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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 Saturday, November 14, Greg Liodice has us covered.
NHL Picks, Predictions Tonight
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Hurricanes vs Kraken Pick
Game 2 from Helsinki, and I don't think much has changed.
After the Hurricanes dominated the Kraken in the first game, I think we see more of the same.
Prior to the game starting, I assumed Pyotr Kochetkov was going to start and predicted the Canes were going to dominate. Well, the Hurricanes dominated 4-1, but instead, it was Brandon Bussi who started, and it turns out to be the best thing to happen.
Bussi has been brutal this season, but the Kraken couldn't generate any offense whatsoever, with only 13 shots fired on net. So this time, I would expect Kochetkov to start, while Joey Daccord starts for the Kraken.
Kochetkov has been a total beauty this season. After dealing with injury issues for the majority of his career, Kochetkov has played to a fifth-best 8.8 GSAx and a .918 SV%.
The Kraken aren't a very good team. They started the season well, but since Jared McCann got hurt, they showed their true colors. Seattle traded wins and losses for a period, and have now lost three of its last four.
Carolina, on the other hand, is purely dominant. The Hurricanes have the best 5-on-5 offense by a mile, with a 50.28 xGF and the seventh-best defense with a 35.28 xGA.
My model suggests that this game is going to be a beatdown, and the Kraken are severely outmatched. Can they bounce back? Sure. Will they? I doubt it.
Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5
Oilers vs Maple Leafs Pick
I know I'm not alone. Any time the Oilers take on the Maple Leafs, it's pure cinema.
I would expect to see Sergei Bobrovsky of the Maple Leafs face Devon Levi of the Oilers, and both goaltenders have showcased a high level of volatility.
While Levi came back from injury and has held strong, it's hard to imagine that the Maple Leafs won't get theirs, averaging 3.3 goals per game, but allowing 3.5 goals per game.
Edmonton has to be licking its chops.
I've been a big believer in "Oiler Overs" for the longest time, and for most of the time, I've been burned. However, this seems like too good an opportunity to pass up. Bobrovsky is not the Vezina-caliber goaltender he once was, and at the age of 38, Bob has played a lot of hockey.
Edmonton scores a lot, and given how deadly Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard have been, this seems like the perfect opportunity to bet the over.
Toronto has not been great at 5-on-5 defense, ranking 27th in expected goals against with a 44.49 xGA, while also taking a lot of penalties. The last thing you want to do as a team is to give the Oilers the opportunity enough times to score.
Pick: Over 6.5
Sabres vs Stars Pick
Can someone check in on the Buffalo Sabres? Because after one of their most successful seasons in the past decade, this team looks rough after losing four out of their last five games.
Perhaps letting Alex Tuch go wasn't a great idea?
But beyond Buffalo's offensive struggles, the defense has left its goaltending exposed. Last season, it was both Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen carrying the weight in net. So far, Lyon has been hurt for most of the season, and Luukkonen has been a disaster.
And it's not going to get easier. After falling to the Blackhawks in overtime on Thursday, the Sabres now head to Dallas to face the Stars in the second game of a six-game road trip.
The Stars have been fine this season, though if you watched them on Thursday, you wouldn't think that, after losing to the Jets 8-3. But I wouldn't be concerned about them. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen was out, and Lian Bischel left midgame and won't be available tonight.
But this is still one of the best teams in hockey. While Dallas' offense has been fairly underwhelming, the defense has been the saving grace, playing to a third-best 33.91 xGA.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger has been playing at a Vezina-like level, allowing an average of less than two goals per game, which makes sense since he wasn't playing in the loss against the Jets. Buffalo has its firepower, but it feels like it's still looking to find its identity this season.
That's why I like the Stars in this battle.
Pick: Dallas Stars Moneyline
