NHL Best Bets, Odds, & Picks: Friday (11/21)

Tonight’s four-game NHL slate features several competitive matchups, starting with an interconference tilt between the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins. Other notable matchups on the frozen pond include the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins vs. Los Angeles Kings.

My last edition of NHL Best Bets, Odds & Picks: Friday (11/14) went 2-1, making it another profitable outing on the ice. We’re now 4-2 across the last two Friday nights in the NHL, so let’s keep stacking wins ahead of puck drop tonight.

I’ve got three more plays, each worth one unit, to tail for this four-game slate. Follow me on X @Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL analysis and free picks.

Our NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet assists bettors by comparing lines from leading sportsbooks with our daily projections >>

NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Buffalo Sabres

Chicago has won three of its previous road games outright. The Blackhawks hit the road to play the Buffalo at KeyBank Center, where the Sabres are 1-3 SU in their last four contests.

Connor Bedard headlines the core of young talent on Chicago’s roster. Other notable players include Frank Nazar, Tyler Bertuzzi, Andre Burakovsky and Teuvo Teravainen. Buffalo’s star player, Tage Thompson, doesn’t have nearly as strong of a supporting cast.

The goaltending edge goes to the Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom has a 2.52 GAA and is expected to start tonight, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s 3.02 GAA and .882 save percentage are significantly worse. Soderblom has held opponents to two or fewer goals in three of his previous four starts in net.

We’re going to back the Blackhawks on the road as an underdog to win outright on the moneyline at +155 odds. It’s too much value to pass up and Buffalo cannot be trusted on home ice, coming off a 6-2 loss to Calgary on Wednesday.

Pick: Blackhawks Moneyline (+155)

Minnesota Wild vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the red-hot Minnesota Wild at PPG Paints Arena tonight. The Penguins will look to beat the Wild for the second time this season after a 4-1 road win on October 30th.

Pittsburgh is in a lull right now. They just blanked Nashville 4-0, ending a three-game losing slump. Minnesota has rattled off three consecutive wins. This includes a 5-1 SU record, with the only loss at home in overtime against the Sharks.

Goaltenders tonight are expected to be Jesper Wallstedt and Sergei Murashov. Both netminders have stout goals against averages (GAA), with Wallstedt’s 2.20 GAA and Murashov at 1.52 GAA following a shutout win over the Predators.

Wallstedt has logged four consecutive wins as a starter for Minnesota. Pittsburgh’s offense has cooled off in November. The Penguins have been held to two or fewer goals in four of seven games this month.

Odds continue to move in Minnesota’s favor but they remain a slight underdog. Let’s bet on the Wild moneyline at -104 odds before it gets any shorter ahead of tonight’s puck drop.

Pick: Minnesota Wild Moneyline (-104)

Boston Bruins vs. Los Angeles Kings

Boston continues its West Coast road swing with a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings at 10 p.m. ET tonight. Los Angeles is playing the second half of a back-to-back following a shootout loss on the road to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

The Kings will deploy their top goaltender, Darcy Kuemper. He’s got a 2.42 GAA, while Jeremy Swayman is probable for the Bruins. Swayman’s 2.99 GAA has led to an 8-5 record as a starter, while Kuemper is 7-4-3 in the net for Los Angeles.

We’re going to target the goal total in this matchup and bet over 5.5. Swayman has surrendered three or more goals in four of his past five starts. Kuemper is better, but he’s facing a Bruins offense ranked fifth in total goals and 13th in goals per game (3.23) this season.

Boston has scored three or more goals in seven of their last eight games. Their goaltending isn’t high-quality either, which means we should see six or more goals scored in tonight’s interconference matchup. Let’s take advantage of this reduced goal total.

Pick: Over 5.5 Total Goals (-115)

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.