Hockey fans will be getting a little afternoon delight Saturday as the Philadelphia Flyers head to Carolina to take on a Hurricanes team that sits atop the Eastern Conference standings and is coming off a 2-0 blanking of the Colorado Avalanche.
Can the Hurricanes build off their current three-game winning streak and win as big faves tonight in a matinee? Are the Flyers deflated as their miserable season drags on, the trade deadline approaches, and the Scott Laughton injury weighs on them?
Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Flyers vs. Hurricanes.
Flyers vs Hurricanes odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Hurricanes opened as -310 favorites on the ML and have moved slightly to -305. The total opened at 6 and has taken some action on the Under that sits at -115. These two teams met in Philadelphia two weeks ago with the Canes taking a 4-3 OT win as -235 favorites and a total of 6.5. That game saw Frederik Andersen and Martin Jones man the creases.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Flyers vs Hurricanes predictions
Predictions made on 3/12/2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Flyers vs Hurricanes game info
• Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022
• Puck drop: 3:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC, Sportsnet
Flyers vs Hurricanes betting preview
Key injuries
Flyers: Scott Laughton F (Out), Sean Couturier F (Out).
Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen G (Questionable), Brendan Smith F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Flyers vs Hurricanes head-to-head record since 2018-19
Flyers: 4-6 SU, 33 goals for.
Hurricanes: 6-4 SU, 25 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings between the Flyers and Hurricanes. Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Hurricanes.
Flyers vs Hurricanes picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Puck line analysis
The Carolina Hurricanes are tied with the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 85 points but the Canes have a game in hand. They’re starting to run away with the Metropolitan Division lead and are 19-5-4 since Christmas, which is the third-best mark in hockey. Even without their No. 1 goaltender in Frederik Andersen, this team still managed to shut out the Avalanche, which is something no team has done all season. Carolina will set its sights on the Flyers today and that’s bad news for a Philadelphia team that likely can’t wait for the season to end.
The Flyers have already fired one coach this season and the change in personnel didn’t have the desired effects as this team is 10-25 SU since letting Alain Vigneault go. Their 7-19 SU mark on the road is the fourth-worst road record in hockey and there isn’t a lot motivating this team right now as they’ve dropped nine of their last 13 games.
The trade deadline is also likely affecting the Flyers as Captain Claude Giroux has been the talk of many trade rumors with the deadline just around the corner. Center Scott Laughton is also dealing with a head injury after a scary hit into the boards in the Flyers’ last game and all of a sudden, this team is getting thin down the middle.
Philadelphia goalie Carter Hart was tagged for five goals in his last outing and has been touched for five goals in two of his last three starts. Coach Mike Yeo might go with Martin Jones today. Jones has a 3.67 GAA over his last 10 starts and gave up four goals to the Canes in the previous meeting. Neither goaltender should be trusted in Philadelphia right now.
Where the Flyers’ weakness is in net, the same cannot be said about the Hurricanes. They have the best GAA in the league at 2.35 and that number gets even better at home with a league-best 2.07 GAA. Andersen is questionable but backup Antti Raanta has been one of the best No. 2’s in hockey this season. He’s 10-3-2 on the season with a 2.32 GAA and at home, those numbers are even better with a 7-1 SU mark and a 1.62 GAA.
Afternoon games are always tricky and the Canes have a big game in Pittsburgh tomorrow, but Rod Brind’Amour is one of the best coaches in the league and will get his team focused on this game. The -305 price tag isn’t too long for us as we’ve seen other teams in this position as big as -400 favorites. The Panthers closed as -360 favorites versus the Flyers earlier this week and Philly was healthier then.
Prediction: Hurricanes -1.5 (-115)
Over/Under analysis
The last meeting between these two clubs saw a closing total of 6.5 and that game still hit the Over. The Hurricanes are 6-1 to the Under over their last seven which may be driving this total down but this is a great spot for the Canes to give up a couple with a big game on deck for tomorrow and some health issues in net.
The Flyers scored three goals on 27 shots the last time they faced Raanta and if Andersen isn’t likely to return tomorrow, we could see third-string goalie Alex Lyon, who played for the Flyers for four seasons before coming over to Carolina.
Philadelphia has had one of the worst offenses in the league this season but it has scored 13 goals over its last four games with 11 of those coming at 5-on-5 and against three teams with a winning record. With this game being sandwiched between the Avs and Pens for the Hurricanes, it wouldn’t surprise us if Philly got on the board early before Carolina takes over.
The Carolina power play could get some work in this afternoon, as well. The Flyers have killed just four of their last eight penalties over their last two games and are killing just 65% of their minors over the last 30 days. The Carolina power play has three goals over its last two games and nine PP markers over its last 10. It’s the fourth-best power play in the league and the third-best on home ice.
Ultimately, this total and price have us reaching to hit the “place bet” button. Afternoon games can sometimes be slop-fests, but that can also mean goals and with a total of 6 paying +100 on the Over, we’re pulling the trigger on this Over.
Prediction: Over 6 (+100)
Best bet
It doesn’t matter who is net for the Flyers, it’s going to be tough for them to slow down the Hurricanes with their injuries at center, talent in the crease, and issues stopping the power play.
We like the Flyers to put up a bit of fight today, especially early, which should help keep the Canes aggressive offensively and possibly give us some cracks at an empty net. Carolina is -190 to win in regulation but a much more manageable price of -130 to hit the over team total of 3.5 which is our best bet for this game.
Pick: Hurricanes TT Over 3.5 (-130)
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