NHL Best Bets: Senators vs. Hurricanes Game Picks

The red-hot Carolina Hurricanes look to continue their strong February when they play host to the Ottawa Senators tonight.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

The Carolina Hurricanes would be a much bigger story if it weren’t for the Boston Bruins. They’ve been dominant and enter this matchup on another hot streak. The Canes have won four straight, posting a 9-1 record over their last ten games. Meanwhile, the Sens are looking to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, posting a 7-2-1 record over that same sample size. 

Even with the Sens playing well, the Hurricanes are still significant favorites, priced at -255 on the moneyline, compared to Ottawa at +205. This will be the first of three matchups between the clubs, and it could go a long way toward solidifying their respective standings.  

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Sens are expected to start Cam Talbot in net, while the Hurricanes should respond with Frederik Andersen. The Senators’ netminder is returning from injury and has a 12-13-1 record with a .905 save percentage. For the Hurricanes, Andersen is 14-4 with a .908 save percentage. It’s hard to give a significant advantage in goal, but the Hurricanes are a much better defensive team.

With the way the Hurricanes are playing, it’s hard to look away from their puck line odds. There’s no value in considering their moneyline odds of -255, but there should be value in backing the home side to win by multiple goals at -104. 

Best Bet: Hurricanes Puck Line -1.5 (-104) 

There isn’t much to like about the Sens’ underlying numbers. They sit in the bottom half in goals scored and allowed per game, while the Hurricanes are listed in the top ten in both categories. Over the Sens’ last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in three, while the Hurricanes have seen that in two. It’s doubtful the Canes will allow this game to turn into an offensive affair, so we’ll side with the under 6.5 at -115.  

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-115) 

The Hurricanes have quietly started to score goals at a much higher clip, resulting in more value with the team’s top goal scorers. One player that’s been finding his groove is Andrei Svechnikov. He leads the club with seven points over their last five games. Svechnikov is known as a goal scorer but has struggled with consistency. Getting Svechnikov at an appetizing price of +180 to score holds significant value.

Best Prop: Andrei Svechnikov to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+180)