We had a couple of near misses in Tuesday’s NHL Props article. Vladimir Tarasenko’s game-high six shots for the Blues weren’t enough to find the back of the net against Arizona. Meanwhile, facing Montreal, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin was denied at point-blank range, then gathered his own rebound and passed to teammate Kaapo Kakko, who scored. Panarin got an assist on the play, but that didn’t help us cash his “anytime goal” NHL betting prop.
Let’s give it another go Thursday, as the NHL’s 12-game slate provides a bunch more NHL betting opportunities. Here are our top five NHL prop bets for Thursday.
All odds via DraftKings and FanDuel, and updated as of 10 a.m. ET on Nov. 18.
Calgary Flames: Andrew Mangiapane
The Prop: To Score Anytime Goal (at Buffalo Sabres)
The Odds: +180
Mangiapane has an odd statline to begin the season, with 10 goals and two assists in 16 games. His 27.8 shooting percentage isn’t sustainable, but it’s actually weighed down by an 0-for-6 night against Anaheim earlier this season.
Having lit the lamp in three of his last five games, Mangiapane is now the Flames’ leading goal scorer.
Make that 1️⃣0️⃣ goals on the season for Andrew Mangiapane (@andrewmange13)! pic.twitter.com/fqPwSfY6K1
— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2021
While there’s risk in the fact that Mangiapane ranks seventh among Calgary forwards in time on ice per game (14:52), the reward outweighs the risk — especially against the Sabres, who have lost six of their last 10 games while surrendering four goals or more in seven of those contests.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Jeff Carter
The Prop: To Score Anytime Goal (at Montreal)
The Odds: +215
Carter leads the Penguins in shots (47) but ranks just fifth on the team in goals with three — a 6.4 percent success rate that dwarfs the 11.2 percent rate he’s amassed during his NHL career. While there may be some age-related regression, Carter still leads Pittsburgh with a 4.54 individual expected goal (iXG) rate.
Cayden Primeau is confirmed as Montreal’s goaltender, his second start of the season in net. In his first game between the pipes Tuesday, Primeau yielded all three goals in a 3-2 loss at the Rangers. In seven career NHL games, Primeau is 2-4-1 with an ugly 3.47 goals-against average and a porous .889 save percentage.
Look for Carter to break out of his four-game goalless funk in this one.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner
The Prop: 2.5 Total Shots (vs. Arizona Coyotes)
The Odds: Over +104/Under -128
Jenner has put 40 shots on goal through 13 games, which equates to a little more than three per outing. He’s fired off three or more shots in each of his last six games, including five shots in each of the last two. Jenner is also tied for the team lead with eight power-play shots, which is significant for two reasons: Arizona has been dismal on the penalty kill this season (67.3%), and the Coyotes have conceded the eight-most power play opportunities.
While Arizona ranks in the middle of the pack in shots against (31.4, 16th in the league), the Coyotes are still far and away the NHL’s worst team at 2-13-1. Trust Jenner to hit the over here.
Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers
The Prop: Race to Two Goals
The Odds: Oilers -145/Jets +140
It’s dangerous to even consider betting against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the high-flying Oilers to be the first team to reach two goals. But there are some solid reasons — not to mention solid plus-money odds — to take a shot here with the Winnipeg Jets, winners of three straight.
12 goals on the season, with one in each of his last four games.@KyleConnor18 is buzzing this year. 🔥
— NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2021
Dating back to last season, Winnipeg has won five consecutive meetings against Edmonton, the latest being Tuesday’s 5-2 home victory. And in that contest, the Jets scored the game’s first four goals.
Including Tuesday’s game, Winnipeg has won the race to two goals in five of it seven games this month. And although the Oilers are at home and in a revenge spot, the Jets have the firepower to get to two goals first yet again.
Anaheim Ducks
The Prop: 1.5 Total Team Goals (vs. Carolina Hurricanes)
The Odds: Under +220
Yes, you could take the Over on this prop at DraftKings, but you’d have to lay -300 to do so. That would be incredibly risky, given that Carolina’s team defense has been outstanding all season, allowing the fewest goals against (1.93) and third-fewest shots against (27.9).
Granted, Anaheim’s offense has been stellar to this point (3.53 goals per game, fourth-highest). And the Ducks have scored multiple goals in 15 of their 17 games, including 12 in a row. But we’re banking on the Ducks eventually regressing toward last year’s number of 2.21 goals per game — starting tonight.
The Hurricanes, who have held six teams to one or no goals, are expected to start Frederik Andersen between the pipes in Anaheim. Andersen, who began his NHL career with the Ducks, is third in the league in GAA (1.78) and save percentage (.938). Look for a fully rested Andersen — who didn’t play in Tuesday’s 4-2 win at Vegas — to have a chip on his shoulder and stonewall his former team.
