3 NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Saturday 11/23/24
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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Vegas Golden Knights vs. Montreal Canadiens
Over 6.5 (+104)
Total Goals
Two of the most dynamic offenses in the NHL take to the ice for an inter-conference battle on Saturday night. Winners of three of their past four, the surging Montreal Canadiens host the offensively gifted Vegas Golden Knights in a game that will feature no shortage of scoring.
Montreal’s recent tear is premised on improved offensive efficiency. Across their recent four-game sample, the Habs have recorded 18 goals, with nine of those coming at five-on-five. That’s sent their five-on-five shooting percentage up to 9.8% but has done nothing to assuage their goaltending woes. Habs netminders have combined for an 88.6% save percentage at five-on-five, dipping to 87.8% across all strengths. That’s a weakness the Golden Knights will exploit at the Bell Centre.
Vegas continues to operate one of the top offenses in the league. Their 11.8% shooting percentage across all strengths is a top-five mark, and they’ve seen a recent boon in production that supports ongoing success. The Golden Knights have exceeded 11 high-danger chances in three of their past five, but they’ve been held to three or fewer goals in all three of those contests. That imbalance supports that the Knights are progression candidates, and should see a boost in scoring over the coming games.
That increased scoring should start in tonight’s tilt versus the Canadiens. Montreal doesn’t have the goaltending to contain the Knights’ offense, but the Habs will do their part to keep pace. Naturally, that should result in a high-scoring affair in La Belle Province.
New York Rangers vs. Edmonton Oilers
Rangers Moneyline (+112)
Moneyline
The Edmonton Oilers shouldn’t be favorites over anyone right now. The defending Western Conference Champions are in their worst stretch of the 2024-25 season. Now, they’re tasked with getting past the perennial Stanley Cup contenders, the New York Rangers, while dealing with roster and goaltending issues throughout their lineup.
Edmonton has struggled lately. The Oilers have been outplayed in three straight games, precipitating a disastrous 37.3% expected goals-for rating. Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman, and Viktor Arvidsson were absent from their most recent contest, putting the Oilers at a significant disadvantage against the Rangers. Most concerning, Stuart Skinner is in the midst of the worst stretch of his professional career. The fifth-year netminder has stopped just 85.7% of the shots faced over his previous five starts, compounding the Oilers’ current issues.
None of those problems will be solved against a potent Rangers attack. New York has been one of the top-scoring teams at five-on-five recently with 15 of their last 18 goals coming at even strength. We’re forecasting another solid offensive outing against Skinner and a defenseless Oilers side.
The Oilers need to get their analytics in order before more wins will follow. They may take a step in the right direction on Saturday night, but it won’t be enough to keep pace with a free-wheeling Rangers team. At the current offering, there’s a substantive edge in backing New York to pull off the upset.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Ottawa Senators
Senators Moneyline (-142)
Moneyline
On the heels of two straight losses and defeat in three of four, the Vancouver Canucks head out on an extended six-game road trip with their metrics in disarray. They kick off that trip with a stop in Canada’s capital, taking on a surprising Ottawa Senators team.
For years, Ottawa underachieved relative to expectations. But this is the year that it’s all coming together for the Senators. They have the sixth-best expected goals-for rating in the NHL, putting forth some of their best efforts over the more recent schedule. The Sens have outplayed their opponents in 10 of their past 11, accumulating a 58.2% eGF rating, the best in the league over that stretch.
Unfortunately for Canucks fans, Vancouver is trending in the opposite direction. Their losing streak is validated by underwhelming metrics. The Canucks have outplayed their opponents just once over their four-game sample, yielding a 46.2% eGF rating. Moreover, they can’t pin their problems on any one area. Vancouver is averaging 8.0 high-danger and 19.5 scoring chances over their recent skid while giving up 15 goals. All four of those ineffective performances came on home ice, putting them at a more pronounced disadvantage as they embark on a road trip.
The Senators can wield several advantages against the Canucks, but their chances of winning aren’t accurately captured in the short betting price. We see value in backing the Sens as short home faves and they could easily dispatch Vancouver in tonight’s contest.
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