NHL Betting Picks for Wednesday 11/29/23: Goal Explosion in Columbus?

With just three NHL games tonight, let's see where we can find value in the betting market.

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 and NaturalStatTrick.com.

NHL Best Bets

Montreal Canadiens at Columbus Blue Jackets

Over 6.5 Goals (-118)

This is a game between two teams that clearly aren't the best in the league or anything close to it, but it still can be fun to watch.

The Montreal Canadiens will be on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Both teams are in similar stages in their journey -- mostly being rebuilding teams. But they both have capable offensive players who can take advantage of weak defenses.

Montreal ranks as the second-worst team in expected goals (xG) allowed per 60 minutes while Columbus ranks sixth-worst. They are eighth and 11th, respectively, in actual goals against per game. Both have been buoyed by goaltenders who have played well but don't have long track records of success.

Columbus has played a few high-scoring games of late, including scoring seven last week against the Chicago Blackhawks. Things seemed to have settled down after they scratched Patrik Laine just over a week ago, and his presence could lead to goals on both ends of the ice.

We should see regression for Montreal's best goal scorer, Cole Caufield. He's a career 12.9% shooter who's down at 7.4%, and has just six goals this season. Hopefully, it begins in this game against the Blue Jackets, where he could see more chances than in an average game.

These teams are both fairly loose defensively, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the goals fly in either direction.

Washington Capitals at Los Angeles Kings

Under 6.5 goals (-140)

Almost the opposite of the Jackets-Canadiens game, we have two older teams who are contending instead of rebuilding.

The Washington Capitals continue their road trip after they lost 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Monday. They've scored just 2.33 goals per game so far this season, and Alex Ovechkin really hasn't gotten going. He has just five goals in 18 games, two of which went into an empty net.

Washington has been able to win games by being solid defensively. They are allowing only 2.78 goals per game, thanks largely to solid goaltending by Charlie Lindgren and Darcy Kuemper.

It is unlikely that the Capitals start scoring tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, who are quietly one of the best teams in the NHL. They allow the fewest number of expected goals and high-danger chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five in the NHL.

The Capitals probably won't be able to score on the power play, either. They have the worst PP in the league, scoring on just 5.7% of their man advantages. It doesn't help that they are going up against Los Angeles' league-leading penalty kill.

Washington is a great team to play the under on in most games, and it definitely is the case against an excellent defensive team like the Kings.

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

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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.