We have a very solid nine-game slate of NHL action tonight and a ton to break down regarding our NHL best bets! 

There are some interesting differences in player props on different books, which is something to jump on if you have access to all the options.

NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 10/24

Things are starting to get a bit clearer for teams and players as they fall into patterns after the first few games, giving us some spots to attack going forward.

 

 

 

Sharks vs. Kings Prediction: Thursday, October 24th

The San Jose Sharks are one of, if not the worst, teams in the NHL and will be a team to target whenever they are on the slate. They allow 67.72 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third worst in the league. This means we can look to high-volume shooters on opposing teams and tonight, this leads me to Kevin Fiala. 

In his most recent outing, Fiala had zero shots on goal against the Vegas Golden Knights. That is far outside of the norm for Fiala, who leads the Kings with 24 shots on goal through seven games. He has at least three shots on goal in five of his seven games this season while seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. 

As noted above, there are some differences in player props on the various sportsbooks. For example, Fiala's shot prop on FanDuel Sportsbook is 3.5 with +138 on the over. On DraftKings, his prop is 2.5 with -160 on the over and 4+ shots on goal is +160. 

I like them all, but the play would be to take it over on DraftKings where the line is only 2.5. 

 

 

 

Hurricanes vs. Flames Prediction: Thursday, October 24th

While the Calgary Flames are off to a bit of a hot start – no pun intended – I think they are due for a bit of negative regression and are a team to target. 

Through six games, the Flames allow 64.58 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh worst in the league. They are allowing just 1.51 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third lowest in the league. However, if we glance at their Expected Goals Allowed (xGA/60), they're up at 2.59. Their defense is over-performing by a full goal, and this makes me interested in targeting them. 

On the other side, the Carolina Hurricanes come in with a league-high 73.98 Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is nothing new for them. Over the last few years, we've routinely seen the Canes as one of the top teams in the league in shot creation and play with the pedal to the metal. 

I love seeing this from teams, so we turn to Shayne Gostisbehere, who comes in with 13 shots on goal in five games, as the defender on the top power-play unit. I expect the Canes to continue pushing the pace on offense and pile up the shots tonight. 

 

 

 

Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 10/24