A game between two teams currently on losing streaks, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Arizona Coyotes take the ice at Gila River Arena for an East-versus-West showdown. Fox Sports Arizona will broadcast the game, which gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 4.
Carolina Hurricanes at Arizona Coyotes Odds
With a -140 moneyline, Carolina heads into the matchup as the heavy favorite. The line for Arizona sits at +120, and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting that total stands at -120 for the under and +100 for the over.
Though the team is 4-7 straight up (SU) this season, Carolina has actually lost 3.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 11 regular season contests, seven of its games have gone over the total, while four have gone under and none have pushed. The Canes are 3-3 SU on the road in 2017-18.
The Hurricanes have converted on 16.2 percent of their power play opportunities thus far. That mark hasn’t moved a lot from last year, when they were ranked 20th in the league by scoring on 17.7 percent of their extra-man chances. Their penalty kill has fallen off noticeably, as they’ve gone from successfully defending 84.2 percent of all opponent power plays (ranked fifth overall last year) to 77.3 percent this year.
The Canes, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 2.3 times per game this season. Last year, that figure was the best mark in the league at 2.7 penalties per game. After serving an average of 5.8 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for 4.5 minutes per outing this season.
Averaging 23.9 saves per game with a .897 save percentage, Scott Darling (3-5-2) has been the top option in goal for Carolina this year. If head coach Bill Peters chooses to rest him, however, the team might roll with Cam Ward (1-2 record, .911 save percentage, 3.40 goals against average).
Justin Williams and Jeff Skinner will both lead the way for the visiting Hurricanes. Williams (nine points) is up to one goal and eight assists, and has recorded two or more points in two different games. Skinner has seven goals and two assists to his name (and has logged a point in seven games).
Over on the other bench, Arizona is 1-13 straight up (SU) and has already lost 12.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 14 regular season contests, 11 of its games have gone over the total, while two have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 0-6 SU as the home team so far this year.
The Coyotes have converted on just 16.3 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 30th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 69.7 percent of all penalties.
Arizona players have been called for penalties only 2.9 times per game this season, a number that has improved drastically over the 4.0 penalties per game given up last year. After serving an average of 9.9 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for only 6.5 minutes per outing this year.
The winless Louis Domingue (23.7 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for the Coyotes. Domingue has zero wins and seven losses to his credit and has maintained a poor .856 save percentage and 4.33 goals against average this season.
The home team will be led on offense by Clayton Keller (nine goals, six assists).
Carolina Hurricanes at Arizona Coyotes Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Arizona has yet to win a game by two or more goals this season.
- Carolina has managed just 2.3 goals per game, while giving up 3.7, over its last three games (0-3 SU over that span).
- The extra-man advantage may prove to be key tonight. The Hurricanes are 2-5 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 3-7 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Coyotes are 1-8 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 1-11 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- After posting a 3-6 record in games decided by a shootout last year, Carolina is off to a 1-1 start in shootouts this season. Arizona went 6-2 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
- The over has hit in each of Arizona’s last five outings.
