Hurricanes Home Chalk Over Avalanche in Thursday NHL Picks

• What: Thursday NHL Picks
• Who: Colorado Avalanche at Carolina Hurricanes
• When: Thursday, December 5, 7:00 p.m.

In the Thursday NHL picks, we feature two teams named after severe weather that are doing their utmost to quell internal storms threatening to change the forecast for their respective NHL seasons.

The Carolina Hurricanes have lost a season-high three games in a row. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche are 2-3 over their past five games.

Deciding that there's no place like home, oddsmakers are making Carolina a -155 home favorite in the NHL picks.

Let's look at the latest betting line on this game. Odds are subject to change.

	Puck Line	Moneyline	Total
Colorado Avalanche	+1.5 (-183)	+133	O 6.5 (-115)
Carolina Hurricanes	-1.5 (+158)	-155	U 6.5 (-105)

These two cross conference rivals have a rivalry that goes back to the original season of the WHA, when the Hurricanes were the New England Whalers and the Avalanche the Quebec Nordiques. Both franchises joined the NHL in the 1979 NHL-WHA merger.

There are nine NHL games on the agenda during this Thursday night of action, and this is among the games that we think provides the best bets of the night in the NHL picks.

Best NHL Picks For You

Before we take a deeper look into Thursday's Avalanche vs Hurricanes NHL picks and best bets, why not take a look at our handy NHL betting guide to see where the best NHL betting odds and picks are located, including the latest props and futures wagering. As well, these online sportsbook reviews will also aid in helping you decipher which betting site is the one that's going to service your NHL betting needs on a comprehensive basis. And if you're someone who is living life on the move, these are the best sports betting apps that can help you get your NHL bets down in the midst of your busy day.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes Betting Trends

This has proven to be a series in which there's been a definitive home-ice advantage. Home teams are 6-1 straight up in the last seven games between the Hurricanes and Avalanche. That being said, the last six games played at the Lenovo Center have been split right down the middle at 2-2-2.

Overall, Colorado is 5-1 SU in the last six games against Carolina. The Avalanche are also 4-1 SU in their last five games facing an Eastern Conference opponent. Overall, the Avs are 8-4 SU in their past 12 games.

In all games, the Hurricanes are 2-5 SU through the last seven. Then again, Carolina is 9-2 SU in the club's past 11 home games. The Canes are 10-4 SU in their last 14 meetings with Western Conference teams.

The over was the winning play on the total in each of the last three games between Carolina and Colorado. Taken back further, the under has come through in 12 of the last 18 games between the two clubs. Six of the last seven Colorado at Carolina games went under. Four of Colorado's last six games went over. On the road, the total has gone over four times in the last six games played by Colorado.

The NHL picks show Carolina is 9-3 SU at home. The Hurricanes are 15-8-1 as a betting favorite and 8-4 against the puck line on home ice. Colorado is 7-5 SU on the road. The Avalanche are 2-5 as the underdog in the betting line and 4-8 against the puck line as a road team.

Goaltending An Issue For Both Clubs

Stopping the puck wasn't supposed to be an issue for either of these teams. Colorado's Alexandar Georgiev has led or held a share of the NHL lead in wins in each of the past two seasons. Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are a solid 1-2 punch between the pipes for Carolina.

So where has it all gone wrong? Georgiev has been utterly abysmal for the Avs. He's showing a 3.51 goals-against average and .873 save percentage for the season. In his most recent start Tuesday at Buffalo, Georgiev was given the hook after allowing four goals on eight shots.

What an Avs debut for Scott Wedgewood!

Insane circumstances to play your first game with a team entering the game down 4-0.

All he did was stop all 22 shots he faced (including this impressive save) to come back for a 5-4 win.

Bravopic.twitter.com/Xn9E5d9UGY

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) December 4, 2024

Journeyman Scott Wedgewood, recently acquired from Nashville, came in to close the door as the Avs would rally for a 5-4 victory. Expect Wedgewood to be making his first Colorado start in this game.

For the Hurricanes, both Andersen and Kochetkov have been sidelined by injury. In his first start back from a stint in concussion protocol, Kochetkov allowed four goals on 28 shots in a 4-2 loss to Seattle.

Necas On Fire For Hurricanes

If you're looking for player props in the NHL picks, two players deadlocked for the NHL scoring lead will feature in this game. Carolina's Martin Necas and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon both have 39 points on the season.

Necas is proving to be among the NHL's most pleasant surprises. He has 13 multi-point games this season.

This is old hat for MacKinnon, though. The Colorado star is the reigning Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP.

Colorado vs Carolina NHL Picks

This is the second game of a five-game road trip for the Avalanche. Meanwhile, Carolina is beginning a stretch that will see the Hurricanes playing five of the next six games at home.

Carolina Hurricanes To cover -1.5 puck line over Colorado Avalanche

+158

Bet Now!

The Hurricanes are playing solid hockey at home. On the other hand, Colorado has failed to covered the puck line in eight of the last nine games. Take Carolina to cover in the Thursday NHL picks.