NHL Best Bets, Odds, & Picks: Friday (11/7)

We’re heading back to the frozen pond for Friday’s four-game NHL slate. In this betting preview, we’ll target totals and sides.

The Rangers and Red Wings is the most even game according to oddsmakers, with Detroit a small home favorite at -113 odds on the moneyline. The New York Islanders and Calgary Flames are bigger home favorites at -152 odds and -154 odds, while the San Jose Sharks are the only home underdog at +164 odds, hosting the Winnipeg Jets.

Last week, my NHL Best Bets, Odds, & Picks: Friday (10/31) settled 2-1 for a winning night. Here are three more NHL best bets to tail ahead of tonight’s condensed schedule.

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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)

New York Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wings

Detroit returns home after a five-game road trip. The Red Wings went 3-2 SU away from Little Caesars Arena, suffering a 1-0 shutout loss to Vegas on Tuesday.

New York is also coming off a shutout loss on Tuesday, getting blanked 3-0 at home by Carolina. That snapped a three-game winning streak for the Rangers, who will look to bounce back tonight against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Igor Shesterkin has been a stout goaltender for New York through the early portion of this season. He’s got a 2.26 GAA, allowing two goals in each of his back-to-back starts against Seattle and Carolina.

Cam Talbot has been a bit more volatile for Detroit in the net. The Red Wings’ netminder logged a win during his last start, giving up two goals to San Jose during a 3-2 shootout win.

New York ranks first in goals allowed per game (2.43) and 32nd in goals scored per game (2.21). Detroit hasn’t scored more than three goals in three straight games, while the Rangers have logged two or fewer goals in three of their last five outings.

There’s a reason this is the only game with a 5.5 goal total. Let’s take the value at plus odds and bet under 5.5 goals at +104 odds.

Pick: Under 5.5 (+104)

Minnesota Wild vs. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are trending up, going 6-4 in their last 10 games played ahead of tonight’s home tilt against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are playing the second half of a back-to-back, losing 4-3 on the road to Carolina on Thursday.

Oddsmakers are bullish on the Islanders to defend home ice. New York is a -152 betting favorite on the moneyline, with a 6.5 goal total.

The Islanders rank 13th in goals scored per game (3.31) and sixth in most goals allowed per game (3.38). Conversely, the Wild are averaging 2.8 goals per game (21st) while giving up 3.67 goals per game, which ranks fourth-most in the league.

Jesper Wallstedt is expected in the crease for Minnesota tonight. He’s 1-0-2 as a starter with a 3.45 GAA. David Rittich gets the nod for New York, logging a 3-1 record and a 3.01 GAA.

Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov is the best player on the ice tonight. However, it’s worth laying the juice with the Islanders’ moneyline at -152 odds. New York has won four of its previous five home games at UBS Arena, while the Wild are 2-5 SU on the road this season.

Pick: New York Islanders Moneyline (-152)

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames

The Chicago Blackhawks will stay on the road tonight to play their fifth consecutive game of this West Coast road trip against the Calgary Flames. Calgary has won back-to-back games for the first time this season, returning home on Wednesday to beat Columbus 5-1.

The Blackhawks just scored five goals during a convincing 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. Now, Connor Bedard and the rest of Chicago’s lineup prepare to face Flames goaltender Devin Cooley, who has a 1.98 GAA in two starts.

Cooley has allowed between two to three goals during his two starts against Utah and Ottawa. Those are both teams with plenty of offensive firepower.

At the other end of the rink, Spencer Knight makes a start for Chicago in goal. He’s 5-3-2 as a starter with a solid 2.56 GAA. Knight has only allowed more than three goals once this season, which came against Winnipeg. Otherwise, he’s been sharp, holding the Oilers and Canucks to five combined goals in his previous two starts.

Calgary ranks 31st in goals scored per game (2.33), while Chicago is averaging 3.14 goals per game (15th). The Blackhawks have a reliable goaltender, while Cooley has managed to limit quality opponents, logging at least 28 saves in both of his starts for the Flames.

We’re going to lay more juice and bet under 6.5 total goals between Chicago and Calgary at the Saddledome tonight.

Pick: Under 6.5 (-140)

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