Jake Guentzel is my pick to score during Thursday’s 12-game NHL slate.
The pregame narrative: Guentzel, fresh off a hat-trick performance, faces an Edmonton Oilers team in the midst of an ugly road trip. Edmonton has lost three of its past four games while allowing 20 goals.
Check out my NHL goal picks for Nov. 20.
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NHL goal picks Nov. 20
Best Bet: Guentzel to score (+155)
We’re approaching “five-alarm fire” territory in Edmonton.
The Oilers lost 7-4 to the Washington Capitals last night, dropping to 9-9-4 on the season.
That came just two days after losing 5-1 to the Buffalo Sabres, of all teams, prompting defenceman Darnell Nurse to say: “It’s tough to win games when you’re letting in five.”
I have to agree.
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Edmonton had an entire summer to fix its goaltending situation but stood pat with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. The latter is in net tonight, and he’s posted a 4.17 GAA and .830 SV% so far.
Both of those marks rank outside the top 50 for all NHL netminders.
Guentzel leads the Tampa Bay Lightning in goals (11), shots (57) and high-danger chances (52), per Natural Stat Trick.
He’s scored six times in his last five games and is playing alongside Tampa’s best playmaker, Brayden Point.
That duo should be foaming at the mouth to face Edmonton.
Key stat: The Oilers have allowed the most goals (82) in the NHL.
NHL goal picks made at 11:41 a.m. ET on Nov. 20, 2025.
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Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.