The Carolina Hurricanes will continue their two-game Southern California swing with a match against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Hurricanes-Ducks prediction and pick.
The Hurricanes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday night. The Canes struck early with goals from Brady Skjei and Martin Necas. Likewise, they added some insurance with a goal from Sebastian Aho, his 10th of the season. The Canes finished it off in the third with a goal from Andrei Svechnikov. Significantly, Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves to preserve the victory for Carolina.
The Ducks fell 5-2 to the Winnipeg Jets. Initially, they held a 2-0 lead after goals from Jakob Silfverberg and Brett Larson. But things fell apart in the second period when they allowed five straight goals. Ultimately, it dropped the Ducks to 0-4-2 over six games and 1-7-2 over 10.
The Hurricanes swept the Ducks last season, winning 2-1 at Honda Center and 5-2 at home. However, the Canes are 3-3-4 over the last 10 against the Ducks. The Canes are also 3-4-3 over the last 10 at Honda Center.
Here are the Hurricanes-Ducks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Hurricanes-Ducks Odds
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (-115)
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-105)
Over: 6 (-110)
Under: 6 (-110)
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
The Canes continue to be one of the best teams in the NHL, playing a style that frustrates many opponents. Ultimately, they find ways to win hockey games.
Necas has 12 goals and 16 assists, with four on the powerplay. However, he has just one assist over four games against Anaheim. Aho has 10 goals and 16 assists, with two markers on the extra-man attack. Ultimately, he has three goals and four assists over 10 games against the Ducks. Andrei Svechnikov has 15 goals and 10 assists, with three tallies on special teams. Additionally, Brent Burns has four goals and 14 assists, with two on the powerplay. Burns has 15 goals and 30 assists over 72 games against the Ducks in his career. Also, Jordan Martinook has seven goals and six assists.
The Hurricanes are 25th in goals, 31st in shooting percentage, and 27th on the powerplay. Ultimately, they do not score often, but play solid defense to prosper. The Hurricanes rank seventh in goals against and 16th on the penalty kill. Significantly, they have thrived despite the loss of Frederik Andersen. Antti Raanta is 4-2-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .894, while Kochetkov is 5-1-3 with a 2.27 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .919.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if they can play tight defense and then capitalize on their chances on special teams. Additionally, they must take advantage of the weaknesses on defense.
Why The Ducks Could Cover The Spread
The Ducks are not a good team. Unfortunately, this season has spiraled out of control, and they are more in contention for the first pick than a playoff spot.
Troy Terry leads the Ducks offense with 11 goals and 15 assists. Significantly, he has three tallies on the powerplay. Trevor Zegras has nine goals and 13 assists, with two on the extra-man attack. However, the entire offense falls off from there. No one on the team has more than 13 points, and the newcomers Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano have had little to no impact. Likewise, the defense has continued to struggle on both ends, with only Cam Fowler generating three goals and 10 assists, which is well in-line for his career averages. Adam Henrique has seven goals and six assists, but has otherwise remained useless in most circumstances.
The Ducks are 29th in the NHL in scoring, last in shooting percentage, and 31st on the powerplay. Significantly, the Ducks have fared poorly nearly every game and have crossed the two-goal barrier twice during their six-game winless streak. It has not gone much better on the defensive end. Moreover, the Ducks have allowed 35 shots or more on a nightly basis. Anaheim ranks last in goals allowed and last on the penalty kill. Unfortunately, John Gibson has not had a good season, going 4-12-3 with a 3.98 goals-against average and save percentage of .896. The Ducks have seen everything go wrong with no end in sight.
The Ducks will cover the spread if they can score early and put some pressure on the Hurricanes. Additionally, they must avoid penalties as they are giving up at least one powerplay goal in every game.
Final Hurricanes-Ducks Prediction & Pick
One team is a Stanley Cup contender, and the other is a contender for Connor Bedard. Significantly, the Canes are too much for the Ducks but Anaheim plays them well at home. The Canes likely replicate the way they beat the Ducks last year, as this feels like a 2-1 victory.
Final Hurricanes-Ducks Prediction & Pick: Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-105)
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