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Top NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (11/16)

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Nine games are on tap for Thursday’s NHL slate, giving us plenty of betting options to pursue on the ice. In this NHL best bets article, we’ll analyze our favorite betting lines in an effort to uncover the best value available in order to extend our profitable outing after going 2-1 last week.

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Thursday's NHL Best Bets

Detroit Red Wings (+100) vs. Ottawa Senators (-120) | O/U 6.5 (-138/+112)

Detroit and Ottawa will compete for the second head-to-head matchup this season, with the Red Wings coming out on top with a 5-2 win during their initial meeting back in October. The Senators and Red Wings are both averaging over 3.67 goals per game, ranking inside the top-five for most goals scored per game across the league. In terms of goals allowed, these teams are marginally better, but Ottawa is still surrendering 3.38 goals per game (12th-most), while Detroit isn’t far behind at 3.27 goals allowed per game.

James Reimer is already confirmed as Detroit’s starting netminder on Thursday night, as Ville Husso remains out on personal matters for this game. Reimer has played well when given the opportunity, although his last four starts in the crease have resulted in a 1-2-1 record. During their initial meeting, Ottawa’s offense sputtered, while the Red Wings saw four different players score, spreading the puck around the offensive zone and outshooting the Senators. Even crazier, the Senators outshot the Red Wings 37-23 in that game, as Husso was stonewalling most shots on goal from Ottawa, while Joonas Korpisalo finished the game with a .783 save percentage. He hasn’t played that poorly since, so it’ll be interesting to watch what happens if he winds up in the crease again on Thursday night.

This is a European game at Aviici Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, so home ice is neutralized. Expect Ottawa to come out with revenge on its mind, especially since the Red Wings have lost six consecutive Thursday games, failed to cover the puck line in four of its past five games, and now enter this game as slight underdogs at +100 moneyline odds. Tim Stützle, Claude Giroux, and Brady Tkachuk should lead Ottawa to a second consecutive outright win and its third in the past four games while playing overseas on Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.

Bet: Ottawa Moneyline (-120)

Arizona Coyotes (-118) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (-102) | O/U 6.5 (-122/+100)

Arizona heads to Nationwide Arena to face Columbus on the road during a Thursday night matchup that is close to a pick ’em. The Coyotes have plenty of offense to go around, ranking 12th in goals per game scored (3.33), while surrendering 3.07 goals per game on defense. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are bottom-eight in goals per game (2.75) while surrendering 3.56 goals per game, which is a huge reason why they are 4-8-4 entering this contest.

Elvis Merzlikins is the player we need to take advantage of when it comes to betting this game. The Blue Jackets goaltender has played poorly in the net this season, allowing 3.24 GAA and a .901 save percentage, leading to a 3-4 record as a starter. On the opposite end of the ice is Karel Vejmelka, who has even fewer wins than Merzlikins, with slightly better numbers, 3.08 GAA and .906 save percentage, despite possessing a worse win-loss record in the crease.

This game is all about Arizona’s offense. Led by Clayton Keller with 16 points, including seven goals, Keller should feast early and often against the Blue Jackets’ porous defense. Keller has scored a goal in three of his past four games, recording anywhere from one to five shots on goal, while scoring multiple points during this recent four-game stretch. Keller’s any time goal scorer odds are the shortest in this game, but we’re still landing +150 odds, which is good value. He’s going to be given numerous opportunities in the offensive zone against a struggling Merzlikins, who has allowed three to four goals in seven of his 11 starts this season.

Bet: Clayton Keller Any Time Goal Scorer (+150)

New Jersey Devils (+114) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-137) | O/U 6.5 (-138/+112)

New Jersey continues to play without Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier in its lineup, which has been an obvious downgrade during their absence. The Devils are 1-4 SU in their last five games played, and now, they’ll play their sixth road game out of their past seven matchups. The Penguins are on a completely different trajectory with a healthier lineup, winning five consecutive games, including a 5-3 road win over Columbus with Sidney Crosby scoring a hat trick.

Pittsburgh’s turning to Magnus Hellberg in the crease for his second start of the season to attempt improving to 2-0. Vitek Vanecek is the projected starter for the Devils, but his season has been underwhelming, allowing seven goals in his last 68 minutes of time on ice, getting pulled mid-way through the first period in a 4-2 loss against Washington during his last start. His presence sets up a great opportunity to continue cashing overs, as New Jersey is now 11-3 towards the over. Yes, Pittsburgh is 5-7-2 in favor of the under, but its gone over 6.5 total goals in four of its past six games played.

We’re getting a bit of juice on over 6.5 at -138 odds on FanDuel, but this is the biggest lock on Thursday’s nine-game slate. Timo Meier, Tyler Toffoli, and Dougie Hamilton will continue to pepper the goal with shots, while there is some speculation that Jack Hughes could return to the lineup for this game. Even without their star center, New Jersey has proven more than capable of scoring in bunches and cashing overs, so let’s stake two units on over 6.5 total goals to be recorded at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night in this Metropolitan Division matchup.

Bet: Over 6.5 Total Goals (-138)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:


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

 

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