2 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Tuesday 11/26/24
Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.
For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL projections, powered by numberFire.
Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.
Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.
NHL Betting Picks Today
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Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins
Bruins Moneyline (-118)
Now is the perfect time to buy low on the Boston Bruins. Losers of three of their past five, the Bruins have turned a corner with their more recent efforts. More importantly, those wins are backed up with much-improved analytics. Those advantages aren’t reflected in their betting price as they take on a beleaguered Vancouver Canucks side.
After getting outplayed in three of four, the B’s have responded with three above-average performances. Over that modest stretch, they’ve accumulated a 58.9% expected goals-for rating while tidying up their defensive zone play. All three of their opponents have been held to five or fewer high-danger chances, with Boston out-chancing its foes each time. Predictably, that correlates with fewer goals against, with Bruins’ goalies allowing just one goal over their last two games.
Vancouver doesn’t possess the offensive systems to break through the Bruins’ impenetrable defense. The Nucks have been held to nine or fewer high-danger chances in seven of their past eight, averaging 6.9 opportunities per game. Similarly, scoring chances have been hard to come by. Vancouver hasn’t attempted more than 22 in any of those eight contests, with a paltry average of 18.5 per game.
More cautious bettors might gravitate towards the under in this inter-conference affair, but the more pronounced advantage is backing the Bruins as short home favorites on Monday night.
Utah Hockey Club vs. Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens Moneyline (+112)
You wouldn’t know it from the outcome, but the Montreal Canadiens got the better of the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. That extends a recent uptick in productivity as the Habs look to wrap up a brief three-game home stand with a win. We see an edge in backing the hosts as they take on a road-weary Utah Hockey Club.
Even without elite production, the Canadiens have proven to be one of the more skilled scoring teams in the league. Montreal has the 12th-best shooting percentage at five-on-five, jumping up to eighth when we factor in their proficiency across all strengths. As such, it’s tough to reconcile their stagnant offense despite a recent uptick in production. Montreal has exceeded 12 high-danger and 23 scoring chances in each of their last two games, which has precipitated a slight decrease in their shooting percentages. The offensive floodgates should start to open, starting with Tuesday’s clash against Utah.
Utah comes into tonight’s clash on the tail-end of a four-game road trip. Compounding those issues, this will be their third game in four nights, and they’ve failed to get much traction over that stretch. The Hockey Club has been outplayed in two of three, mainly due to inferior offensive production. Since embarking on the cross-continent trek, Utah has totaled just 21 high-danger chances. That extends an underwhelming stretch in which they’ve been held to eight or fewer high-danger chances in seven of nine contests.
The NHL’s newest franchise won’t be able to keep pace with the offensively superior Montreal Canadiens. On that basis, there appears to be value in backing the Habs on the moneyline.
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