Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – November 3rd Edition

The Edmonton Oilers have lured Ken Hitchcock back into the NHL’s coaching ranks, and the storied legend has the Oil off to a three-game winning streak, moving them just six points behind Calgary in the Pacific Division. The hottest team in the Western Conference right now is Colorado, who have an 8-0-2 record in their last ten games and are tied with Nashville atop the Central Division standings. In the Eastern Conference, the hottest teams are Toronto and Washington, both with 8-2-0 records in their last ten, while the New York Rangers, who had streaked to the top of the Metropolitan Division, have now dropped three straight and sit four points back of the Caps. Looking to do some online betting on hockey this week? Check out our three suggested NHL betting picks.

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – November 3rd Edition

With a lot of close rankings, a couple of points could change the standings in a single division. We’re on the edge of our seats. Are you?

— The Penn (@ThePennIUP) December 3, 2018

Monday, December 3

Buffalo at Nashville (8:00pm ET, ESPN+)

The Buffalo Sabres had been the hottest team in the NHL, but losing to Tampa Bay on Thursday and Florida on Thursday and Friday, by a one-goal margin in each case, left them two points behind Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division. Some observers are comparing this year’s Sabres team to last year’s Vegas Golden Knights, a collection of no-names who were able to execute a solid scheme and turn it into consistent winning. In the overtime loss to Florida, Buffalo allowed 43 shots on goal, so despite goals from Sam Reinhart and Jeff Skinner, the Sabres could not hold their early lead and turn it into a win. The Sabres head to Nashville, where the Predators bounced back from a dreadful 3-0 loss to lowly Arizona with a 5-2 win over Chicago on Saturday. The Predators have a few players on the shelf thanks to illness and injury, but that’s how life in the NHL goes. They got contributions from call-up Eeli Tolvanen, who scored his first NHL goal and provided an assist as well. The team will need all the help they can get, as leading scorer Filip Forsberg will be on Injured Reserve for an upper-body injury for at least a month. Defenseman P.K. Subban and forwards Kyle Turris and Viktor Arvidsson are also on Injured Reserve. It looks like the Predators are good enough to maintain some stability, but can they beat the high-flying Sabres? NHL Betting Prediction: Nashville 3, Buffalo 2

Tuesday, December 4

Washington at Vegas (10:00pm ET, ESPN+)

Vegas has turned around a rocky start and has won seven of their last 10, although they did lose to Edmonton, 2-1, on Saturday. Before that, though, they had beaten San Jose, Chicago and Vancouver by a combined score of 18-6. Against Edmonton, they sent 31 shots at Mikko Koskinen but simply couldn’t break through. William Karlsson had the only goal for the Golden Knights, who have found ways to score in bunches and should continue that after having some bad luck against the Oilers. The Capitals lost to Anaheim, 6-5, on Sunday but had won seven in a row before that. In that loss, Washington had put together a four-goal lead, only to watch Anaheim put together a furious comeback. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Chandler Stephenson each had a goal for the Capitals, and the team had sent Anaheim’s starting goalie to the bench in the first period. The Caps went passive after building that big lead, though, and the Ducks made the first four-goal comeback for a regulation win since 1999. NHL Betting Prediction: Vegas 3, Washington 2

Thursday, December 6

Detroit at Toronto (7:00pm ET)

The Detroit Red Wings have won five of 10 but lost on Sunday to Colorado by a 2-0 score. In that game, the third period turned into a scrum with two fights and another wrestling match near the Detroit bench, not to mention the thunderous hits echoing through the building. Even with the physical effort, though, Detroit was only able to send 24 shots on net for the game after launching 13 in the first period. The Red Wings now head to Toronto to take on one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference.  The Maple Leafs have won four in a row, including a 5-3 victory over Minnesota on Saturday night. The Leafs have also added William Nylander to a six-year deal, so his offensive skills will come to a team that was already near the top of the East standings. With solid goaltending from Frederick Anderson, the Leafs are one of the most complete teams in the league. NHL Betting Prediction: Toronto 3, Detroit 1