NHL Best Bets November 23rd

With no NHL games scheduled to be played tomorrow on Thanksgiving, that means we get 15 games on the slate tonight. There are certainly plenty of bets to be made when there are this many games but I’m focused on two in specific for my best bets. We’ll get into them and why I think they possess some of the best value on the board.

Bet #1: Calgary Flames @ Pittsburgh Penguins Over 6.5

Both the Flames and Penguins have been scoring at a really high level recently and will face off tonight in Pittsburgh. In their last five games, both teams have been able to score a combined 20 goals in that span and I think that scoring will carry into tonight’s game.

The Flames are putting up an average of 36.2 shots per game which is third in the league and enter tonight on a three-game winning streak. Pittsburgh is a good team to play when scoring at the rate the Flames are as the Penguins are 22nd in the league in goals allowed and in their last five games they allowed 17 goals to be scored against them.

Offensively the Penguins are ranked fourth in the league in average goals per game and the over is 5-1 when the Penguins play at home this season. The projected starting goalie tonight for the Flames Jacob Markstrom has been inconsistent this season and currently has a .882 save percentage. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin should be able to take advantage of the Flames below average defense tonight.

I like the momentum both teams have on offense entering tonight and think it could be a back-and-forth game. The trio of Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, and Tyler Toffoli should be able to get enough shots on goal off tonight to make this a competitive high scoring game in Pittsburgh.

Bet #2: Sebastian Aho Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-128)

The Carolina Hurricanes will play host to the Arizona Coyotes tonight and I think the Canes could put up a big number tonight at home. Sebastian Aho has been playing solid lately and he should be able to take advantage of this awful Coyotes defense.

The Coyotes are allowing an average of 35.4 shots a game and 3.6 goals a game so Aho who is averaging 3 shots on goal a game in his last 10 games should have no problem getting his shots off tonight.

Arizona has also allowed the most powerplay opportunities in the league so not only will Aho be able to get shots off in 5 on 5 play but he should certainly also be able to get shots off when the Canes are on the advantage as well. I think this prop offers some of the best value on the board based on the situation.