Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Can Pittsburgh Upset Carolina?)

Iain MacMillan | Nov 7, 2024

Mar 26, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) reacts as he looks on as his shot goes into an empty Carolina Hurricanes net for a gaol during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NHL hot streak continues! After a small losing night on Tuesday, the first of its kind in a while, we bounced back with a clean 3-0 sweep on Wednesday's picks. As I keep saying, the hot streak won't last forever, but let's ride it out while we can and see how long it will last.

We have a loaded NHL slate on Thursday night which means plenty of options to choose from. With that being said, I'm sticking my just three bets a night so I've found the three I like the most. Let's dive into them.

• Season-to-date record: 31-15-3 (+13.76 units)

Best NHL Bets Today

• Penguins +220 vs. Hurricanes via BetMGM
• Avalanche +120 vs. Jets via BetMGM
• Kings -102 vs. Canucks via DraftKings

Penguins vs. Hurricanes Prediction

There's a strong argument to be made the Carolina Hurricanes are the best team in the NHL, but even if that's the case they don't deserve to be this big of favorites against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is a real heat check for me, taking a shot on an underdog at north of 2-1 odds.

The Penguins are one of the few teams that can match the Hurricanes offensively. The Hurricanes lead the league in 5-on-5 expected goals at 3.74 per 60 minutes, but the Penguins come in third in that stat at 3.2. The Penguins' issues have come on defense, but this is still a team that statistically ranks inside the top half of the NHL in most metrics. For example, they come in at 11th in CORSI%.

They're worth a shot as a big underdog to upset the Hurricanes in Carolina.

Pick: Penguins +220

Avalanche vs. Jets Prediction

What do the Kansas City Chiefs and Winnipeg Jets have in common? Neither team deserves to have the record they do. The Jets come into tonight with a 12-1 record, despite being completely average in most metrics this season, ranking 17th in CORSI% and 16th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage.

Let's not forget how much the Avalanche dominated this Jets team in the first round of the playoffs last season. Artturi Lehkonen seems to be providing the Avalanche a huge boost with his return, recording a goal and an assist in his first game back in the lineup on Tuesday.

I love their price at +120 tonight.

Pick: Avalanche +120

Canucks vs. Kings Prediction

The Los Angeles Kings have looked like one of the best teams in the NHL in the first month of the season. They rank third in the league in CORSI% and second in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage. Their shooting, goaltending, and special teams have been average, but with the Canucks not having a significant advantage in any of those categories, I'm going to back the Kings as slight underdogs on their home ice in this West Coast showdown.

Pick: Kings -102

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!