Subscribe
Follow Us
Who's ready for some action-packed hockey on this Saturday? The Carolina Hurricanes will meet up with the Philadelphia Flyers in what should be an entertaining duel! Join us for our NHL odds series where our Hurricanes-Flyers prediction and pick will be made.
Entering this one fresh off of a rare 6-2 home defeat to the Islanders, the 4-2-1 Carolina Hurricanes will be looking for a quick turnaround as they head to Philadelphia for a daunting road test. Coming into the season, the Hurricanes were viewed as a clear-cut Eastern Conference contender and are eager to showcase what this roster is all about out on the ice.
A season ago, the Flyers were hands down one of the worst teams in the NHL. However, through seven games played this season, Philadelphia has been one of the league's best thus far. With a shiny 5-2 record that includes a nearly unbeatable 3-1 mark while at home, the Flyers are determined to prove that they have changed their ways and are ready to leave the sluggish play that haunted them all of last year behind once and for all.
Here are the Hurricanes-Flyers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Hurricanes-Flyers Odds
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+132)
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-162)
Over: 6 (-120)
Under: 6 -102)
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
Through the team's first seven matchups, the ‘Canes have compiled a 3-4 record against the spread and will surely look to improve upon that mark later this evening. In order to cover the spread, Carolina will need to figure out a way to be more opportunistic with their power play chances especially against a goaltender that has been one of the league's best. So far, Carolina has scored a total of five power play goals, but they haven't been very efficient when given the chance. Thus far, Carolina has only converted on 20% when they have the extra man. Simply put, the Hurricanes cannot afford to keep the Flyers hanging around especially with the Philadelphia home crowd energizing their squad on Saturday.
Not to mention, but there is no excuse for Carolina if they play the poor brand of defense that they put on display against the Islanders. Not only did the ‘Canes allow six goals throughout three periods, but they also need a better outing from starting net-minder Frederik Anderson. While Anderson has shown glimpses of effectiveness in net, he has been way too inconsistent for Carolina to be favorites night in and night out. In order to cover the spread, Anderson needs to stand on his head and shutdown a Flyers attack that is only scoring three goals per contest.
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
Who could've thought, but the Flyers currently boast the second-best record in the entire Eastern Conference. Without a doubt, the Flyers have exceeded expectations so far and have no plans of slowing down in the near future. Winners in five of their first seven matchups, the Flyers have followed the city of Philadelphia in having winning expectations with the Phillies and Eagles all on top of their respective leagues. Regardless, the Flyers have been even greater when it comes to covering the spread as they have racked up a 6-1 mark thus far.
Clearly, you can point to a multitude of facets of the game that the Flyers have succeeded at, but none more impressively than Philly goalie Carter Hart. Believe it or not, Hart has been flawless with a perfect 5-0 record including a 2.00 goals-against average whenever he suits up for action. At first glance, the Flyers offense has only generated at least five goals scored once so they will need to rely on their sturdy goaltender to get the job done on Saturday night.
Final Hurricanes-Flyers Prediction & Pick
While it is still early in the season, could this be a future playoff matchup out in the powerful Eastern Conference? With both teams wanting to prove that they belong among the cream of the crop of the National Hockey League, expect the Flyers to feed off of their fans' energy to push them over the top and cover the spread.
Final Hurricanes-Flyers Prediction & Pick: Flyers +1.5 (-162)
