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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Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Moneyline +122

For some reason, no one believes in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite winning three of their first five games of the season, with solid underlying metrics, the Pens still opened as substantive underdogs against the Carolina Hurricanes. That leaves an advantage for bettors looking to back the home side.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have proven they have plenty left in the tank. The Pens dynamic duo tallied seven combined points in Wednesday’s dramatic come-from-behind win over the Buffalo Sabres. More importantly, they have top-end analytics propping up sustained scoring. As a team, the Penguins combined for 17 high-danger and 27 scoring chances against the Sabres. That’s the second consecutive game they’ve reached 17 quality chances and the fourth time in five games they’ve recorded at least 12. As we’ve seen, those production metrics correlate with elite output, with Pittsburgh 20 goals over its past four outings.

While Carolina’s metrics are where we typically expect them to be, they face a stiff challenge against the Pens. This will be just their third game of the season and their first road contest, putting them at a disadvantage at PPG Paints Arena. Last time out, the Hurricanes struggled to contain the New Jersey Devils, allowing 26 scoring and ten high-danger chances at home. Those defensive concerns should be exposed by a Penguins team firing on all cylinders.

This betting line doesn’t do the Penguins justice. They’re operating efficiently in the attacking zone, and Carolina is still shaking off the rust. Without the ability to match lines, Pittsburgh can deploy its top guns under ideal scoring circumstances, extending its hot start to the season. Don’t overlook the edge of the Penguins.

San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets

Jets Moneyline -360

There will be few bettor-friendly opportunities to back the San Jose Sharks this season. Friday night’s tilt against the Winnipeg Jets is not one of those spots.

Skating without their rookie sensation, Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks were throttled by the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. San Jose could only muster three high-danger opportunities at five-on-five, the third time in four games they fell below nine. Moreover, they’ve been out-chanced in all but one of those contests, precipitating the eighth-worst expected goals-for rating in the league.

The Jets' early-season pursuits have been more fruitful. Winnipeg has won three straight to open the season and is insulated on home ice against the Sharks. We’ve seen the Jets embrace a sturdier defensive system this season, limiting all three opponents they’ve faced to nine or fewer high-danger chances. Surely, they can lean into that structure to extend the Sharks’ early-season misery.

A day after dropping their fourth straight decision to open the year, the Sharks head north of the Great Lakes for a more daunting matchup. The betting market has installed the Jets as the favorites. Still, the line doesn’t reflect their chances of walking away victorious.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Colorado Avalanche

Ducks Moneyline +202

The Colorado Avalanche are living up to their namesake early in the 2024-25 season. The mighty Avs have slid to the bottom of the Western Conference standings, losing four straight heading into Friday’s clash against the Anaheim Ducks. Based on our analysis, it’s still not a favorable spot to back Colorado.

Colorado’s slide continues on Friday night. The Avalanche have been completely overpowered in their own end. This season, they’ve already given up 25 goals, with 16 coming at five-on-five. As expected, part of their downfall has been ineffective defensive zone coverage, with opponents totaling 34 high-danger chances across four games. Those aren’t terrible metrics in a vacuum, but concerns arise when we consider that three of those four contests came on home ice.

Further, the Ducks are riding a wave of momentum into this inter-divisional battle. Anaheim has recorded 25 high-danger chances over its previous two games, hitting double-digits both times. Likewise, scoring opportunities flow abundantly, accumulating 52 such chances over the same span. Not surprisingly, that has tilted the expected goals-for ratings in their favor, with the Ducks posting a noteworthy 55.3% benchmark across the modest sample.

Based on the current betting price, there’s an implied advantage in backing the Ducks in this spot. Colorado is struggling in its own end, and Anaheim has found its offensive rhythm. That should allow the Ducks to extend the Avs’ unflattering start to the season.

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