Hockey season is in full swing. There are a few intriguing matchups today, so let’s look at the best games to target.
Sunday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Anaheim Ducks (+370) at Carolina Hurricanes (-485) | O/U 6.5 (+110/-130)
When you look at Carolina's roster, you see how tough they are, thanks to their vast option of line combinations. Their top line of Jack Roslovic, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis is tough to stop, especially with Aho and Jarvis having over 30 points and Roslovic with 17 goals. However, it’s the following line with Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, and Martin Necas is one of the best in the league as they lead all other line combinations with 5.86 expected goals per 60, even the Jordan Martinook, Staal, and Jarvis line has been great with a 70.6% expected goal percentage, which is sixth.
It looked like the Ducks might have figured something out when they had three straight wins against Edmonton, New Jersey, and Winnipeg. They immediately fell back with losses to Calgary, St. Louis, and Philadelphia. They are one of the worst offenses in the league already, with 2.45 being the second-worse, and were just shut out by the Flyers.
There is no value in taking Carolina with the moneyline or spread because although they were shut out on Saturday, Anaheim should score a couple of goals. With Carolina’s offensive support, we’re taking the over with a plus-moneyline.
Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+110)
Tampa Bay Lightning (-155) at Pittsburgh Penguins (+130) | O/U 6.5 (-125/+105)
The Penguins cannot get any momentum going this season. A few weeks ago, things started to look better with Tristan Jarry’s return, but they’re still struggling, going 1-1-3 in their last five. It now looks like Jarry might have lost his job as the primary goalkeeper to Alex Nedeljkovic. Still, yesterday against Ottawa, Jarry did have to come in relief in the second period after Nedeljkovic allowed five goals.
The Lightning’s offense is the best in the league. They score 3.65 goals per game and rank eighth with an expected goal percentage of 52.6%.
It has been tough to imagine you can contain this offense with six players with 30+ points. That includes Nikita Kucherov, who led the league in points last year but didn't win the Hart Trophy. His 59 points are fourth in the league, so this is an extra incentive to be even better.
With their defense struggling, the Penguins have to continually compensate with scoring. They have the offensive talent, and they should be able to get quality shots against a below-average blue line. Additionally, Andrei Vasilevskiy is out because of playing the night before. This would be a good spot to take them if the defense wasn’t so untrustworthy against the best offense in the league.
Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (-125)
