Last Updated on January 26, 2026 9:59 am by Anthony Rome
Will the Oilers cash on the puckline when they host the Ducks at 8:30 p.m. ET? Will the Kings and Blue Jackets rack up enough scoring to hit the over for bettors? Can the Bruins pick up a road win against a banged-up Rangers squad at 7:00 p.m. ET? Our Monday NHL Best Bets Jan. 26 column explores these matchups.
NHL Best Bet: Oilers -1.5 (-105) vs. Ducks
Edmonton is more consistent and offensively superior, especially at home and versus weaker defensive teams. The Ducks are riding a seven-game win streak (including a 4–3 OT win over Calgary with rookie Beckett Sennecke’s hat trick) which is impressive, but Anaheim’s underlying performance is streaky and often reliant on tight margins and overtime success rather than true dominance.
Meanwhile, the Oilers have heavy firepower with Connor McDavid (32 goals) and Leon Draisaitl (25 goals) regularly finding the scoreboard — McDavid especially at short prices to score anytime. Edmonton’s offense should exploit Anaheim’s inconsistent defense, and given the late game start, the Oilers’ puckline looks priced for value.
NHL Best Bet: Kings/Blue Jackets over 6.5
This isn’t a traditional “puckline” side pick, but watching how these teams have performed recently, there’s value in projecting goals:
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The Blue Jackets are competitive and capable of getting on the board, especially at home, and their recent offense has shown burst potential.
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Kings games often lean toward higher scoring, and Columbus doesn’t suppress goals at a top-tier level.
This matchup has had offensive outputs on both sides in recent action; betting the OVER goals here taps into trends where both teams trade chances and defensive play isn’t tight enough to go low. If the posted total sits around 6-6.5 or similar, that’s typically one of the sharper plays for this game.
NHL Best Bet: Bruins -117 (at Rangers)
The Rangers are limping through injury with Igor Shesterkin out and Adam Fox still sidelined, and backup Jonathan Quick has really struggled (0-5 and .795 SV% in Shesterkin’s absence).
Boston, on the other hand, isn’t without flaws — they lost 6-2 to Dallas recently — but they’re healthier, their scoring depth is more consistent, and the Rangers’ goaltending uncertainty is a major exploitable factor. Betting the Rangers to win outright at home right now is a risk; instead, backing the Bruins (or Bruins +1.5) looks like superior value.
Monday NHL Best Bets Jan. 26
- Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (-105)
- Kings/Blue Jackets over 6.5
- Boston Bruins -117
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