The National Hockey League (NHL) has four games on the slate for Friday night. The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings drop the puck for an Original Six battle on NHL Network at 7:00 p.m. ET, while all of the other games are available on ESPN+.
We'll provide single plays and parlay opportunities you could potentially pair with NBA action, as well as NCAA basketball and football games. Good luck with all of your plays! Let's get started.
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NHL Friday Picks & Parlay Tips: Expert Odds, Predictions & Best Bets Tonight
For the latest NHL Odds, including NHL Futures and NHL player props, visit RotoWire's NHL Betting page. For up-to-date NHL player news and NHL Injury Report info, head to RotoWire's NHL Lineups page. You can find more picks at Bookies.com/picks. Here are our NHL Best Bets today, featuring expert NHL picks for an action-packed slate of games.
NHL Friday Night: Top Betting Picks and Parlay Insights
New York Rangers 
at Detroit Red Wings 
The Rangers (6-6-2) and the Red Wings (9-5-0) meet at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit at 7:00 p.m. ET on NHL Network.
New York has been atrocious at home, but surprisingly, it is one of the better teams on the road during the early portion of the season. The Rangers are 6-1-1 on the road and 0-5-1 at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers have also won six straight matchups in this series dating back to Nov. 7, 2023, sweeping last season's three-game series by a combined 13-3 score. The Rangers are 4-1 in their past five trips to the Motor City, too, outscoring the Red Wings 22-11.
Detroit is back from a Western Conference road trip where it took six out of a possible 10 points. It lost 1-0 at Vegas on Tuesday night in the most recent game, as John Gibson deserved a better fate. Gibson and Cam Talbot have been rotating, giving the Red Wings a solid, dependable veteran presence in between the pipes.
Based on New York's dominance in the series and solid work on the road, it is worth playing, and we'll pass on the total.
- Rangers ML (+100 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
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Chicago Blackhawks 
at Calgary Flames 
The Blackhawks (6-5-3) and the Flames (4-9-2) meet at Scotiabank Saddledome at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Calgary swept the regular-season series in 2024-25, winning all three meetings by a combined 14-7 score, with a margin of defeat of 2.33 goals per game (GPG). All of the wins -- each as a favorite -- were by two or more goals, too, covering the puck line at a 3-0 clip.
Chicago is playing much better this season, though, signs that there might be light at the end of the tunnel after a long, painful rebuild. It won 5-2 in Vancouver, snapping an 11-game losing streak in the series against the Canucks, so past trends are not necessarily indicative of what will happen in Friday's matchup.
Spencer Knight (5-3-2, 2.56 GAA, .919 SV%) has been a steadying presence in between the pipes for the Blackhawks, and he is expected to be opposed by Dustin Wolf (4-8-1, 3.19 GAA, .896 SV%), who hasn't been nearly as dependable.
Calgary has won the past two games, though, outscoring Philadelphia and Columbus 7-2 behind two solid efforts by Wolf.
Still, based on overall body of work, we'll lean Blackhawks, especially at plus-money, and go Over on the total.
- Blackhawks ML (+132 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Over 6 Goals (-110 at Bet365, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks)
Winnipeg Jets 
at San Jose Sharks 
The Jets (9-4-0) head into the Bay Area to tangle with the Sharks (5-6-3), and San Jose is looking for its first win in the series since Dec. 12, 2023.
Winnipeg has won each of the past five meetings by a combined 17-8 margin. The numbers are skewed a bit by an 8-3 win in Winnipeg on Oct. 18, 2024, and five of the past six meetings have been decided by a single goal, so proceed with caution.
Winnipeg was blanked 3-0 in Los Angeles on Tuesday, so the Jets will likely be playing with a chip on their shoulder. They had averaged 5.0 GPG in the previous three games. The Jets have not been nearly as tight defensively and in net as they were last season during a run to the Presidents' Trophy, as Winnipeg has allowed three or more goals in six of the past seven matchups.
While San Jose has a losing record, it hasn't been a pushover. It pounded Seattle 6-1 at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday, but that's the rub. It is playing in a back-to-back situation. That's a tough spot against the Jets.
Let's back the Sharks on the puck line catching a goal and a half, and we'll lean high on the total.
- Sharks +1.5 Goals (-145 at BetMGM)
- Over 6 Goals (-122 at BetRivers Sportsbook)
Value NHL Parlays for Friday Night Games
5-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+2812 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Rangers ML (-102) at Red Wings
- Blackhawks ML (+132) at Flames
- Over 6.5 (+114) - Blackhawks at Flames
- Over 6.5 (+108) - Sharks vs. Jets
- Sharks +1.5 (-164) vs. Jets
3-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+639 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Rangers ML (-102) at Red Wings
- Blackhawks ML (+132) at Flames
- Sharks +1.5 (-164) vs. Jets
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+345 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Over 6.5 (+114) - Blackhawks at Flames
- Over 6.5 (+108) - Sharks vs. Jets
