Hurricanes-Ducks prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Carolina Hurricanes will travel down the I-5 Freeway to face the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Hurricanes-Ducks prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Hurricanes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in a shootout. Initially, they got off to an early lead when Brent Burns found the back of the net. On a penalty kill, Sebastian Aho skated past the offense and sniped a short-handed goal. Jesperi Kotkaniemi added a goal to make it 3-0. Later, it was 4-1 Hurricanes in the second period when Brendan Lemieux scored to make it 5-2. But the collapse began late in the second and into the third period as the Kings scored three consecutive goals. Consequently, it took a shootout for the Canes to finish off the Kings.

The Ducks lost 4-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights in their season opener. Late in the first period, the defense had a lapse and allowed Jack Eichel to skate past two defenders and swing a powerplay goal past John Gibson. Chandler Stephenson found the back of the net in the second to make it 2-0. Unfortunately, it was already 3-0 when Mason McTavish found the back of the net to give the Ducks their only goal.

The Ducks swept the season series last season, winning 4-3 at home and 3-2 on the road. Somehow, the Ducks have won 7 of the last 10 and 15 of the last 20 games in this series.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Hurricanes vs. Ducks Odds

Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (-120)

Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (+100)

Over: 6.5 (-104)

Under: 6.5 (-118)

How to Watch Hurricanes vs. Ducks

Time: 8:40 PM ET/5:40 PM PT

TV: ESPN+

Why The Hurricanes Will Cover The Spread

The Hurricanes are the better team. Yet, they somehow struggle against the Ducks. They need the offense to get going as they did against the Kings. Moreover, they cannot give the Ducks any hope.

Aho and Brady Skjei each have one goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Teuvo Teravainen has already notched two goals through two games. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo has two assists. Meanwhile, Martin Necas has one assist through two games. The Hurricanes hope these players can continue to score points. Also, they hope to fix problem areas.

The Hurricanes won only 47 percent of their faceoffs last night. Moreover, they took only 19 shots. The Canes also went 0 for 4 on the powerplay. Thus, they will look for better results on the extra-man attack. The Hurricanes also took seven penalties and allowed two goals on the powerplay. Thus, they need more discipline in this battle with the Ducks.

Antti Raanta will likely make his first start of the year against the Ducks after Frederik Andersen went last night. Therefore, he will try and keep the Canes in the game while facing an Anaheim team with many young upstarts.

The Hurricanes will cover the spread if they can score early. Then, they need good goaltending and solid defense.

Why The Ducks Will Cover The Spread

The Ducks had a predictably bad game against the Golden Knights. Ultimately, it was not a surprise as they had only won four times in 27 games against the Knights in their history. But they have had more success against the Canes.

Trevor Zegras has three assists in four games. Now, he is looking for his first point of the season. Troy Terry has four goals and one assist in five games against the Canes. Thus, look for him to be ready to snipe the puck past Raanta. McTavish has an assist in two games against the Hurricanes. Ultimately, he hopes to add to the goal he scored last night.

The Ducks won 48 percent of their faceoffs, so possession was not a significant problem last night. However, they also went 0 for 3 on the powerful and allowed two goals on six power-play chances. The Ducks also took only 23 shots. Likewise, they allowed 38 shots. These are the same issues this team experienced last season. Therefore, they need to adjust and play better.

Lucas Dostal will likely make the start against the Hurricanes after Gibson went last night. Significantly, this will be his first opportunity to show the Ducks what he can do for their future, as he likely will be the starter next season.

The Ducks will cover the spread if they can find better shots. Additionally, they cannot allow the Canes to fire endless shots in their direction and also must play disciplined hockey.

Final Hurricanes-Ducks Prediction & Pick

The Hurricanes are amazing. However, the Ducks match up well with them for some reason. Expect the Ducks to at least cover the spread.

Final Hurricanes-Ducks Prediction & Pick: Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (+100)