Last Updated on January 5, 2026 7:57 am by Anthony Rome
Will the struggling Ducks knock off the Capitals as an underdog in Washington on Monday night? Can the Mammoth pull off their own upset at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Rangers at 7:00 p.m. ET? Will the Wild keep winning when they visit the Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET? Our Monday NHL Best Bets Jan. 5 column has selections for all three of these matchups.
NHL Best Bet: Anaheim Ducks +125 (at Capitals)
Why Anaheim:
This line is offering solid value on a Ducks team that desperately needs a result and matches up well here. Anaheim’s 2025-26 campaign has been a roller coaster, but offensively they remain capable — averaging 3.33 goals per game, which sits among the league’s top-10 scoring rates. Washington, meanwhile, sits around 3.18 goals per game, respectable but not overwhelming.
Recent Form & Head-to-Head Edge
Although Anaheim hit a skid entering this week, they broke the Caps’ six-game win streak the last time these teams met with a 4-3 shootout win in December. Anaheim’s key forwards — Troy Terry, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke — have shown they can all influence the game at even strength and on secondary scoring lines.
Washington has home-ice advantage, sure, but Capitals’ injury noise around depth pieces like Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson being day-to-day only adds uncertainty on the offensive balance. Meanwhile, Anaheim’s recent results show they’ve at least battled defensively and can score enough to stay in games.
Prediction: The Ducks’ balanced scoring and desperation to end the skid makes this a plus money target. If Anaheim gets an early goal, this value becomes even more juicy.
Pick: Anaheim Ducks ML (+125)
NHL Best Bet: Utah Mammoth +100 (at Rangers)
Why Utah:
This has all the makings of a classic underdog spot with upside. The Utah Mammoth have climbed to roughly a .500 record this season and are right in the thick of the Central Division hunt with a 19-20-3 mark. They’re not pushovers.
Offensively, Utah averages just over 3.0 goals per game, which actually outpaces the Rangers’ roughly 2.6 goals per contest. Goaltending has been serviceable — enough to keep games competitive — and their all-time head-to-head vs. NYR sits evenly at 2-1-0.
Rangers are coming off a huge win (Mika Zibanejad hat trick, Winter Classic performance) and that emotional spend could lead them to look ahead tonight. Meanwhile, Utah’s recent loss to New Jersey (4-1) might light a fire under them.
Given the even odds (+100) and the fact that this line implies a coin flip, taking the slightly undervalued road team makes sense — especially if the Mammoth’s young stars like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley can jumpstart support scoring.
Pick: Utah Mammoth ML (+100)
NHL Best Bet: Minnesota Wild -115 (at Kings)
Why Minnesota:
Minnesota enters this game with solid momentum and a goalie tandem that’s been consistently above average. Filip Gustavsson has been a rock and Jesper Wallstedt has been impressive in relief, collectively anchoring a Wild defense that has been better than league average.
Los Angeles does deserve respect — they took Minnesota in a recent meeting — but the Kings have been inconsistent at home, particularly with special teams struggling (bottom-third power play). Meanwhile, the Wild continue to control play at both ends and generate offense from multiple sources.
Minnesota’s blend of scoring balance and defensive reliability makes them slightly better than a -115 favorite, and we expect them to carry this through a full 60.
Pick: Minnesota Wild ML (-115)
Monday NHL Best Bets Jan. 5
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Anaheim Ducks ML +125
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Utah Mammoth ML +100
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Minnesota Wild ML -115
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