, which should tilt puck possession and quality chances in their favor.
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Even on the road, Colorado’s core talent tends to get the best of opponents like Montreal over a full 60-minute frame.
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The model and odds boards reflect that Colorado remains the favorite even if Vegas and Edmonton draws more headlines — and that implies a real edge at ML pricing.
Bet: Avalanche -125
Thursday NHL Best Bets Jan. 29
- Flyers/Bruins under 6.5
- Colorado Avalanche -125
- Anaheim Ducks -136
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