Thursday’s NHL Hockey Free Picks & Predictions [1/1/26]

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Trends are through 12/30/25 and courtesy of Don Best Sports.


Washington at Ottawa – 1:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Senators are 8-2 in their last 10 Thursday games.
Capitals are 7-2 in their last 9 vs. a team with a losing record.
Cold: Capitals are 1-5 in their last 6 road games.
Cold: Senators are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Cold: Capitals are 1-4 in their last 5 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.
Cold: Capitals are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 6-0-2 in Capitals last 8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Hot: Over is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation.
Hot: Over is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.
Hot: Over is 4-1 in Senators last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Hot: Over is 4-1 in Capitals last 5 overall.
Hot: Over is 4-1 in Capitals last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.

Pick: Capitals +128


Utah at NY Islanders – 3:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Islanders are 7-0 in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Hot: Islanders are 4-0 in their last 4 Thursday games.
Hot: Islanders are 7-1 in their last 8 home games.
Cold: Mammoth are 1-5 in their last 6 Thursday games.
Cold: Mammoth are 3-13 in their last 16 games playing on 2 days rest.
Cold: Mammoth are 2-8 in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 4-0-1 in Islanders last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Islanders last 4 home games.
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Mammoth last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
Hot: Under is 3-0-1 in Islanders last 4 games following a win.
Hot: Over is 9-1-1 in Islanders last 11 Thursday games.
Hot: Over is 5-1 in Islanders last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.

Pick: Mammoth -108


Detroit at Pittsburgh – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Red Wings are 10-1 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Hot: Red Wings are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Hot: Red Wings are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
Cold: Penguins are 1-7 in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
Cold: Red Wings are 2-10 in their last 12 Thursday games.
Cold: Penguins are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. Atlantic.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 6-0-3 in Penguins last 9 home games.
Hot: Under is 6-0 in Red Wings last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Red Wings last 5 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 days situation.
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Red Wings last 4 vs. a team with a losing record.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Penguins last 4 overall.
Hot: Under is 4-1 in Red Wings last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.

Pick: Penguins -123


Montreal at Carolina – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Canadiens are 4-0 in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Hot: Hurricanes are 7-1 in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
Hot: Hurricanes are 4-1 in their last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Cold: Canadiens are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win.
Cold: Canadiens are 1-5 in their last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hurricanes are 5-16 in their last 21 vs. Atlantic.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Hurricanes last 5 vs. Atlantic.
Hot: Over is 4-0 in Hurricanes last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
Hot: Over is 4-0 in Hurricanes last 4 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 4-0 in Canadiens last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Hot: Over is 12-2-2 in Canadiens last 16 vs. a team with a winning record.
Hot: Over is 5-1-1 in Hurricanes last 7 following a loss of 3 or more goals.

Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 +140


Winnipeg at Toronto – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Maple Leafs are 4-0 in their last 4 home games.
Cold: Jets are 0-6 in their last 6 road games.
Cold: Jets are 0-5 in their last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
Cold: Jets are 2-14 in their last 16 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation.
Cold: Jets are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. Atlantic.
Cold: Jets are 3-14 in their last 17 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Maple Leafs last 5 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 days situation.
Hot: Under is 3-0-1 in Maple Leafs last 4 Thursday games.
Hot: Over is 5-1 in Jets last 6 Thursday games.
Hot: Over is 4-1 in Jets last 5 games playing on 0 days rest.
Over is 3-1-2 in Jets last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 3-1-1 in Maple Leafs last 5 vs. Central.

Pick: Jets +128


Tampa Bay at Los Angeles – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Lightning are 4-0 in their last 4 overall.
Hot: Kings are 8-1 in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Hot: Lightning are 6-1 in their last 7 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation.
Cold: Lightning are 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.
Kings are 2-7 in their last 9 overall.
Kings are 5-13 in their last 18 home games.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 8-0 in Kings last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
Hot: Under is 6-0-1 in Lightning last 7 vs. a team with a losing record.
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Kings last 5 vs. Atlantic.
Hot: Under is 3-0-1 in Lightning last 4 vs. Western Conference.
Hot: Under is 5-1 in Kings last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Hot: Under is 14-3-1 in Lightning last 18 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

Pick: Kings -118


Dallas at Chicago – 8:37 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Stars are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. Western Conference.
Stars are 54-20 in their last 74 vs. a team with a losing record.
Stars are 8-3 in their last 11 vs. Central.
Cold: Blackhawks are 0-4 in their last 4 home games.
Cold: Blackhawks are 14-69 in their last 83 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Cold: Blackhawks are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 5-0 in Stars last 5 road games.
Hot: Over is 5-0 in Stars last 5 vs. Central.
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Stars last 5 Thursday games.
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Stars last 5 overall.
Hot: Under is 3-0-1 in Stars last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.
Hot: Under is 5-1 in Stars last 6 games playing on 0 days rest.

Pick: Stars -1.5 +144


Nashville at Seattle – 10:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Predators are 7-1 in their last 8 vs. a team with a losing record.
Hot: Kraken are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
Hot: Predators are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Pacific.
Cold: Kraken are 0-5 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Cold: Kraken are 0-4 in their last 4 vs. Central.
Cold: Predators are 3-15 in their last 18 games playing on 0 days rest.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 4-0-1 in Kraken last 5 overall.
Hot: Under is 3-0-1 in Kraken last 4 vs. Western Conference.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Predators last 4 vs. Pacific.
Hot: Under is 6-1 in Predators last 7 Thursday games.
Hot: Under is 5-1 in Kraken last 6 home games.
Hot: Over is 9-2-1 in Kraken last 12 games playing on 2 days rest.

Pick: Kraken +100