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The Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes open the 2023-24 National Hockey League regular season Wednesday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Senators vs. Hurricanes odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Senators made some big splashes with new ownership, grabbing goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to guard the team’s cage. The offense was bolstered with LW Dominik Kubalik and RW Vladimir Tarasenko, while the defense added Jakob Chychrun. This Ottawa team figures to make a strong push for the playoffs, and it will be much more competitive than recent years.
The Hurricanes look to make another Stanley Cup push, and the team added scoring punch with LW Michael Bunting and LW Brendan Lemieux up front, as well as enhancing an already deep defense corps with Tony DeAngelo and Dmitry Orlov.
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Senators at Hurricanes odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Senators +170 (bet $100 to win $170) | Hurricanes -210 (bet $210 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Senators +1.5 (-140) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Senators at Hurricanes projected goalies
Joonas Korpisalo (18-14-4, 2.87 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO – 2022-23 w/Blue Jackets and Kings) vs. Frederik Andersen (21-11-1, 2.48 GAA, .903 SV% , 1 SO)
Korpisalo ended up winning 18 games last season in Columbus and Los Angeles, his 2nd-best win total in a single season in his career. He parlayed that into a lucrative deal in Canada’s capital city. Korpisalo was especially strong in a playoff push with Los Angeles, going 7-3-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .921 SV% with a shutout in 11 regular-season starts for the Kings.
Andersen leads a busy goaltender room in Raleigh, also featuring Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov. He was especially impressive at home last season, going 11-6-1 with a 2.27 GA and .908 SV%. The veteran lost his only start against the Sens last season, allowing 3 goals on 32 shots in a 3-2 loss at Ottawa on April 10.
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Senators at Hurricanes picks and predictions
Prediction
Hurricanes 3, Senators 2
Moneyline
The Hurricanes (-210) will cost you more than 2 times your potential return, which is risky considering the fact the Senators (+170) should be much improved. In fact, Ottawa is a bit of a wild card, as it has a lot of talent amassed on the roster, it’s now a matter of how quickly it can jell together.
AVOID.
Puck line/Against the spread
The SENATORS +1.5 (-140) are a decent value on the puck line. Ottawa is a strong underdog on the puck line, as this game could very well go to overtime or a shootout with 2 good goaltenders.
The Hurricanes -1.5 (+115) have traditionally had difficulty in the home opener, especially since it plays a single game, then heads out on a West Coast swing to start because of the presence of the North Carolina State Fair taking over the area, arena parking lot, etc.
Over/Under
UNDER 6 (-105) is also worth playing lightly. Ottawa’s offense is much improved, as Kubalik and Tarasenko should definitely improve the team’s scoring. And Carolina had a high-flying team last season, and Bunting will add more offense up front, with DeAngelo helping quarterback the power play. Still, the goaltenders should be ahead of the offenses in this opener, with scoring at a premium.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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