NHL betting schedule breakdown & rest edges: Jan. 6-12

With the NHL schedule nearing the halfway mark this week, rest and fatigue remain key factors for bettors to consider when handicapping hockey games. This article highlights the biggest rest mismatches from Jan. 6–12.

Why does this matter? As shown in the tables below, the betting market consistently underestimates the impact of rest on home-ice advantage. Whether for rested or tired home teams, there’s a significant gap between win percentages and implied moneyline odds.

The table below shows how home-ice advantage was influenced by rest last season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	373	59.0%	55.9%
Home =	690	53.8%	55.4%
Home <	249	47.8%	50.8%

Here’s how rest has impacted home-ice advantage this season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	186	61.3%	56.2%
Home =	332	53.9%	54.5%
Home <	117	45.3%	52.8%

Monday, January 6th

Vancouver’s two-day break may not help much against a red-hot Montreal team that’s won seven of its last nine. Meanwhile, the Canucks have lost 10 of their last 15. Florida also has a rest edge in Colorado, facing an Avalanche squad coming off a tough shootout loss.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	WSH	BUF	1
	2	VAN	MTL	1	3/4
	2	FLA	COL	1
	1	NJD	SEA	1

Tuesday, January 7th

Tuesday features a mix of rested matchups and clear mismatches. Edmonton takes on a tired Bruins team playing its third game in four days, and Dallas faces a similar situation against the Rangers. Toronto will also play its third in four days but matches up against a well-rested Flyers squad. Elsewhere, Ottawa has a slight rest edge over Detroit, while Calgary faces an exhausted Ducks team playing its seventh game in 11 days.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	EDM	BOS	1	3/4
	3	OTT	DET	2
	2	DAL	NYR	1	3/4
3/4	1	TOR	PHI	1
	2	CBJ	PIT	1
	2	STL	MIN	2
	2	NSH	WPG	2
	2	CGY	ANA	1	4/6
	2	VGK	SJS	2

Wednesday, January 8th

The Flames’ back-to-back grind continues as they meet the Kings, who are coming off three days of rest. Florida faces a well-rested Utah squad, and Chicago gets a one-day rest advantage against Colorado.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	VAN	WSH	1
	1	COL	CHI	2
	1	FLA	UTA	3
2/2	0	CGY	LAK	3

Thursday, January 9th

Thursday’s slate features rest mismatches across 10 games. Teams like Buffalo, New Jersey, and Seattle hold one-day rest advantages, while Tampa Bay, Carolina, and the Islanders have two-day edges over their opponents. Colorado is the only team playing in the second half of back-to-back games.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	BUF	OTT	1
4/6	1	BOS	TBL	3
	2	NJD	NYR	1	4/6
	1	DAL	PHI	1
	1	EDM	PIT	1
4/6	1	TOR	CAR	3
	2	SEA	CBJ	1
	1	ANA	STL	1
2/2	0	COL	MIN	1
	3	NYI	VGK	1

Friday, January 10th

Friday is all about rest mismatches. Carolina plays its second game in two days, while Vancouver faces a similar uphill battle. Meanwhile, Detroit, Montreal, Winnipeg, and San Jose enjoy two-day rest advantages over their opponents.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	CHI	DET	2
	3	MTL	WSH	1
	1	VAN	CAR	0	2/2
	1	LAK	WPG	2
	2	SJS	UTA	1

Saturday, January 11th

Saturday’s jam-packed schedule sees more than half the games featuring rested teams against fatigued ones. Additionally, Boston faces Florida, a team they’ve already lost to twice already this season, with the Panthers enjoying a one-day rest advantage. Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago, Winnipeg, Washington, Utah, Los Angeles, and San Jose will be playing their second game in as many days.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	BOS	FLA	2
	1	SEA	BUF	1
	1	OTT	PIT	1
2/2	0	VAN	TOR	1
	1	DAL	MTL	0	2/2
	1	TBL	NJD	1
	1	ANA	PHI	1
	1	EDM	CHI	0	2/2
	1	CBJ	STL	1
3/4	1	COL	WPG	0	2/2
2/2	0	WSH	NSH	3
	1	NYI	UTA	0	2/2
2/2	0	LAK	CGY	2
	1	NYR	VGK	1
	1	MIN	SJS	0	2/2

Sunday, January 12th

Sunday wraps up the week with most teams playing on back-to-back nights, except for Detroit and Carolina, who will have rest advantages in their matchups against Seattle and Anaheim, respectively.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
2/2	0	SEA	DET	1
2/2	0	DAL	OTT	0	2/2
2/2	0	TBL	PIT	0	2/2
2/2	0	ANA	CAR	1	3/4
2/2	0	MIN	VGK	0	2/2

Tracking rest and fatigue remains essential for spotting betting value, especially in packed weeks like this one.