NHL Slate Analysis — Thursday, November 5, 2026

Thursday, November 5, 2026 · NHL

The NHL slate for Thursday, November 5, 2026 has 11 games, the first at 6:00 PM CT. AiQ has a moneyline pick on all 11. None of AiQ's picks on this slate has a price on record above fair value. Each price is the one AiQ valued the pick at when it last priced the game.

Every game

Utah Mammoth at Montreal Canadiens

6:00 PM CT at Bell Centre. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Utah Mammoth 3, Montreal Canadiens 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Utah Mammoth have won 10 of their 16 games this season, winning three of the last five. The Montreal Canadiens have won 9 of their 15 games this season, winning four of the last five. When these teams last met, on November 26, 2025, the Montreal Canadiens won 4-3 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Karel Vejmelka (not yet confirmed, .871 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Utah Mammoth and Jacob Fowler (not yet confirmed, .925 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Montreal Canadiens.
• Weakness against weakness on the power play. The Montreal Canadiens scored on 13.0% of their power plays this season, the 3rd lowest in the NHL, and the Utah Mammoth allowed opponents to score on 30.0% of their power plays, tied for the 7th highest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Utah Mammoth a 53.0% chance to beat Montreal Canadiens. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -122, is priced below the fair price of -113 (−3.6% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 49.4% and the under at 50.6%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.6 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Utah Mammoth -1.5 a 31.1% chance to cover and Montreal Canadiens +1.5 68.9%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Utah Mammoth failed to cover the puck line in 8 straight games. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens failed to cover the puck line in 8 of 8 home games this season.

Everything points over on the total. The Montreal Canadiens went over the total in 7 of 8 home games this season. The Utah Mammoth went over the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Vegas Golden Knights at Detroit Red Wings

6:00 PM CT at Little Caesars Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Vegas Golden Knights 3, Detroit Red Wings 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Vegas Golden Knights have won 10 of their 17 games this season, winning two of the last five. The Detroit Red Wings have won 7 of their 16 games this season, winning three of the last five. When these teams last met, on March 4, 2026, the Vegas Golden Knights won 4-3 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Carter Hart (not yet confirmed, .893 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Vegas Golden Knights and John Gibson (not yet confirmed, .860 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Detroit Red Wings.
• Mismatch on the power play. The Vegas Golden Knights scored on 29.4% of their power plays this season, the 6th highest in the NHL, and the Detroit Red Wings allowed opponents to score on 30.0% of their power plays, tied for the 7th highest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Vegas Golden Knights a 56.8% chance to beat Detroit Red Wings. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -139 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -131 (−2.4% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6 goals at 49.3% and the under at 50.7%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.2 goals, sits on the 6 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 a 33.7% chance to cover and Detroit Red Wings +1.5 66.3%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent results against the puck line back the Vegas Golden Knights. The Detroit Red Wings failed to cover the puck line in 5 of 7 home games this season.

Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning

6:00 PM CT at Benchmark International Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Chicago Blackhawks 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Chicago Blackhawks have won 4 of their 16 games this season, losing the last four. The Tampa Bay Lightning have won 9 of their 14 games this season, winning two of the last five. When these teams last met, on January 23, 2026, the Tampa Bay Lightning won 2-1 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Arvid Soderblom (not yet confirmed, .829 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Chicago Blackhawks and Andrei Vasilevskiy (not yet confirmed, .878 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Tampa Bay Lightning a 78.9% chance to beat Chicago Blackhawks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -390 at Caesars, is priced below the fair price of -374 (−0.9% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 48.5% and the under at 51.5%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.5 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Chicago Blackhawks +2.5 a 55.0% chance to cover and Tampa Bay Lightning -2.5 45.0%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Against the puck line, the records lean toward the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Tampa Bay Lightning covered the puck line in 5 of 7 home games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks failed to cover the puck line in 5 of 7 road games this season.

Recent totals lean under. The Tampa Bay Lightning went under the total in 5 of 7 home games this season.

St. Louis Blues at New Jersey Devils

6:00 PM CT at Prudential Center. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is St. Louis Blues 3, New Jersey Devils 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The St. Louis Blues have won 7 of their 15 games this season, winning two of the last five. The New Jersey Devils have won 10 of their 15 games this season, winning four of the last five. When these teams last met, on February 28, 2026, the New Jersey Devils won 3-1 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Joel Hofer (not yet confirmed, .918 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the St. Louis Blues and Connor Hellebuyck (not yet confirmed, .900 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the New Jersey Devils.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives New Jersey Devils a 63.2% chance to beat St. Louis Blues. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -182 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -172 (−2.1% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 55.5% and the under at 44.5%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.3 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives St. Louis Blues +1.5 a 60.4% chance to cover and New Jersey Devils -1.5 39.6%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The last 4 games involving the New Jersey Devils went over the total.

Carolina Hurricanes at New York Islanders

6:00 PM CT at UBS Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Carolina Hurricanes 3, New York Islanders 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Carolina Hurricanes have won 12 of their 17 games this season, winning four of the last five. The New York Islanders have won 7 of their 14 games this season, winning two of the last five. The New York Islanders come in with more rest: their last game was on October 31, five days before this one, while the Carolina Hurricanes played two days before. When these teams last met, on April 14, 2026, the Carolina Hurricanes won 2-1 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Pyotr Kochetkov (not yet confirmed, .921 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Carolina Hurricanes and Ilya Sorokin (not yet confirmed, .911 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the New York Islanders.
• Strength against strength in scoring. The Carolina Hurricanes averaged 3.76 goals per game this season, the 3rd most in the NHL, and the New York Islanders allowed 2.71 goals per game, the 5th fewest.
• An uphill climb in shots. The New York Islanders averaged 25.5 shots on goal per game this season, tied for the 8th fewest in the NHL, and the Carolina Hurricanes allowed 22.3 shots on goal per game, the fewest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Carolina Hurricanes a 61.0% chance to beat New York Islanders. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -166, is priced below the fair price of -157 (−2.2% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 53.3% and the under at 46.7%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.1 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 a 38.1% chance to cover and New York Islanders +1.5 61.9%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Everything points under on the total. The Carolina Hurricanes went under the total in 7 of their last 10 games. The New York Islanders went under the total in 5 of 7 home games this season.

Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers

6:00 PM CT at Madison Square Garden. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Philadelphia Flyers 3, New York Rangers 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Philadelphia Flyers have won 4 of their 17 games this season, winning one of the last five. The New York Rangers have won 8 of their 16 games this season, winning one of the last five. When these teams last met, on March 9, 2026, the New York Rangers won 6-2 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Dan Vladar (not yet confirmed, .883 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Philadelphia Flyers and James Reimer (not yet confirmed) for the New York Rangers.
• An uphill climb on the power play. The Philadelphia Flyers scored on 16.7% of their power plays this season, the 6th lowest in the NHL, and the New York Rangers allowed opponents to score on 9.6% of their power plays, the lowest.
• Weakness against weakness in shots. The New York Rangers averaged 25.3 shots on goal per game this season, the 6th fewest in the NHL, and the Philadelphia Flyers allowed 29.3 shots on goal per game, tied for the 7th most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives New York Rangers a 58.4% chance to beat Philadelphia Flyers. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -150 at Fanatics, is priced below the fair price of -140 (−2.7% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 52.8% and the under at 47.2%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.1 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 a 64.6% chance to cover and New York Rangers -1.5 35.4%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Everything points over on the total. The last 5 games involving the Philadelphia Flyers went over the total. Of the last 4 meetings between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers, 3 went over the total.

Recent results against the puck line back the New York Rangers. The New York Rangers covered the puck line in 7 of 9 home games this season.

Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins

6:00 PM CT at PPG Paints Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Boston Bruins 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won 5 of their 15 games this season, losing the last three. The Boston Bruins have won 11 of their 16 games this season, winning three of the last five. When these teams last met, on March 8, 2026, the Pittsburgh Penguins won 5-4 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Jeremy Swayman (not yet confirmed, .912 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Boston Bruins and Arturs Silovs (not yet confirmed, .887 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Boston Bruins a 50.0% chance to beat Pittsburgh Penguins. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors, here by less than a point. The price on record, -108, is priced below the fair price of -100 (−3.7% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 49.7% and the under at 50.3%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.6 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Boston Bruins -1.5 a 29.2% chance to cover and Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 70.8%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Boston Bruins covered the puck line in 8 of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins covered the puck line in 7 of 10 games as underdogs this season.

The total pulls both ways. The Boston Bruins went under the total in 6 of 8 road games this season. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins went over the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Dallas Stars at Columbus Blue Jackets

6:00 PM CT at Nationwide Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Dallas Stars 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Dallas Stars have won 9 of their 15 games this season, winning three of the last five. The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 6 of their 13 games this season, winning three of the last five. When these teams last met, on October 31, 2026, the Dallas Stars won 3-1 at home. This is their second meeting this season.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Jake Oettinger (not yet confirmed, .909 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Dallas Stars and Jet Greaves (not yet confirmed, .882 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
• An uphill climb in scoring. The Columbus Blue Jackets averaged 2.69 goals per game this season, the 6th fewest in the NHL, and the Dallas Stars allowed 2.33 goals per game, the 3rd fewest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Dallas Stars a 54.6% chance to beat Columbus Blue Jackets. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -127 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -120 (−2.4% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 51.3% and the under at 48.7%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 5.9 goals, sits on the 5.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Dallas Stars -1.5 a 31.3% chance to cover and Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5 68.7%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Everything points under on the total. The Dallas Stars went under the total in 5 of 5 road games this season. Each of the last 3 meetings between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars went under the total.

Recent results against the puck line back the Dallas Stars. The Columbus Blue Jackets failed to cover the puck line in 5 of 7 home games this season.

Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets

7:00 PM CT at Canada Life Centre. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Vancouver Canucks 3, Winnipeg Jets 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Vancouver Canucks have won 3 of their 17 games this season, losing the last three. The Winnipeg Jets have won 5 of their 16 games this season, winning one of the last five. When these teams last met, on March 7, 2026, the Winnipeg Jets won 3-2 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Leevi Merilainen (not yet confirmed, .898 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Vancouver Canucks and Stuart Skinner (not yet confirmed, .881 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Winnipeg Jets.
• Weakness against weakness in shots. The Vancouver Canucks averaged 21.6 shots on goal per game this season, the fewest in the NHL, and the Winnipeg Jets allowed 29.3 shots on goal per game, tied for the 7th most.
• Weakness against weakness in scoring. The Winnipeg Jets averaged 2.44 goals per game this season, the 3rd fewest in the NHL, and the Vancouver Canucks allowed 4.53 goals per game, the most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Winnipeg Jets a 66.9% chance to beat Vancouver Canucks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -218, is priced below the fair price of -202 (−2.5% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 48.2% and the under at 51.8%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.5 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Vancouver Canucks +1.5 a 55.5% chance to cover and Winnipeg Jets -1.5 44.5%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The last 4 games involving the Winnipeg Jets went over the total.

Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers

7:00 PM CT at Rogers Place. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Anaheim Ducks 3, Edmonton Oilers 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Anaheim Ducks have won 7 of their 15 games this season, winning three of the last five. The Edmonton Oilers have won 11 of their 16 games this season, winning three of the last five. When these teams last met, on October 7, 2026, the Edmonton Oilers won 5-2 on the road. This is their second meeting this season.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Lukas Dostal (not yet confirmed, .871 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Anaheim Ducks and Tristan Jarry (not yet confirmed, .903 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Edmonton Oilers.
• Strength against strength in scoring. The Anaheim Ducks averaged 3.60 goals per game this season, the 6th most in the NHL, and the Edmonton Oilers allowed 2.88 goals per game, the 8th fewest.
• Mismatch in scoring. The Edmonton Oilers averaged 4.13 goals per game this season, tied for the most in the NHL, and the Anaheim Ducks allowed 3.80 goals per game, the 3rd most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Edmonton Oilers a 63.3% chance to beat Anaheim Ducks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -185, is priced below the fair price of -172 (−2.5% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 57.1% and the under at 42.9%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 7.2 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Anaheim Ducks +1.5 a 58.6% chance to cover and Edmonton Oilers -1.5 41.4%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Everything points over on the total. The last 5 games involving the Anaheim Ducks went over the total. Of the last 10 meetings between the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks, 7 went over the total.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Edmonton Oilers covered the puck line in 4 straight games. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks covered the puck line in 7 of 10 games as underdogs this season.

Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche

8:30 PM CT at Ball Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Nashville Predators 3, Colorado Avalanche 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Nashville Predators have won 6 of their 15 games this season, winning three of the last five. The Colorado Avalanche have won 9 of their 16 games this season, winning three of the last five. When these teams last met, on October 25, 2026, the Nashville Predators won 6-2 at home. This is their second meeting this season.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Juuse Saros (not yet confirmed, .908 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Nashville Predators and Mackenzie Blackwood (not yet confirmed, .893 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Colorado Avalanche.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Colorado Avalanche a 66.2% chance to beat Nashville Predators. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -205, is priced below the fair price of -196 (−1.6% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 48.6% and the under at 51.4%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.5 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Nashville Predators +1.5 a 56.2% chance to cover and Colorado Avalanche -1.5 43.8%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The last 6 games involving the Colorado Avalanche went over the total.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Nashville Predators covered the puck line in 8 of 11 games as underdogs this season. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche covered the puck line in 6 of 8 home games this season.

These come from the closing lines of this season and last. They are context, not the reason for AiQ's picks, and the books price them in.

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