NHL Playbook: Betting Lines, Odds & Picks For Thursday, Nov. 3

NHL Betting Lines, Odds & Picks for Thursday

The model has been on an absolute heater lately, and today presents us with a massive 13-game slate to weave through for value. Let's dive into some of these good games and make some winning wagers tonight on the ice.

The BetQL model has gone 37-15-10 (72% win) on 4-Star and higher NHL bets of $100 in the last week, so be sure to check out the model's best bets for tonight. BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick.

Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NHL bets, plus what the model is projecting for every football game this week! Start your free trial today!

At this point, the Boston Bruins may end the season with just one loss. Okay, so maybe that won't happen, but they have been on fire to begin the year at 9-1-0 after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins the other day. The Rangers are on a three-game win streak themselves after struggling a bit, so both of these teams are coming into this game on a heater. I have loved what I have seen from New York to begin this season. Even during their short losing streak, they outplayed their opponents in several of those losses. The Rangers are taking over 36 shots per game, while only allowing 28, so they have been dominating puck possession in their games. Their biggest problem is getting the puck in the back of the net, which has been a bit of a struggle to begin the year.

As for Boston, it is hard to come up with weaknesses for how great this team has been. The offense has been fantastic, taking 36 shots per game and doing what the Rangers can't do with all those shots, which is score goals. They average over four goals per game, which is one of the best marks in the league. Their goaltending has been just as good, allowing under three goals per game. If I had to pick the one part of the team that hasn't been elite, I'd have to go defense. They allow 32 shots per game, which isn't bad, but it isn't good either.

PICK: At some point, Boston has to lose another game. New York is a team that has the potential to deliver them that at Madison Square Garden. I really like what I have seen from the Rangers, so I'll take them at home here as a short favorite to add another loss to the Bruins record. Gerard Gallant is also 49-19 SU as a favorite while coaching the Rangers.

What is wrong with the Florida Panthers? They are just 5-4-1 on the season to this point, and they have some alarming statistics right now. For starters, Florida is scoring on just 9% of power play chances, which is at the very bottom of the league. They also can't defend opposing power plays, only killing off 72% of chances. Those are some very unexpected numbers from a team as deep and talented as this one. What's funny about all of this is that fact that the Panthers have actually been destroying their opponents in puck possession every game. They are taking over 39 shots per game, which is one of the best numbers in the league, while allowing just 28 shots defensively.

The Sharks we knew were going to struggle this season, and struggle they have. San Jose has been anemic on offense, scoring just over two goals per game. They are getting 29 shots on average offensively, which isn't terrible, but they really need to figure it out on that side of the ice. Defensively, I've been impressed with what I have seen so far. The Sharks allow 31 shots per game, which isn't bad, and allow just over three goals per game. Honestly, if the team could just score more, this wouldn't be a bad squad to start the season.

PICK: Florida has had some bad luck to begin the year, as they have played phenomenally well yet can't seem to start stockpiling wins. San Jose is an inferior opponent in almost every way, and the Panthers should have no trouble dispatching them. The question is: will they? I like Florida here.

If the year was anywhere between 2010 and 2015, this would be one of the best matchups of the entire season when the Kings visit the Blackhawks at the United Center. Unfortunately, you can't stop time from moving on, and both of these squads have struggled for the last 3-4 years. I've liked what I've seen from the Kings much more than I have from the Blackhawks, even if Chicago has won some games they certainly shouldn't have. LA actually isn't getting outplayed, getting about 33 shots per game flying towards the net, while allowing 32. A 6-6-0 team with an almost even shot percentage, who would have thought? Goaltending has been the biggest issue for the Kings, as they are allowing almost four goals per contest. This isn't the Jonathan Quick that was staring down Corey Crawford nine years ago.

The Hawks have won several games that they had no business winning. They are getting severely outplayed almost every game, being outshot on average by a 34 to 26 margin. They don't control the puck, and they don't do a good job on. offense or defense. The goaltending has been average, so that has been what has saved them on some nights. They also have a pretty good power play percentage, lighting the lamp on over 26% of chances. Let's not be fooled though, this is one of the worst teams in the NHL.

PICK: I'm not sure how the Blackhawks are keeping games close or winning with how they have played. LA should be able to handle them, so I'll pay a small price on Kings ML.