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NHL Betting Advice: Hot and Cold Teams for Wagering 1/9/2023

by Ryan Cobbett - 1/9/2023

Hot and cold NHL teams for betting Chicago Blackhawks

As we approach the midway point of the 2022-23 NHL season, we are starting to separate the contenders from the pretenders. As of today, the Bruins are the top dogs, sitting with 66 points, nine more points than the second-best mark (Hurricanes 57). Three teams have yet to cross the 30-point mark, as the Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Ducks find themselves at the bottom of the barrel. We saw the Devils get off to a dominating start, but they have cooled of late, going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Let’s take a look at who is trending up and down, the high and low scorers, and the best home defenders and the best road warriors.

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Heating Up:

Washington Capitals- 13-2-2

Washington has been dominating their opposition since the start of December after an ugly November. They have lost just four times in their last 17 games, and all four losses have been by just one goal -- they have shot up the standings with 28 points during their hot streak. They have closed in on the Devils for second place in the Metro, sitting just one point behind. Lindgren has been incredible during this stretch, going 9-2 and allowing just 21 goals. Washington has a +34-goal differential since December 5.

Carolina Hurricanes- 11-2-2

Despite the rocketing upward trend of the Caps, the Hurricanes have done their part to continue to sit atop the division. Though they have lost their last three, they recently had a nice 11-game win streak. If we extended the window, the Hurricanes have gone 15-2-3 in their last 20 games. Kochetkov and Raanta have formed an incredible duo in the net, as the two have combined to allow just 2.42 GA/G. Carolina will have a chance to jump the Devils in the standings as the two teams will hit the ice on Tuesday.

Ice Cold:

Chicago Blackhawks- 2-13

The Holidays were not kind to the Blackhawks, as they won just two of their last 15. During that stretch, they have averaged just 1.4 GF/G and have allowed 3.73 GA/G. Since Thanksgiving, Chicago has mustered just seven points in 19 games, and they have a -36-goal differential in that span.

Columbus Blue Jackets- 4-13

The Blue Jackets have faced similar despair as they have won just four of their last 17. They have got just 11 points since Thanksgiving in large part to their poor goaltending. Columbus allowed four or more goals in 11 of their last 17 games while scoring four or more goals in just three of those games. The Blue Jackets have juggled around with their three-goalie rotation but none of them seem to stick out.

Best at Home:

Boston Bruins- 19-0-3

Boston is the best team midway through the season with 66 points, and a big reason to their success has been their dominance at home. They have yet to suffer a loss in regulation, and two of the three losses overall went to shootouts. Boston has a +41-goal differential at home this season. Ullmark has been incredible this season overall but has seen better numbers in home games, allowing just 25 goals in 14 home games. He is 12-0-1 with a 1.78 GA/G mark and a 94% SV%. Pasta and Marchand also love playing in front of their home fans, as they two have combined for 53 points in 39 combined games.

Tampa Bay Lightning- 15-4-1

Tampa loves playing at home. They have struggled on the road so far this season but have made up for that with their dominant play on home ice, keeping them in the mix. Both Vasilevskiy and Elliott have better numbers on home ice, but the big difference is how much better Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos are at home. The trio have combined for 82 points in the 20 home games the Lightning have played so far compared to just 55 points on the road (18 games). Tampa Bay has a +25-goal differential at home this season.

Best on the Road:

New Jersey Devils- 14-2-1

The Devils have no doubt cooled off as the season has gone on, but this is a very dangerous team. We hear it all the time: you have to win on the road, and the Devils take that to a new level. New Jersey has played unbelievably better on the road than home this season. New Jersey has scored 66 goals in 17 away games (3.88 GF/G), compared to 70 goals in 23 home games (3.04 GF/G). The Devils are also allowing 2.29 GA/G on the road, which is .58 points better than their home average for GA/G. If the Devils keep up their solid road play, they could be very dangerous come playoff time.

Vegas Golden Knights- 15-3-2

Similar to the Devils, the Knights have put themselves in the position they are in thanks to their road dominance. They have a +19-goal differential on the road this season. Vegas has scored 17 more goals on the road, in two less games, than they have scored at home this season. Stone, Eichel, and Smith really get going offensively away from home, as the three have combined for 28 road goals compared to just 21 home goals.

Worst at Home:

San Jose Sharks- 4-11-6

If you see the Sharks are playing at home, fade them. So far this season, that’s been a profitable notion. The Sharks were the home team in two games abroad, but that does not sway their results much. In home games this season, the Sharks have a -24-goal differential. Their goalies have a combined 87.3% SV% at home, allowing 3.91 GA/G at home. 17 combined losses in 21 home games, ouch.

Chicago Blackhawks- 6-14-2

The Blackhawks are awful and have won just nine games to this point. They have a -27-goal differential at home this season. The big problem for this team is their goaltending. They are allowing 3.86 GA/G at home this season. Stalock has been the best on home ice, while Soderblom and Mrazek are a combined 1-12-1 with an 86.4% SV%. Chicago has allowed 85 goals in 22 home games this season. Unfortunately for them, they are even worse on the road… more on that coming up.

Worst on the Road:

Columbus Blue Jackets- 2-13-1

The Jackets lost, again, Sunday night, to the Caps in Washington. They have managed just 5 points through their first 16 games on the road this season. They have a -29-goal differential away from home this season and are allowing 4 GA/G. “Johnny Hockey” leads the team with just 10 points in road games this season but carries a -14 +/- rating. This season is not what Blue Jackets fans expected after spending big on Gaudreau.

Chicago Blackhawks- 3-11-2

Another easy fade is Chicago on the road. They have lost their last six road games and have managed just three goals throughout that streak. The goaltending has seen better success on the road as they are allowing just 3.38 GA/G, but their skaters have averaged just 1.68 GF/G on the road, which is absolutely abysmal. The Bears might not be the only Chicago team to get the first picked locked up.

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