3 NHL Best Bets for Monday 11/4/24

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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New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers

Devils Moneyline (-111) Under 6.5 (-115)

Life without Connor McDavid hasn’t been as bad for the Edmonton Oilers as many people thought it would. The reigning Western Conference Champions have rattled off wins in two straight games without their captain, but we expect that run to come to an end against the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.

While the results have gone their way, the Oilers aren’t producing a quality on-ice product lately. Edmonton has been outplayed in three of its past four games, resulting in a 47.3% expected goals-for rating. Not surprisingly, offensive chances are on the decline without McDavid in the lineup. The Oilers have fallen below 9 high-danger chances in four straight games, mustering just 14 across their past two outings.

Conversely, New Jersey is trending more positively with its most recent outings. The Devils have been outplayed once over their past five games, dominating play at both ends of the ice. Across the five-game sample, the Devils have out-chanced their opponents in every game, averaging 10.0 high-danger chances for and 5.6 against.

Edmonton’s analytics issues will be compounded by skating on back-to-back nights. Moreover, they started Stuart Skinner on Sunday, meaning backup Calvin Pickard is projected to start against the Devils. That’s an advantage New Jersey doesn’t need, creating a more pronounced edge in backing the visitors.

Considering the Devils’ defensive prowess and the Oilers’ limited production, this one could also stay below the total.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Nashville Predators

Predators Moneyline (-138)

The Los Angeles Kings are putting some miles on the company jet early in 2024-25. LA opened the season on a seven-game road trip, returning home intermittently but never for more than two games. They are back on the road on Monday, traveling to the Volunteer State for a Western Conference tilt versus the Nashville Predators.

Scheduling notwithstanding, the Kings have put forth some inconsistent efforts to start the season. Over their past five games, Los Angeles has alternated between above-average and below-average performances, failing to play a full 60 minutes at both ends of the ice. While their defensive metrics have been their saving grace, the Kings consistently fail to generate optimal offensive production. Los Angeles has fallen below eight high-danger chances in three of four, averaging 8.0 high-danger chances allowed across that stretch.

That will make it hard for LA to get anything going against the typically stout Nashville Predators. Nashville has held all but one of its previous six opponents to nine or fewer high-danger chances. Moreover, they’ve been out-chanced just once across the six-game sample. That has resulted in a seismic shift in their expected goals-for rating with the Preds putting together a 56.2% benchmark. Still, the actual on-ice results don’t reflect Nashville’s dominance.

The Kings are at a disadvantage on the road, and the constant travel will start to weigh down LA. Nashville has tidied up its analytics recently, which should translate into more favorable results. Consequently, we see an implied advantage in backing the short home favorites at Bridgestone Arena.

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