NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Ducks vs Hurricanes (Thursday, January 11)
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 06: Vasily Ponomarev #92 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on during the second period against the St. Louis Blues at PNC Arena on January 06, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
Ducks vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Ducks Odds | +260 |
| Hurricanes Odds | -330 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -110 / -110 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Anaheim Ducks vs. Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, Jan. 11 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
It has not been a kind stretch to the Ducks. Anaheim won its first game on Tuesday since December 27, but prior to that, the Ducks had lost five in a row. It’s a young team that’s clearly in rebuilding mode, as it owns the fourth worst record in the NHL.
Carolina is getting its groove back. Even though the Hurricanes ended their five game winning streak on Saturday after losing in a shootout, they’re still the cream of the crop – competing for supremacy in the Metropolitan Division.
(Carolina Hurricanes fans: With North Carolina sports betting coming online this year, you’ll be able to bet legally on the Canes at major sportsbooks. Learn more.)
The Ducks are a very top heavy team with their top four scorers at 10 or more goals – and the rest are far behind. Frank Vatrano is a huge part of this team nearing 20 goals for the third time in his career. Mason McTavish also has points in three of his last four, and Troy Terry is on an absolute heater in his last 12 games.
Given Anaheim’s struggles in the standings, it also struggles at creating 5-on-5 offense. The Ducks are 26th in expected goals with a 46.58 xGF%, and 24th defensively with a 2.86 xGA/60.
Their special teams actually aren't that bad. They score on the power play at a 19.2% clip, while the penalty kill succeeds 80% of the time.
John Gibson has himself in a tough spot. He’s been stuck on a rebuilding team for years, and the Ducks don’t want to trade him. For that, his numbers have suffered, playing to a .903 SV% and a 5.4 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He’ll try his hardest to keep them in, but the defense will leave him hanging out to dry.
Have you noticed the tear that Sebastian Aho is on? Saturday’s loss was the first game he was held pointless in six games. He’s the straw that stirs the drink. Seth Jarvis has turned into a solid goal scorer as well, while Andrei Svechnikov is sneakily posting a point per game season fresh off ACL surgery last season
It’s no surprise that Carolina has the third most efficient 5-on-5 offense. The Canes play to a 55.28 xGF%, and defensively have a 2/34 xGA/60.
Carolina’s well-roundedness seeps into its special teams as well. It scores on the power play at a second best 28.6% clip, while the penalty kill is eighth with an 82.8% success rate.
After a rough start to the season, Pyotr Kochetkov is getting more comfortable in his first year as the top goalie in Raleigh. The Russian netminder has an identical SV% to Gibson, however has a -3.4 GSAx. That number is low because it was dreadful to start the season. Now that he’s performing well, that number is only going to go up.
Ducks vs. Hurricanes
Betting Pick & Prediction
I really don’t foresee this game being close one bit. Despite losing on Saturday, Carolina seems as if it’s on a mission to win the Cup. Not only are the Canes beating good teams, but they’re beating teams they should beat which can often be traps.
Anaheim can’t be trusted. It’s too volatile of a team for me to ever consider putting money behind. Gibson’s a good goalie, but pucks get to him too frequently for my liking.
The total could very well go over. Besides Carolina’s recent game, it’s usually high scoring, and the Ducks are prone to get blown out. However, I’m leaning toward the puck line, as I feel it has a better chance at hitting at a semi-decent price.
Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (-128)
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