3 NHL Best Bets for Tuesday 10/15/24

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. Carolina Hurricanes

Under 6.5 (-132)

Two Metropolitan Division foes with contrasting schedules take to the ice on Tuesday night. The New Jersey Devils travel to the Tar Heel State for a date with the Carolina Hurricanes. New Jersey started its season overseas and is already into its sixth game of the year. Conversely, this will only be the second time Carolina is on the ice.

The Hurricanes will be fresh for the contest, and as usual, they should have a strong defensive presence propping up their on-ice play. Carolina finished last year with the fewest scoring and second-fewest high-danger chances allowed, just 17.8 and 7.6, respectively. They are off to a similar start this season, containing the Lightning to 15 scoring and six high-danger chances in their season opener.

That’s a brand of hockey the Devils can get behind. After giving up 12 high-danger chances in its first game of the season, New Jersey has held its past four opponents to seven high-danger chances or fewer. Similarly, scoring opportunities have been in short supply. No opponent exceeded 18 across the small four-game sample, yielding a tidy average of 14.8.

Quality scoring chances will be at a premium at Lenovo Center on Tuesday night. The Devils and Hurricanes play a defense-first style of hockey, and neither team appears on the verge of an offensive breakout. On that basis, the ideal entry point is taking under 6.5.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Canucks Moneyline (+114)

After opening the year with two losses on home ice, the Vancouver Canucks embark on a four-game East Coast road trip. Their first stop is Central Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning awaits. The Bolts started the year off with a win, but we’re expecting some erosion in their metrics, precipitating more losses for the former expansion squad.

Tampa Bay was completely out-classed in its first game of the season. The Lightning managed just 15 scoring and six high-danger, contributing to a disastrous 32.2% expected goals-for rating. Unfortunately, we’re anticipating more of the same from the Lightning this season, albeit with less fortunate outcomes. Tampa Bay finished with the 21st-ranked expected goals-for percentage last season, relying too heavily on special team scoring to achieve wins. Combined with their personnel changes, it will be hard for them to replicate last year’s unsustainable success.

Conversely, the Canucks are continuing their ascent as an NHL powerhouse. Through two games, Vancouver is out-chancing its opponents 20-8 in high-danger opportunities and 49-29 in scoring chances. As a result, the reigning Pacific Division champs have posted expected goals-for ratings above 60.0% in each of their first two games, positioning them for renewed success throughout the campaign.

Heading into tonight’s inter-conference battle, the Canucks hold a substantive analytics advantage that isn’t reflected in the betting price. On that basis, there’s an edge in backing the underdog visitors in this one.

Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues

Wild Moneyline (-110)

Two Central Division rivals renew acquaintances on Tuesday night, with the St. Louis Blues hosting the Minnesota Wild. Neither team has exceptional metrics working in their favor, but we trust the Wild’s defensive prowess over the Blues’ ineffective systems, particularly at a short betting price.

St. Louis can’t get anything right. Despite bolstering their roster with a pair of offer sheet signings this offseason, they still possess some of the worst metrics in the league. So far, they rank 20th in expected goals-for rating despite opening their season with two of three games against lesser-than-competition. All but one of their opponents have attempted at least 13 high-danger chances, resulting in an average of 14.0 per game. The Blues don’t have the offensive metrics to offset those blunders, recording six quality opportunities in two of their three outings.

That puts the hosts at a significant disadvantage against a defensively responsible Wild side. Minnesota hasn’t given up more than six high-danger chances in any game this season, also holding opponents to an average of 17.0 scoring opportunities per game. Unlike the Blues, Minnesota can drive offense, equalling or out-chancing their opponents in high-danger chances in all three outings this season.

The price is moving in favor of the Wild, and deservingly so. They’re a superior analytics team that plays with more structure than their Tuesday-night counterparts. The best of this price is in the rearview mirror, but there’s still an advantage in claiming a stake in the Wild.

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