One total and an underdog moneyline pick make up my NHL best bets for Sunday.
The pregame narrative: A pair of promising young goalies meet in Anaheim which is a huge reason why I’m backing the under. I’m also taking a shot on the Calgary Flames at plus-money over the Edmonton Oilers.
Find my NHL best bets for Nov. 3 below.
NHL best bets
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Best Bet: Blackhawks/Ducks under 6 goals (+106)
It is hard to put into words how good Lukas Dostal has been in goal for the Anaheim Ducks so let’s take a look at some stats.
His 1.99 GAA and .945 SV% both rank top two in the NHL and he leads the league in goals saved above expected (13.6), according to MoneyPuck.
For context, Igor Shesterkin (10.4) and Frederik Anderson (7.1) rank second and third showing truly how dominant Dostal has been.
Arvid Soderblom starts across from him for the Chicago Blackhawks and he was solid in his first two starts of the season.
He allowed three goals against the Buffalo Sabres and two goals against the Winnipeg Jets – both games finished on six total goals or less.
Neither of these teams provides much of a threat on offence and I expect shutdown goaltending when required.
Key stat: Chicago and Anaheim combine to score 4.9 goals per game.
Quick pick
Flames moneyline (+128): Connor McDavid is out for a few weeks and the results have been mixed through two games.
The Oilers’ captain got injured on his first shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets in a game that they ended up losing 6-1.
His team rebounded and beat the Nashville Predators, 5-1, on the road but this is a good spot to fade it.
Edmonton closes out a four-game road trip in Calgary before returning home and playing the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night on a quick turnaround.
I can’t see the already poor offence improving in McDavid’s absence and that leaves me worried for the upcoming weeks.
The Oilers scored the third-fewest goals per game (2.45) while allowing the 11th most (3.27). They also have the league’s worst penalty kill (62.5%).
Calgary isn’t a world-beater by any means but it’s been solid at home (4-2-0) and is riding the momentum of a 3-0 win over the Devils on Friday.
NHL picks made at 10:39 a.m. ET 11/03/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.