NHL Betting Picks: Friday 10/27/23

The NHL closes out a busy week with a strong six-game slate tonight.

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, Evolving-Hockey.com, and NaturalStatTrick.com.

NHL Best Bets

Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights -1.5 (-120)

Heading into the slate tonight, running with the best teams can always be a preferred option, and that's what we're doing with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to T-Mobile Arena in a battle of the league's elite against the bottom of the NHL. The Golden Knights have stormed out to a 7-0-0 record to kick off their Stanley Cup title defense, posting fine numbers offensively with a 60.56 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes (14th) and 3.81 goals per 60 minutes. Defensively, they've only allowed 1.84 goals per 60 minutes -- which ranks second in the NHL -- as well as having an expected goals against average per 60 of 2.72 (third-best in the NHL).

Chicago is expectedly at the bottom of the league in most offensive metrics. The Blackhawks are third-to-last with both 53.29 Corsi For per 60 minutes and 2.0 goals for per 60 minutes. That doesn't match up too well with a great defensive team like the Golden Knights, giving us plenty of confidence in them tonight.

Adin Hill is expected to be in the net for the Golden Knights tonight, giving them another advantage. Hill has followed last year to perfection, putting together an impressive 4.17 goals saved above expectation (GSAx). His early season play shouldn't be altered by Chicago tonight. Petr Mrazek has been pretty solid for the

numberFire's model gives the Golden Knights a 53.04% likelihood of covering the spread tonight.

San Jose Sharks at Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes -1.5 (-154)

Betting against the San Jose Sharks has become an easy go-to, but after scoring zero goals last night, it's hard to believe they're going to perform in the second game of a back-to-back all too well.

It surely doesn't help that the second game comes against a Carolina Hurricanes team that has dominated on both ends. The Hurricanes currently have the best Corsi For at a 71.66 clip while preventing other teams with the strongest Corsi Against of 48.75. Even with a 4-4-0 record, it does feel the domination for Carolina will turn into more success sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, the Sharks are essentially the complete opposite of the Hurricanes on the ice. They are ranked 31st with a 49.84 Corsi For and are putting together an impressively bad 1.13 goals per 60 minutes. Allowing scoring chances has been a constant for them, as well, with a 74.54 Corsi Against per 60 minutes -- the worst in hockey.

The problems on the goaltending end are what has led the Hurricanes to their struggles more than anything else. Antti Raanta will get the start and has a deplorable -3.16 GSAx. Carolina's play ahead of him should be able to limit the Sharks enough for the early-season struggles to not be a problem, however.

San Jose is 0-6-1 and has lost by two or more goals six times -- only aiding Carolina's chances tonight all the more to cover.

Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils

Devils ML (-194)

The New Jersey Devils entered the campaign as Stanley Cup favorites. They're still looking to find their stride but should be the pick tonight over the Buffalo Sabres.

Led by Jack Hughes and his league-leading 17 points, the Devils' offense has been a near juggernaut even with a 3-2-1 record. New Jersey is ranked third in both Corsi For per 60 minutes (67.79) and goals scored per 60 (3.92).

Those numbers outmatch that of the Sabres, who haven't been nearly the offensive machine they were a year ago. Buffalo ranks in the middle and towards the bottom with a 59.46 Corsi For per 60 and 2.70 goals for per 60 -- which is on track with their expected goals per 60 (2.78).

The Devils are limiting offenses with a 50.64 Corsi Against per 60. It hasn't turned into the success they're expecting yet, as they've let up 22 goals in six games this year, but with how the Sabres are going, this can be the game it all begins to click. Buffalo has been pretty solid at limiting offense, too (57.05 Corsi Against per 60), so this game could be more of a low-scoring battle than you'd expect.

Buffalo's one advantage will come in the form of Eric Comrie. He's impressed with a 3.14 GSAx through just two starts. Comrie's career 3.26 goals against average and .898 save percentage illustrates this isn't likely to hold on, though. Vitek Vanecek will look to get on track as he has a rough -1.52 GSAx to start his season. If Vanecek's play can get shored up between the pipes, the Devils should be off to the races.

New Jersey has an implied probability of 66% to win tonight. numberFire believes in their chances, giving them a 70.55% likelihood to pull it off.

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

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.