Check out tonight's NHL picks and predictions as I share my best bets for Saturday, November 16.
While most are probably dabbling in college football today, we also have a full slate of NHL hockey to cleanse our palette with.
In today's version of NHL Best Bets, we have a group of wily veterans from Long Island in the midst of a five-game road trip, while in the 7 p.m. ET slot, two underperforming squads are looking to breathe life into their seasons.
Let's dive into two best bets that I've singled out that potentially have value.
NHL Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 4 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Islanders vs. Kraken
It’s wild to see, but even after all the injury troubles, the New York Islanders look revitalized.
They’re one of the oldest teams in the NHL, but players like 34-year-old Anders Lee seem to be catching a second wind in his career after training with Adam Oates this offseason. Additionally, 33-year-old Kyle Palmieri is on a tear, with points in four out of his past five games.
Who said hockey was just a young man’s game?
New York is also feeling the breath of fresh air that both Maxim Tsyplakov and 20-year-old Isaiah George are injecting into this team.
After a shootout loss in Edmonton and a convincing win in Vancouver, the Isles head back across the border into Seattle, where they face the Kraken, who are victors of three straight. Seattle’s amid a 16-day homestand, a place where it feels awfully comfortable in.
However, even despite this nice stretch of wins, the numbers don’t add up. Since November 1, the Kraken are the fourth-worst 5-on-5 team in expected goals with a 42.33 xGF%.
While the Isles haven’t been the greatest team either, they have a boatload of help in net with Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin is still working his way back into the fold after an off-season back injury, but now he looks fresh. He’s posting a .915 SV% this season, along with a 4.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Seattle, on the other hand, will probably send out Joey Daccord, who’s one of the best stories in hockey. Daccord is playing lights out with a .918 SV% and a 6.5 GSAx. The problem is the team in front of him is making his life difficult.
In November, the Kraken’s defense is playing to a third-worst 3.81 xGA/60, and I have my doubts about that corps against a savvy Islanders roster led by Patrick Roy.
Pick: Islanders ML (-105)
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Sabres vs. Flyers
It’s insane how even this matchup is. That’s no compliment, though – both of these teams are very bad.
I’ve always been fond of the Buffalo Sabres’ talent, but they have never been able to put it together – and it doesn’t seem like they will again.
However, Buffalo will be rolling out Devon Levi tonight since Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is out with an injury. Levi was thought to have been the Sabres’ saving grace in net, but he’s fallen victim to the Buffalo curse. In five starts, he’s posting abhorrent numbers with an .870 SV% and a -6.9 GSAx.
Factoring that in with the Sabres’ inability to defend with a 3.32 xGA/60, I have a hard time thinking we’ll see a low-scoring game.
Even with the Philadelphia Flyers’ inability to drive 5-on-5 play, I’ve always admired the team the Flyers are building.
Travis Konecny continues to get better every year, Matvei Michkov is a budding superstar 15 games into his career, and Owen Tippett has the potential to be a top goal scorer in this league.
Additionally, they have the third-best penalty kill in the league, with an 88% success rate.
So, while the stats dictate that this game is very even, I have more faith in Philly to pull out the win. Buffalo continues to be a dumpster fire and I think the Flyers are in much better hands moving forward.
Pick: Flyers ML (-110)
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