Check out tonight's NHL picks and predictions as I share my best bets for Monday, November 18.
It's Monday, and it's only right we start the week off with some NHL Best Bets. We're trending in the right direction, and if the Islanders didn't get robbed on Saturday (you be the judge), we would've had a perfect outing.
Regardless, let's bounce back and get rolling. For tonight's best bets, I've targeted a puck line play, a moneyline play, and sprinkled in an anytime goalscorer play.
Let's get into Monday's NHL Best Bets and predictions.
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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9 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. | ||
Avalanche vs. Flyers
On Saturday, we hammered the Flyers, and now tonight, we fade.
The Colorado Avalanche come into town after a two-day break and it’s looking like the Avs are starting to come into place.
I recognize that on Friday, they got smoked at home against the Capitals, but before that, they were winners of four out of their last five.
In that stretch, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have each registered eight points, while defenseman Cale Makar began the season on a 13-game point streak.
However, goaltending has continued to be a pain point in Denver, with no end in sight. Alexandar Georgiev was just placed on IR, but it doesn’t seem like a serious injury. Regardless, Georgiev has been abysmal this season despite being a victor in three straight.
That leaves the crease to Justus Annunen, who is looking to rebound from the stinker that got him pulled mid-game against Washington.
The jury is still out on Annunen, as his numbers don’t look great, but most of Colorado’s wins have come with him in net.
The big question is, who will be worse, him or Ivan Fedotov of the Flyers? Fedotov hasn’t had a great season back in North America, posting an .871 SV% and a -3.0 goals saved above expected (GSAx), and having Colorado’s three-headed monster staring him down is daunting.
Additionally, in November, the Avs have significantly outplayed the Flyers on both ends of the ice. They’re seventh in expected goals with a 53.76 xGF% and a 2.92 xGA/60 on the defensive end.
Philly does pride itself on its defense, but it just had a cakewalk against Buffalo. Colorado will be a much more difficult challenge. It’s always a risk playing the puck line, but I like my chances with the Avs.
Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+140)
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Capitals vs. Utah
It’s not a big number, but I’m a little surprised that the Capitals are the favorite here.
Washington has impressed me this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Spencer Carbery is a Jack Adams finalist this year. The Caps are also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, including stomping all across the West with 5-2 victories in both Denver and Vegas last night.
Perhaps I’m a little naive, but it’s the Capitals’ third game in four nights on the road. In that third game, most teams will show major fatigue.
With the Capitals being amongst the oldest teams in the NHL, can we really put all of our eggs in that basket?
I understand the Utah Hockey Club isn’t the same team we saw when they started the season. But they’re still amongst the youngest teams and have had two days' rest to think about their loss to Vegas on Friday.
The goaltending situation in Utah is a little dicey since Karel Vejmelka has outplayed his partner, Connor Ingram. But Ingram hasn’t started since November 9 and you’d have to think Andre Tourigny wants to give the reigning Masterton Trophy winner a shot to regain his confidence.
Even though Utah has been a little sluggish as of late, I’ll continue to be a believer in the Hockey Club.
Leading points scorer Clayton Keller has points in three of his last four. However, he hasn’t lit the lamp since October 30 and the metrics suggest he's ready to break the drought. He's third on the team in both expected goals and Corsi, generates the second most high-danger chances and is tied for first in shots on goal.
Perhaps against a tired veteran squad, it’s the perfect opportunity to capitalize on a Keller goal.
Take Utah to win on DraftKings, and sprinkle in a quarter of a unit on Keller as an anytime goalscorer on Caesars.
Pick: Utah ML (-102) and Clayton Keller AGS (+185 on Caesars)
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