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This is Daily Dangles, a column featuring our top expert’s NHL picks, predictions, and best bets.
Every day, one of our experts will provide you with some of the sharpest, high-value betting analysis on what the NHL schedule offers us.
For Friday, October 16, Frank Ammirante has us covered.
NHL Picks, Predictions Tonight
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Penguins vs Avalanche Pick
My first pick of the night is Penguins/Avalanche Over 6.5. Both Arturs Silovs (31st in Goals Saved Above Expected) and Mackenzie Blackwood (57th in Goals Saved Above Expected) have struggled this season. They're each expected to be in between the pipes for this matchup.
Aside from questionable goaltending, we all know how much firepower the Avalanche have, led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Penguins' defense is suspect, so it's going to be tough for them to keep the Avs at bay.
We just saw Pittsburgh allow five goals against the Blackhawks on Tuesday. We've seen a couple of high-scoring Avs games this year, including a 7-3 win at the Flames and 6-3 loss vs. the Maple Leafs.
Both teams are allowing 3.0 goals per game on average, so we'll take a chance at them combining for 7+ goals in this spot.
Pick: Over 6.5 (-118 at DraftKings)
Bruins vs Ducks Pick
My next pick is Bruins ML at the Ducks. Boston is rolling right now, winning three in a row. They've outscored opponents 17-5 during this stretch. In net, Jeremy Swayman has been fantastic, ranking 7th in Goals Saved Above Expected. The Bruins are allowing only 2.29 goals per game this year, which is tied for 2nd in the league.
Meanwhile, Lukas Dostal hasn't been nearly as good, coming in at 25th in Goals Saved Above Expected. With the advantage in goal, the Bruins are set up nicely to extend their winning streak.
We should also note that if we look under the hood at advanced metrics, we see that Boston is 8th in xGoals%, while the Ducks are 23rd.
The Ducks are even dealing with a pair of key injuries, with both Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund day-to-day with upper-body injuries. If they're not available for this game, that would test the depth of the Ducks in this spot. Considering that we can get the Bruins at a reasonable price as a slight road favorite, they're worth a look in this spot.
Pick: Bruins ML (-112 at DraftKings)
