Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (11/10)
We have a loaded 10-game slate of hockey on Thursday with some great matchups. Below, I give out my three best bets for Thursday’s NHL slate.
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Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
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Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (11/10)
Philadelphia Flyers (+115) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (-135) | O/U 6.5 (-110/-110)
We have a Metropolitan Division tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. These two clubs are trending in polar opposite directions as the Flyers have won seven of their first 12 games while the Blue Jackets have lost nine of their first 12 games.
Those trends should continue on Thursday as Philadelphia has won five of the last seven meetings between these two teams. Projected to take the crease for the Flyers is goaltender Carter Hart, who is off to a tremendous start to the campaign.
Through eight starts this season, Hart is 6-0-2 with a spectacular .946 SV% and 1.97 GAA. Among starting goaltenders, he ranks first by a relatively wide margin in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) at 5v5.
This strong play should continue against the Blue Jackets, a team he has performed well against in the past. Over his last three starts against Columbus, Hart boasts a .931 SV% and 2.05 GAA.
Across the ice, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is projected to start between the pipes for the Blue Jackets. It has been a forgettable start to the campaign for Merzlikins, who is just 2-5 with a .863 SV% and 4.81 GAA.
At 5v5, he ranks dead last among starting goaltenders in GSAx/60. With such a discrepancy between these two goaltenders, the wrong team is favored, which is only likely the case because Columbus has home-ice advantage.
Best Bet: Flyers ML (+115)
Nashville Predators (+160) @ Colorado Avalanche (-190) | O/U 6.5 (-115/-105)
We have a Central Division tilt with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Nashville Predators. The under has been a solid bet for each team recently as there have been six or fewer total goals scored in five of Colorado’s last seven games and in four of Nashville’s last seven.
These trends should continue in this matchup. Projected to take the crease for the Avs is goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who has gotten off to a great start with his new team.
Through eight starts this season, he is 6-1-1 with a .925 SV% and 2.61 GAA. Among starting goaltenders, Georgiev ranks third in GSAx/60 at 5v5.
This strong play in net should continue against Nashville, a team he has dominated throughout his career. Across three career starts against the Preds, Georgiev boasts a .937 SV% and 1.70 GAA.
However, he may not get much scoring support as the Avs are slumping offensively to start the season. At 5v5, Colorado ranks just 20th in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60).
Similarly, Nashville’s offense has struggled as they also rank in the bottom half of the league in xGF/60 at 5v5.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-105)
Ottawa Senators (+155) @ New Jersey Devils (-180) | O/U 6.5 (-110/-110)
We have an Eastern Conference tilt with the Metropolitan Division’s New Jersey Devils hosting the Atlantic Division’s Ottawa Senators. These two clubs enter this contest in polar opposite form as the Sens have lost six straight while the Devils have won seven in a row.
While those trends may or may not continue on Thursday night, New Jersey will fill the net either way as Anton Forsberg is slated to start between the pipes for Ottawa. Through nine starts this season, Forsberg is 3-6 with a .898 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
Among starting goaltenders, he ranks sixth last in GSAx/60 at 5v5. This poor play is likely to continue against the Devils, a team that ranks first in the league in xGF/60 at 5v5.
Forsberg will likely not get much help in front of him as the Sens rank just 24th in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5v5. Ottawa has now surrendered four or more goals in five their last six games while New Jersey has scored at least four in five of their last seven.
Best Bet: Devils Team Total Over 3.5 (-125)
Best of luck!
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Tony Sartori is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tony, check out his archive and follow him @tony_sartori.