NHL Betting Picks for Tuesday 11/7/23: Can the Ducks Stay Hot?

With a huge 12-game slate set for tonight, there are some enticing matchups to consider in the betting market.

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.

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.

NHL Best Bets

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes

Under 6.5 Goals (+104)

The Buffalo Sabres have begun to find their way while the Carolina Hurricanes look for consistency.

Buffalo is somehow making things happen offensively -- even if they're not earning the opportunities that they were putting together in 2022-23. The Sabres are averaging the sixth-most goals per 60 minutes with a 3.09 total, but they have had struggles outside of their goal luck, putting forth the 27th-ranked Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes (54.09). On the other hand, the Hurricanes have put together 2.49 goals per 60 -- the 15th-best in the league -- despite a league-leading 75.66 Corsi For.

Both the Sabres and Hurricanes do well in stopping offenses, ranking top 12 in Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes. Carolina leads the NHL at a 47.26 clip, and Buffalo has a strong 57.39 Corsi Against per 60. This leads us to siding with the under tonight.

The goaltending will be the main question of the night. Devon Levi is expected to get the start for the Sabres and he's struggled a bit. Levi has posted -1.02 goals saved above expectation (GSAx). The good news is that the Hurricanes have the same struggles; starter Antti Raanta has a -1.55 GSAx. These aren't horrid marks behind solid defenses, though.

numberFire's model gives this game a 51.42% likelihood of hitting the under tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Anaheim Ducks

Ducks +1.5 (-170)

The Anaheim Ducks are one of the hottest teams in hockey; let's ride with them.

Anaheim will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Honda Center tonight riding a six-game winning streak. Even with their success, the Penguins are still favorites, making us side with the Ducks at +1.5.

Where the Ducks have a big advantage is 23-year-old goalie Lukas Dostal, who is expected to be in net tonight. Dostal has been excellent, posting a 5.98 GSAx (10th in the NHL) along with a 2.80 goals against average (GAA) and .920 save percentage. He should be able to keep the Penguins at bay.

Pittsburgh will be rolling out top starter Tristan Jarry tonight. Overall, he's been fine, posting 1.53 GSAx and a .897 save percentage. The Penguins would certainly like a bit more out of him.

Offense has been where the Penguins thrive this season. They ranked top three in both Corsi For (70.32) and Goals For per 60 minutes (3.62), creating an obstacle that the Ducks will have to either match or stop. The good news for Anaheim is that is exactly what they've been able to do so far this season.

The Ducks are averaging just 1.89 Goals Against per 60 minutes, tied for the 6th-best mark in the NHL. For a team so hot right now, they do struggle in terms of Corsi on both ends, but with the way they're playing, it's hard to bet against a team this hot -- especially when they're still seen as the underdogs.

There's a 66.17% likelihood that the Ducks cover tonight, per numberFire's model.

New Jersey Devils at Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche -1.5 (+130)

In the premium tilt of the night, the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche will face off.

The Avs will have the home-ice advantage tonight. and they'll need it after having some rough luck over their past few games.

Colorado has been shutout three times in four games, but we're not fearful of that now. The Avalanche are sporting the second-best Corsi For per 60 in hockey (70.41) while doing a great job at limiting opportunities on the defensive end, putting together a 52.71 Corsi Against per 60 minutes.

Where the Avs are shockingly struggling is with Goals For and Goals Against, averaging just 2.11 goals on offense and allowing 2.91 on defense. They're due for significant regression here; the Avalanche rank sixth with 2.91 expected goals per 60 minutes and first in expected goals against per 60 (2.14). Things are going to turn around for Colorado, and we're rolling with that being tonight.

If the Devils were at full strength, we'd be siding with them right now, but they're not, and that will matter against a top-tier unit like Colorado's. Jack Hughes is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, leading to a shift in the Devils' overall flow that has had them start the season so strong.

They, like Colorado, ranked top 10 in the NHL in Corsi For and Corsi Against. When going at 100%, we'd lean likely turn to Avalanche ML (-182), but seeing the Devils had to go out west for this game while missing their best player, it's easy to side with the Avs comfortably. They should be able to cover tonight.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.