NHL Picks

The Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Florida Panthers today. The Hurricanes are currently 1^st in the Eastern Conference while the Panthers are 10^th. The Hurricanes are on a 5-game win streak coming into today. The Hurricanes have also won 7 of their last 9 games away from Carolina. On the other side, the Panthers have won 6 of their last 7 games. The Panthers are also rocking a 3-game win streak at home. Basically, both teams are playing some incredible hockey right now.

The biggest difference between these teams has been the Hurricanes defense. Over the past 5 games they have only given up a total of 9 goals. This is partly due to the lack of opportunities they allow other teams. The Hurricanes currently lead the NHL with only allowing 24.2 shots against them per game. Along with a lack of shots, the Hurricanes rank 25^th in opponent power play opportunities. This is a huge difference when you consider that the Panthers rank 5^th in the NHL with 110 opponent power play opportunities through 33 games. Overall, the biggest edge comes in the defense and clean play of the Hurricanes, which I believe will decide this game. I am taking the Hurricanes on the money line.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes ML (-120) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Vancouver Canucks are traveling to New York to play against the Islanders for the first time this season on Friday. Unfortunately, they will be without Elias Pettersson again, which makes an already low-scoring team even weaker. Currently, they average just 2.73 goals per game and take fewer than 27 shots on goal. On the positive side, they receive solid goaltending from Thatcher Demko, who is confirmed to start this game. When he is healthy, he gives his team a strong chance to win every time he is in net.

The Islanders have shown significant improvement this season, largely thanks to Ilya Sorokin’s performance. The Russian goaltender has a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%). While the Islanders’ offense is decent, they average fewer than 3 goals per game, which is a concern given that Bo Horvat — who has scored 19 goals this season — is currently out. With key injuries affecting both teams and solid goaltending on display, scoring opportunities will likely be limited. Therefore, we will bet on the under here, anticipating a tightly contested game.

Canucks vs Islanders: Under 5.5 (-120) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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The Utah Mammoth are coming off a successful 3-game road trip in which they picked up 2 wins over the Penguins and Red Wings. The Mammoth have enjoyed playing on home ice this season, going 8-5-1 and ranking 7th in the NHL averaging 3.36 goals per game. Clayton Keller and company should be able to find success against New Jersey netminder Jacob Markstrom, as he has struggled all season long. Markstrom has picked up 8 wins in 16 starts, but he owns a less-than-ideal .874 save percentage to go along with a 3.56 goals-against average. He’s relied on solid offensive support, but that could be hard to come by in this one.

The Mammoth posses a strong defensive structure that makes life difficult on their opponents. Utah ranks 2nd in the NHL allowing just 25.1 shots on goal per game, and ranks 6th with a penalty kill operating at a 83.2% clip. New Jersey’s offensive ceiling is severely hindered by the absence of Jack Hughes. The Devils scored 2 goals or fewer in 5 of their last 8 games and could have a tough time getting anything going in this road matchup. Back the Mammoth on home ice.

Devils vs Mammoth prediction: Utah Mammoth ML (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche will meet for the first time this season on Friday night. At the beginning of the season, many expected these teams to compete for a top spot in their division, but that hasn’t been the case. The Jets recently suffered a 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues and currently have a 7-9-1 road record. While their defense and goaltending have been adequate, the offense has struggled to produce. Winnipeg’s five-on-five play has been below average, and there is a noticeable lack of secondary scoring. This offensive struggle is a major factor in their having lost 4 of its last 5 games.

The Avalanche have an impressive record of 13-0-2 at home and show no signs of slowing down. They are clearly the best team in the NHL. The teams are separated by a massive 23-point lead, which is significant given that December isn’t over yet. The Avalanche average just under 35 shots per game while scoring over 4 goals per contest. Their defensive play is also outstanding, allowing only 2.21 goals against per game. While their legendary winning streak will eventually come to an end, it won’t be tonight. The team is incredibly talented and receives contributions from everyone in the lineup. We might not witness a blowout, but the Avalanche should still cover the puck line.

Jets vs Avalanche Prediction: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+105) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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