Avalanche vs Hurricanes Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Rock You Like a Hurricane

The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes meet for the second time in the past six days, this time in the City of Oaks. Carolina will look for better results after betting pumped 4-1 at Ball Arena in the Mile High City on Saturday night.

The defending Stanley Cup champions had won four consecutive games before the St. Louis Blues cooled them off Monday. Can the Avs repeat the treatment they gave the Hurricanes in Denver over the weekend, or will the Canes exact some revenge? We’ll discuss in our NHL betting picks for Avalanche vs. Hurricanes on Thursday, November 17.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes best odds

Avalanche vs Hurricanes picks and predictions

The bad news for the Hurricanes is that Frederik Andersen continues to miss time due to an undisclosed injury suffered in practice last week. The good news is that rookie Pyotr Kochetkov stepped into the lineup and picked up the win against the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday in Raleigh, before securing his first NHL shutout in Chicago last time out on Monday.

Even better news for the Canes, my youngest son and I will be in attendance Thursday night in the first row, and Carolina is unbeaten in the two games we’ve attended so far. Don’t base your wager on that fact alone, of course. Ha.

The Hurricanes have registered a 4-2-0 record so far in six home dates at PNC Arena this season, the self-proclaimed loudest house in the NHL. The Avalanche are currently third in the Central Division with 17 points through 14 outings, and they’re a rather pedestrian 4-3-0 in seven road contests.

Colorado has some solid road victories against a Canes nemesis, the New York Rangers, as well as a solid showing against the Vegas Golden Knights at The Fortress. However, Colorado is a very ordinary 2-2-0 in four games in the Eastern Time Zone so far this season.

For the Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen has been red hot, scoring at least one goal in three straight outings, while going for eight goals, 16 points and a plus-8 rating during his six-game point streak. If you’re an NHL props bettor, playing Rantanen Over 0.5 Goals (+156 at FanDuel) is certainly worth a roll of the dice, especially against the projected starter Kochetkov.

The Colorado offense has been riding high, going for 3.7 goals per game (GPG) to rank No. 3 in the NHL, while posting a 39.0% mark on the power play, tops in the NHL. If the Avs have an Achilles heel, it’s the penalty kill, as Colorado is just 72.9%, or No. 22 in the league.

Carolina’s captain, Jordan Staal, might not be running as hot as Rantanen, but he has managed to light the lamp three times with an assist and a plus-6 rating during his three-game goal and point streak. At Over 0.5 Goals (+350 at FanDuel), he is also worth a small-unit play for a chance to more than triple up.

The Hurricanes aren’t as prolific on offense, ranking just No. 19 in the league with 3.0 GPG, although it’s not for a lack of trying. Carolina is No. 4 in the league with 36.1 shots on goal (SOG). Martin Necas, who has managed seven goals and 19 points to date, has three or more SOG in seven of the past nine outings. Playing Over 2.5 SOG (-140) is a strong play, as his confidence is sky-high.

Carolina failed to top Colorado last weekend, but it dominated Chicago, and has managed a 29-12 mark in the past 41 tries against Central Division foes, while going 40-15 in the past 55 games on home ice, which translates to a .727 winning percentage. As such, Carolina is worth backing in front of its raucous crowd in this showcase game Thursday night. Remember, too, Kochetkov has actually never lost a regular-season start, albeit a small sample size of four starts and five games over two seasons.

My best bet: Hurricanes moneyline (-120 at BetMGM)

Avalanche vs Hurricanes moneyline analysis

The Avalanche and Hurricanes are each well-rested, so heavy legs won’t be an issue. Both teams played Monday night, so we should see plenty of energy from the jump.

Alexandar Georgiev has managed a 7-2-1 record with a 2.70 GAA and .924 SV%, and he has been even better on the road with a 2.38 GAA and .938 SV% in four outings. However, the Hurricanes handled their business against Georgiev last season when he was a member of the New York Rangers, going 1-1-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .924 SV%, with one awful showing in Raleigh, allowing six goals on 35 shots, and one 44-save shutout.

I expect Georgiev to play well against a team he knows, but I also expect the Hurricanes to be able to solve him, too. This should be a back-and-forth affair, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see overtime or even a shootout needed to determine a winner here.

If you were to make a play on the puck line, Hurricanes -1.5 (+200) for a chance to double up is super risky, but the better value over Avalanche +1.5 (-250), which costs way too much. The best advice is to shy away and focus on the player props and money line.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes Over/Under analysis

It’s been all about the Under lately for the Avalanche, as Colorado has used a powerful offense and solid defense to keep most totals Under 6.5 goals more often than not. The Under has hit in four of the past five on the road, too, and the Under cashed in the meeting Saturday between these teams, too.

The Under has connected in four of the past five for the Hurricanes, too, as this offense has had some issues with consistency, and the power play is a dismal 16.9% to rank No. 26 in the NHL.

The thinking here is that we get a total of five goals tops, with Carolina sending the crowd home happy with a 3-2 win. As such, playing Under 6.5 goals (-120) with the Hurricanes moneyline (-120) is a strong parlay opportunity.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes betting trend to know

The Hurricanes have won 29 of their past 41 games against Central Division opponents, and they’re 4-2-1 in seven games against Western Conference teams this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs Hurricanes.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes game info

Avalanche vs Hurricanes key injuries

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