3 NHL Best Bets for Thursday 10/31/24

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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Edmonton Oilers vs. Nashville Predators

Predators Moneyline -126

Life is about to get a little too real for the Edmonton Oilers. Mired in a Stanley Cup Final hangover, the Oilers will be without Connor McDavid for two to three weeks while he recovers from a lower-body injury. We saw how poorly that ended for the Western Conference Champs against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and the outlook is equally disastrous today against the Nashville Predators.

With McDavid on the sidelines for most of the game, Edmonton saw a sharp decline in all its metrics. The Oilers put up a season-worst 14 scoring and five high-danger chances against the Jackets. That extends to a recent decline in their metrics, which is a cause for concern moving forward. Edmonton has totaled nine or fewer quality opportunities in three of its past four, amplifying the Oilers’ concerns to start the season.

Nashville is trending in the opposite direction. After starting the year with five straight losses, the Preds rebounded with wins in three of their past four.

Naturally, we saw a rise in their analytics before the wins started to follow. The Predators have outplayed their opponents in four of their previous five, yielding a 57.1% expected goals-for rating. Surprisingly, their team's success is premised on improved offensive production. Nashville has gone north of 10 high-danger chances in three of those five outings.

Few people would have predicted this at the start of the season, but the Predators have a pronounced offensive advantage over the Oilers. The hosts can use that to their advantage tonight and grab the victory.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks

Over 6.5 +112

An early-season injury to Macklin Celebrini robbed hockey fans of the opportunity to see two of the NHL’s brightest young stars take to the ice on Thursday night. Still, we’re expecting no shortage of offensive fireworks when the San Jose Sharks host the Chicago Blackhawks at SAP Center.

Connor Bedard has the Blackhawks flying high right now. The Original Six franchise has exceeded 12 high-danger chances in two straight, precipitating an increase in output. Last time out, Chicago dropped five goals on the Colorado Avalanche, foreshadowing what comes next for the 'Hawks. Chicago is operating below their expected goals-for level with a below-average 0.994 PDO. Increased productivity should lead to more scoring, so we can expect to see that in the immediate future.

San Jose has an even more pronounced deficit relative to its underlying metrics. In 11 games this season, the Sharks are 7.3 goals below their expected output at five-on-five. That suggests that their recent offensive outbursts should be sustained in the short term as actual goals for creeps up to expected levels.

Neither team has effective defensive systems. The Sharks have allowed three of their past five opponents to surpass 11 high-danger opportunities while the 'Hawks have seen two of their last three opponents eclipse 12 such chances. That makes the over an enticing bet tonight.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals

Capitals Moneyline -200

The Washington Capitals are trying to make the most of the Alexander Ovechkin era. Head coach Spencer Carbery has the Caps operating at a never-before-seen level, giving them a significant advantage over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

So far this season, Washington ranks second in the NHL with a sublime 58.9% expected goals-for rating. Their previous franchise best was 56.0%, which happened back in 2007-08. Ovechkin and company are firing on all cylinders offensively, eclipsing 10 high-danger chances in five of their previous seven. Still, the most significant difference has come in their own end, where the Caps limit opponents to an average of 6.8 quality opportunities per game.

The Habs don’t possess the systems or personnel to hang with the Capitals. Montreal has been held to eight or fewer high-danger chances in four of five. More concerningly, they’ve been out-chanced in all but one of those outings while giving up an average of 10.4 high-danger chances per game.

The Caps have the ability to run roughshod over the Canadiens on Thursday night. Washington has had no difficulties creating chances this season, and the Habs have been one of the worst in the NHL in defending. Washington should have a field day, making them an attractive moneyline bet even at these odds.

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