3 NHL Best Bets for Wednesday 10/30/24

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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New York Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Moneyline +126

The betting market continues to underestimate the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Metropolitan Division contenders have been underdogs in every game this season but have put forth an above-average 4-3-1 record to start the season. Granted, there may be some growing pains on the horizon, but they’re undeserving of their current betting price against the New York Islanders.

Columbus has already padded its resume with a few character wins. The Blue Jackets are fresh off a 6-1 dismantling of the Edmonton Oilers, also claiming victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. The common thread throughout those wins is elite scoring. The Jackets recorded six goals in each one of those outings, driving their five-on-five shooting percentage to 15.7%. While untenable, they’re poised to continue that torrid pace against the Islanders.

New York heads into this intra-conference battle on the second night of a back-to-back. The Isles couldn’t get anything going against the Anaheim Ducks, dropping a 3-1 decision as the home team. With Ilya Sorokin starting on Tuesday, Semyon Varlamov is projected to be the starter. That’s problematic for the Islanders. The Russian netminder has a downtrodden .854 save percentage this season, yielding a 3.72 goals against average.

New York mishandled its goaltending situation, putting the Islanders at a disadvantage versus the Blue Jackets. While Columbus’ offense will eventually come back down to earth, we’re not betting that happens against one of the iciest goalies in the league. Blue Jackets moneyline presents value.

Calgary Flames vs. Utah Hockey Club

Utah Hockey Club Moneyline -125

The Calgary Flames fooled themselves into believing that a rebuild could be done in one painless offseason. Starting the year on a 5-0-1 run, Calgary was reportedly in the market for a forward to bolster their playoff chances. However, a three-game losing streak has tempered those expectations. They are priced as road underdogs in tonight’s Western Conference clash against the Utah Hockey Club. But as you’ll see, the price should be tilted more heavily in Utah’s direction.

The Flames’ hot streak has been doused. Calgary has been outplayed in three of its past four, dropping all but one of those decisions. More concerningly, their cumulative metrics are in complete disarray. Across the four-game sample, the Flames have put together a bottom-feeding 37.4% expected goals-for rating. Their offensive game has all but disappeared, with the Flames averaging just 5.5 high-danger chances per game without exceeding seven in any contest.

In its inaugural season in the Show, Utah got off to a similar better-than-expected start. While their more recent outcomes haven’t been favorable, the Utah Hockey Club has substantially better metrics. They have a 55.1% expected goals-for rating across their past four outings, relying on stout defensive play to tilt the ice in their favor. None of those opponents have mustered more than nine quality chances, yielding a sturdy average of 6.0 per game.

Calgary’s diminished offensive efforts come at a time when Utah is suffocating its opponents. Utah should be able to maintain its current form, albeit with a better outcome against a spiraling Flames side.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings

60-Minute Tie +360

The Los Angeles Kings won’t have time to sit around feeling sorry for themselves. Fresh off a humbling 4-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, the Kings return home for a pivotal battle versus the Vegas Golden Knights. The outcome obviously didn’t go their way, but the Kings maintained their elite standard of play. That should allow LA to be more competitive on the second night of the back-to-back.

Los Angeles remains an analytics powerhouse. The Kings have outplayed their opponents in all but three games this season, resulting in the third-best expected goals-for rating in the NHL (57.8%). Still, they’ve elevated their play with their more recent performances. Over its previous seven outings, Los Angeles has amplified its expected goals-for rating to 62.6%. Despite the magnificent play, the Kings are just 4-3-0 over that stretch. Consequently, they are natural progression candidates as outcomes start to reflect their on-ice dominance.

Unfortunately for Knights fans, their squad is pointed in the opposite direction. Vegas has substantially overachieved relative to its underlying metrics this season. Getting outplayed in eight of ten games to start the season, the Golden Knights have put together the sixth-worst expected goals-for rating in the NHL. Somehow, they’ve overcome those analytics shortcomings, posting the fourth-best actual goals-for rating and points percentage. That suggests that the Knights are due for correction in the immediate future.

Vegas is walking an unsustainable path, and we expect the Kings to knock the Knights off their stride. However, playing on consecutive nights comes at a cost, and it could take overtime or a shootout before a winner is determined. The best value lies in backing this one to be tied at the end of regulation.

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