Hunter Skoczylas shares his prediction and pick for Tuesday’s NHL matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators.

The Hurricanes will play host to the Senators at the Lenovo Center on Tuesday night, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Carolina is a -175 favorite on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 6.5 goals.

Below, I’ll share a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s tilt between the Hurricanes and Senators.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators prediction, preview

Hurricanes preview

The Hurricanes are 6-0-2 across their past eight outings, while averaging 4.1 goals per game and allowing 2.3 goals per game. The expected starter between the pipes is Brandon Bussi, who sports an absurd 21-3-1 record this season. Bussi started five of Carolina’s past eight games, winning all of them and posting a 1.80 GAA and .917 SV%. On the season, he ranks 20th and 19th, respectively, in goals saved above expected and SV% above expected (out of 91 eligible goaltenders).

Carolina has long been a regular-season powerhouse and continues to be an analytical darling. The club ranks 10th in 5v5 goals per 60, despite ranking first in 5v5 xGoals%, 5v5 high-danger chances and 5v5 Corsi%. The Hurricanes also average the second-most goals in the NHL when playing at home (3.77) and have scored 3+ goals in each of their past five outings.

For up-to-date NHL betting information and data, check out both the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page and the DraftKings Sportsbook player props page!

Senators preview

The Senators enter tonight’s matchup riding a four-game winning streak but will have the rest disadvantage, having played in Pittsburgh last night. Considering Linus Ullmark started last night, I’d expect the club to turn to veteran James Reimer. While Reimer hasn’t necessarily been great with a 3.05 GAA and .874 SV%, he is still the second-best option for a Senators team that has been plagued by poor goaltending all season. The 37-year-old ranks 49th out of 91 eligible goaltenders in goals saved above expected, which ranks best among Ottawa goaltenders.

Ottawa’s poor goaltending hasn’t bled into the offense, as the club ranks third in 5v5 goals per 60, third in 5v5 xGoals and fifth in 5v5 Corsi%. The Senators also rank 11th in PP% and have scored the fifth-most power play goals in the NHL. What is not so good, however, is everything defensively, as they rank second-to-last in PK%, seventh in penalty minutes taken per 60 and ninth in 5v5 goals against per 60. Still, if you’re planning to beat Ottawa, you’d better be prepared to score a ton of goals.

Hurricanes vs. Senators pick, best bet

These teams have met just once this season on Jan. 24, a game in which the Hurricanes won 4-1 on the road. Now, things have flipped, and Carolina will host Ottawa tonight. If I had to pick a side, I’d lean Carolina because of the goaltending and home ice advantage (third-best home record in the NHL), but the total looks more enticing. 61% of the handle and 46% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook lie with the total to go over 6.5 goals.

The first meeting failed to clear this total, and Bussi has allowed only one goal in three of his past five starts, but everything lines up. The Hurricanes have both averaged and allowed more goals when playing at home this season, and the Senators have done the same when playing on the road. It is hard to pass up the over on a goal total in a game featuring two elite 5v5 teams.

Best Bet: OVER 6.5 Total Goals (-112)

Lean: CAR Hurricanes 60-Min Line (-115)