Winnipeg Jets vs Vegas Golden Knights Picks and Predictions January 6th 2026

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Vegas and Winnipeg meet Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, with puck drop set for 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. It’s a weird game to handicap because both teams are sitting in extended funks, just at different “levels” of pain. The Golden Knights are still first in the Pacific at 17-11-12, but they’ve dropped five straight and the underlying urgency is starting to show in their quotes and shot totals.

The Jets are in a much darker spot at 15-21-4 and basically trying to stop the bleeding. They’ve lost nine in a row and the offense has gone quiet for long stretches, which makes it tough to bet them as anything other than a “buy-low” stab. The market is treating this like a near pick’em, with the total sitting around 6, which is important because the way these teams are playing lately doesn’t exactly scream track meet.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Winnipeg Jets Odds

These are the current betting lines, but bettors should always monitor updated NHL odds leading up to puck drop, especially with goalie confirmations and late lineup news. You can track the latest NHL odds to make sure you’re getting the best number.

TeamMoneylinePuck LineTotal
Vegas Golden Knights-115-1.5 (+225)O 6.0 (-105)
Winnipeg Jets-105+1.5 (-285)U 6.0 (-115)

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Vegas Golden Knights Betting Form

Vegas is in that frustrating phase where the record still looks fine, but the games don’t. The Golden Knights have been letting points slip and the attack has looked choppy, especially at five-on-five when they’re not getting clean entries or sustained zone time. When a team starts finishing games with 15-ish shots, it’s not just “bad luck.” It usually means they’re not creating enough second chances, and the puck is dying on the walls.

Special teams still give them a baseline edge most nights. Vegas has been the sharper power-play team on the season, and their penalty kill is also in the “trust it” range. That matters here because Winnipeg tends to make life harder on itself when it’s chasing games. The betting angle is pretty simple: if Vegas can get an early lead, they can play their heavier, more structured game and force Winnipeg into low-percentage offense. For a deeper snapshot, Golden Knights stats and results are worth a quick scan before you lock anything in.

Availability is the swing factor. Monitor the Vegas Golden Knights injury report closely, because this roster looks very different depending on who’s actually dressing.

PlayerStatusInjury
Shea TheodoreOutUpper body
Brayden McNabbOutUpper body
Adin HillOutLower body
William KarlssonOutLower body
Jack EichelDay-to-dayIllness

Winnipeg Jets Betting Form

Winnipeg is stuck in a cycle that bettors know too well: fall behind, press for offense, give up one more, game over. The nine-game skid is ugly, but what’s worse is how thin the margin feels. When the Jets aren’t generating off the rush, the five-on- five offense can turn into a lot of point shots and not much chaos at the net front. That’s how you end up with low shot totals and long stretches where you don’t really threaten.

The Jets’ special teams are a problem in this matchup. Their power play hasn’t been efficient enough to punish teams, and the penalty kill has been leaky. If you’re looking for a case to back Winnipeg, it’s mostly a situational one: they’re back home, desperate, and Vegas comes in on a road trip with injuries that could soften their blue line. But Winnipeg still has to score first, or at least not trail early, because chasing games hasn’t worked for weeks. If you want the broader profile, Jets schedule and stats lays out the recent results clearly.

You also have to track who’s actually available, especially on the back end. Keep an eye on the Winnipeg Jets injury report before puck drop.

PlayerStatusInjury
Logan StanleySuspendedSuspension
Josh MorrisseyDay-to-dayUndisclosed

Vegas Golden Knights vs Winnipeg Jets Matchup Breakdown

The goalie news matters, and it’s not fully clean yet. As of the latest projections, Winnipeg is expected to have Connor Hellebuyck, while Vegas is tracking toward Carter Hart, both currently unconfirmed. That pushes me toward a more conservative betting approach because a late goalie flip can move both the side and total quickly.

At five-on-five, this sets up as a “who breaks first” game. Vegas is the better team when they’re playing their normal structure, but the injuries on the Vegas blue line can show up in their breakouts and defensive zone exits. Winnipeg’s path is to turn this into a grind, get pucks deep, and create ugly rebounds rather than trying to dance through a set defense. The problem is, Winnipeg hasn’t been finishing those chances.

Special teams lean Vegas, and that’s a big deal in a game priced like a coin flip. If you want a sharper framework for weighing puck line vs moneyline vs totals in this type of matchup, the NHL betting guide is a useful reference. And if you’re thinking beyond this single game and how these teams’ paths are trending, the Stanley Cup betting guide helps contextualize how injuries and underlying form can matter more than “points in the bank.”

Vegas Golden Knights vs Winnipeg Jets Predictions and Best Bets

My first lean is Vegas on the moneyline, mostly because the special teams edge and overall roster quality still matter even when the form is bad. Winnipeg has been stuck in too many games where one mistake turns into two goals against, and that’s a tough way to live when you’re trying to snap a streak.

That said, I’m hesitant to get cute with a puck line in a game like this. Vegas hasn’t been playing like a team you want to lay goals with, and Winnipeg’s best chance is to keep it close and ugly. If you like Vegas, I think the moneyline is the cleaner path, even if it feels a little “hold your nose.”

On the total, I lean Under 6. The Jets aren’t playing fast, and their finishing hasn’t been there. Vegas has also shown stretches where the offense is more perimeter than danger. If Hellebuyck is confirmed, I like that Under even more. If Winnipeg goes to a backup, I’d probably pass rather than force it.

Best Bet: Under 6.0 (-115).

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