Two of the least-penalized clubs in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes face off at PNC Arena. This East-West matchup will get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 1, and it’s being televised live on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes Odds
The money line for either side is currently set at an identical -110 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been placed at an even 6 goals. If gamblers want to wager on the game’s total, they’ll be looking at odds of -105 money on the over and -115 on the under.
Though the team is 29-23 straight up (SU) this season, Vegas has actually lost 2.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 52 regular season outings, 26 of its games have gone under the total, while 22 have gone over and just four have pushed. This 2018-19 Golden Knights team is 13-14 SU on the road.
Vegas has converted on 18.5 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked fifth overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 83.8 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, Vegas has been penalized just 3.2 times per game overall this season, and 2.5 per game over its last ten games. The team has had to kill penalties just 5.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 25.2 saves per game with a .911 save percentage, Marc-Andre Fleury (27-18-4) has been the best option in goal for Vegas this year. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, head coach Gerard Gallant could roll with Malcolm Subban (2-6), who has a .904 save percentage and 2.95 goals against average this year.
Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault will both be relied on to produce for the visiting Golden Knights. Tuch (40 points) is up to 16 goals and 24 assists, and has recorded multiple points 10 times. Marchessault has 17 goals and 18 assists to his name, and has registered at least one point in 25 games.
Carolina is 24-26 straight up (SU) and has lost 11.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. 29 of its contests have gone under the total, while 20 have gone over and just one has pushed. The team is 13-12 SU at home this season.
Carolina has converted on just 16.8 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that places it in the bottom 10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 17th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Hurricanes have been penalized 3.7 times per game this season, and 3.0 per game over their last five at home. The team has had to kill penalties just 7.8 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Petr Mrazek has denied 23.5 shots per game as the primary choice in goal for Carolina. Mrazek has 10 wins, 13 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit and has registered a fairly-weak .894 save percentage and 2.81 goals against average this year.
The Canes will be led on offense by Sebastian Aho (22 goals, 35 assists).
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Golden Knights, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- Carolina is 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while Vegas is 1-1 in shootouts.
- This game features two offenses that fire the puck toward the goal a lot. Vegas has taken the league’s fourth-most shots on goal (33.7) while Carolina has attempted the second-most (35.8). The Knights have averaged 37.8 shot attempts over their last five home games and the Canes have taken 32.4 shots over their last five home outings.
- This game features two of the tougher defenses in the league. Vegas skaters have given out the league’s third-most hits per game (27.2) while the Hurricanes have recorded the seventh-most (26.1).
