Free NHL Picks Today for Saturday, November 6th, 2021

Free NHL Picks Today for Saturday, November 6th, 2021
Sat 6th November 2021

The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are so many games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With a heap of teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this. 

What will today’s games bring? Which teams will have the ability to get the all important win on the board, and who will crack under the pressure? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! So sit back, relax and if you like to have a bet, then you have certainly come to the right place.

Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule. 

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Ottawa Senators – 2.00PM EDT

An early afternoon game to really get your heart pumping, the two time defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are on the road when they take on the Ottawa Senators. The Lightning will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 1-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs last time out. Meanwhile, the Senators will be desperate to snap a three game losing streak.

Denis Kirilov

The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to make up for their defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. The victory slipped away in the last minute when John Tavares tied the game and sent it to overtime, in which William Nylander scored the deciding goal. This put an end to their momentum and the team from Tampa will be looking to get it back as soon as possible. They still need to catch up in the standings as they had a tough start to their campaign.

On the other hand, the Ottawa Senators find themselves in the bottom of the table with just 3 wins out of 10 matches. They are on a 4-game losing streak at home, as they are really struggling to protect their goal against opponents with decent offensive lines. The Lightning is such a team and I think they will have troubles against them as well. Almost everything suggests that I should pick the Lightning except the injury list. Seabrook, Bogosian, Katchouk, and Kucherov are still sidelined due to injuries while the only top player who might miss the game for Ottawa is their defender, Nikita Zaitsev. However, I would take into account all the other things that scream “Tampa, Tampa…” and recommend a Lightning win with at least 2 goals difference. 

Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+138)

Tony Battalio

Another game has passed and the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, Tampa Bay Lightning still have yet to look like they are the champions of season’s past. It has been a rough year for Tampa Bay, as they have struggled through the season’s first couple of weeks. They are currently 5-3-2 on the year. This will be the finale of a short 2 game road trip for the Lightning and they will be looking to close it out with a win to regain some momentum and turn their slow start around.


As for the Ottawa Senators, their season has been rough as well. They are currently on a three game losing streak which has brought their overall record to 3-6-1 on the year. This will be their last game of a fast two game homestand before they hit the road to play Boston, so they will be looking to use this tough stretch of their schedule to pick up some much needed victories. 

As for the game, I think Tampa Bay is going to win this one. However it may not be as pretty as fans would like, as this team is still struggling to find form. The safer bet in this one is the moneyline as I still do not think they are playing well enough to cover the 1.5 goal spread at this time, even against a much weaker team like the Ottawa Senators.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-192)

Michael Lantz

The Ottawa Senators are coming off a three game losing streak which included a 1-5 loss to the, at the time, winless Chicago Blackhawks. Things won’t get any easier for them as they face off against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning…or will they? Tampa Bay has continued to look inconsistent this season; after a three game win streak they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Thursday night. 

It was only an OT loss, so Tampa shouldn’t hold their head low losing to a Toronto offense that always has the potential to be one of the league’s best. The Lightning will look to bounce back in Canada’s capital city. Despite Ottawa having some great individual talent, they are having trouble with their depth. I expect Tampa to tally another in the win column and cover the spread in the process.

Michael’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+138)

Carolina Hurricanes @ Florida Panthers – 6.00PM EDT

This has to be the match of the night, when the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes take on the Florida Panthers, who have only one loss in a shootout to their name. The Hurricanes have a tough schedule coming up, and will be desperate to take their winning streak out to double digits. The Panthers are coming off an overtime win against the Capitals last time out, 5-4.

Denis Kirilov

This game will definitely catch the eye of each NHL follower around the world. This is definitely the highlight of Saturday night in the NHL. The Carolina Hurricanes (9-0-0) will have to face the Florida Panthers who hold a record of 9-0-1. Both teams are in their peak form at the moment and they will hope they can transfer it to the Playoffs later this year. The Panthers are leading the Eastern Conference with 19 points, followed by the Hurricanes with 18 points and one game more to play. Andrei Svechnikov, Anthony DeAngelo, and Sebastian Aho will try to lead their team to 10 straight wins, but in trying to do so they will need to overcome the resistance from players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Gustav Forsling.

This is definitely the pinnacle for the early-stage of the 2021/22 NHL season and the pressure will be felt on both sides. The Panthers will try to be the team that will stop the Hurricanes’ raid, while Carolina will make an attempt to keep their momentum and get as much as possible from its continuity. I think that this game will live up to the expectations of the millions following the NHL worldwide and both teams will leave it all on the ice. In such games, home-ice advantage is sometimes a disadvantage as the bigger pressure falls on the home team and this will be the main reason why I will go with the streak. I expect a tight game with several interesting matchups to follow in the periods and a win for the Hurricanes through a smart outplay in a specific moment of the match. 

Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (+112) 

Tony Battalio

This is easily the game of the night and perhaps the game of the weekend as these two outstanding teams will be in Florida in what could be a potential Eastern Conference Finals match up. The Carolina Hurricanes are the last undefeated team in the National Hockey League with a record of 9-0-0. They have won a total of 6 of those 9 games by at least two goals. They have yet to even be pushed past regulation and play an overtime game this season. The Hurricanes have been absolutely dominant at times, and they look like they will continue this streak well into the season’s first full month of November. 
fanduel sign up bonus

As for the Florida Panthers, they are currently 9-0-1 through ten games played, with their only loss coming to the Boston Bruins on October 30th in a shootout. Even after losing their head coach due to the ongoing Chicago Blackhawks scandal, they have not lost a single step. This a tough call for who I think will win this game as its two great teams who could certainly win this one. Due to the Panthers home ice advantage I have to give them the nod in this one. I think the hostile environment of their home crowd will give them the extra edge to find a late winner.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-134)

Michael Lantz

In what might be the game of the year thus far, the 9-0-0 Carolina Hurricanes head to Miami to take on the 9-0-1 Florida Panthers. The Panthers started the season 8-0-0 before a shootout loss to the Boston Bruins, but that might benefit them. Sometimes getting that first loss out of your system can be a relief—especially if it’s a loss where you still got one point.

Despite the Hurricanes impressive record, there’s still some questions about their strength of schedule. Florida will by far be their toughest opponent yet, and they’ve had close calls against the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes, who have a combined one win. These two teams lead the NHL in goals against per game, as Carolina has a stunning 1.67 against them and Carolina still with an impressive 2.10. This should be a gritty battle, and even though Carolina barely has the better record, and the league leading stats, with Florida right behind them in both categories in what is sure to be a wild FLA Live Arena, I’ll pick the Panthers and in this defensive battle the under should be a lock as well.

Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers / Under 5.5 (+390)

Colorado Avalanche @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 7.00PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second time in as many games. Three days ago the Blue Jackets got the better of the Avalanche, winning in overtime, 5-4. Can the Avalanche get revenge, or will the Blue Jackets make it two from two?

Denis Kirilov

The Colorado Avalanche will have a chance to get their revenge against the Columbus Blue Jackets who managed to beat them in their previous game. The match began well for the Avalanche who got a convincing 2-0 lead in the 2nd period. However, they went on to concede 4 goals in the matter of 12 minutes. In the end, they almost pulled off a comeback with two goals in the last minutes, but Jake Bean’s goal in overtime crushed their hopes.

The Blue Jackets are in a position for the Playoffs which will be their main goal for this season. The Colorado Avalanche’s start was kind of a bumpy ride with plenty of ups and downs throughout the process. They secured some convincing wins against top teams like the Minnesota Wild, the St. Louis Blues, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but lost to a weak Vegas Golden Knights’ team and to the Blue Jackets. However, I think I can trust them in this one, as the 11th place they are currently at, doesn’t match their potential and their ambitions. My pick here goes in favor of the Colorado Avalanche. 

Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-184)  

Tony Battalio

This will be the second game in a row between these two teams. In the last one the Columbus Blue Jackets came back from an early deficit to net an overtime winner and beat the Avalanche. Colorado was a preseason favorite for the Stanley Cup, and their early season play has made that preseason prediction seem more and more unlikely with every game that passes. They are currently sitting at 4-4-1 on the season and prior to the loss to the Blue Jackets, were on a two game winning streak. Now they will look to bounce back on the road after failing to get it done against Columbus at home. 


As for the previously mentioned Columbus Blue Jackets, they have been a surprise early on in the 2021-22 season, as many had predicted them to be a team that would finish near the bottom of the standings. However, early on in the season that has not been the case as they currently have a record of 6-3 and have beat some very good teams. As for this game, I think Columbus pulls out another close win against the Colorado Avalanche at home on Saturday night. It may very well take another late winner to get the job done, so I do not like the idea of taking the spread of 1.5 goals. But I think Columbus is playing better hockey at the moment which is why picking them is the better bet in my opinion.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (+152)

Michael Lantz

These two teams faced off in a nail biter on Wednesday night that went to overtime and resulted in a 5-4 Columbus win. After getting shut out against the New York Rangers on Friday the 29th, the Blue Jackets have used the last two games to reignite their offensive firepower, laying four goals on the New Jersey Devils prior to the showdown against Colorado. The Blue Jackets are at an impressive 6-3-0 record—a start many didn’t see coming, as they look to win back-to-back games against a Colorado team that’s been a bit of a disappointment.

The Avalanche are sitting at 4-4-1, after the loss to Columbus at home. The Avalanche started off the season with Nathan MacKinnon injured and had Gabriel Landeskog suspended for two games as well. To top things off, Mikko Rantanen has also been out with an injury, so unfortunately the Avs “big three” haven’t had much ice time together. The goalie position has also been off for Colorado this year. After losing Vezina finalist Phillip Grubauer in the offseason to Seattle, the team added Darcy Kuemper as a replacement. So far Kuemper has a fairly low .904 save percentage, and while Grubauer is doing worse, he also is playing behind an expansion team, whereas Kuemper is playing behind a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. Losing at home was tough for the Avs, but good news: they should have Rantanen back on Saturday. So, I’ll pick the Avs to steal one back from the Blue Jackets on the road. 

Michael’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-184) 

Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM EDT

The Boston Bruins have a short, one game road trip when they travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. The Bruins will be looking to build on their two game winning streak, and also their season record, which currently stands at 5-3-0. The Maple Leafs are in the middle of a five game homestand, of which they have won all three of, taking their overall winning streak out to four.

Denis Kirilov

The Boston Bruins travel to Canada for a one-time away game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams seem to be picking up ahead of this fixture as the Leafs are in a 4-game winning streak, while the Bruins hadn’t lost in their last 2 games. The Canadian team recorded 3 straight wins at home defeating the Red Wings, the Golden Knights, and the Lightning. However, Boston has also managed to bounce back at home with wins over the Florida Panthers and the Detroit Red Wings. This victory over the undefeated Panthers gave them wings and they simply demolished Detroit, winning in each period of the game.

This match will be a close call, but I think that it’s time to put an end to Toronto’s winning streak. They haven’t impressed much in the early stages of this season as they managed to take advantage of the circumstances in certain games so far. The best teams in the NHL currently just dismantled the Maple Leafs, giving them no chance at all. On the other hand, Boston stopped Florida’s streak in its tracks and defeated a high-flying San Jose Sharks’ team. This gives me enough reasons to choose the Bruins as the winner of the game in Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. 

Denis’ NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (+112)

Tony Battalio

The Boston Bruins have put together a small but successful two game winning streak and they will take it north of the border to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in this one. Boston is currently 5-3 on the year and has some impressive victories over some good teams, including the Florida Panthers. This season is a really important one for the Bruins, as it may be their last chance to get their aging core another Stanley Cup trophy.
fanduel sign up bonus

As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, this will be game four of a five game homestand, they are on a winning streak of four as well after a somewhat slow start in the season’s first week and a half. Toronto currently holds a record of 6-4-1 and will be looking to continue their winning streak and momentum well into the holiday months. A huge first step in this process would be getting a victory on Saturday against a very tough Boston Bruins team. However, I do not expect that to be the case as I believe the Boston Bruins are playing at a better level than the Toronto Maple Leafs, even with Toronto’s four game winning streak.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (+112)

Michael Lantz

After a messy start to the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally looking like the contenders many predicted them to be. They’ve won three in a row, including some big wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning. They’re getting some great production from their three prime forwards, Austin Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares. In addition to some highlights on offense, they’ve also been seeing success with Jack Campbell in goal. The Leafs hope all the pieces can continue to fall in place so they can push on to win their first playoff series since 2004. 

Their next opponents are the Boston Bruins, a 5-3-0 team that’s been a bit hard to put a finger on. They’re still getting phenomenal production from their veteran stars: just the other night in a 5-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings, Patrice Bergeron scored a haul and Brad Marchand had four assists, proving these two want maybe one more shot at cup glory. Just before that, they gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 shootout loss, which was Florida’s first of the year. Prior to that win, their other victories were not impressive, whereas their losses came against three league leading teams (Carolina, Florida and Philadelphia). Both these teams are on nice runs, and while usually experience pays off, I’m going to take a hot Maple Leafs team to take advantage of home ice advantage to win at home.

Michael’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-134)

New York Rangers @ Calgary Flames – 10.00PM EDT

The New York Rangers end their road trip when they take on the Calgary Flames. The Rangers are looking to bounce back after two overtime losses in a row, and their season record currently stands at 6-2-3. Interestingly, the Flames are also coming off back to back overtime losses, and they have a similar season record as the Rangers, at 6-1-3.

Denis Kirilov

The Calgary Flames will look to stop their losing streak as they have lost their last two games at home against the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars. Both defeats came off weak First Periods of the match where the Flames conceded goals which put them at a disadvantage for the remainder of the game. However, even after these losses they managed to keep their 3rd position in the Western Conference with 15 points and with a more than solid goals difference. The team from Alberta, Canada is definitely one of the best teams in the NHL at the moment and they will try to convince everybody with a win on Saturday against the Rangers. 

In their previous match, the Vancouver Canucks stopped the 5-game winning streak for the New York Rangers away from home. This game also displayed the great defense that the Rangers have at the moment and it will be really difficult to get the puck past their goaltender. The team from the “Big Apple” is currently 3rd in the Western Conference and they are looking to close the gap to Carolina and Florida who are on another level during these first 10 games for the new campaign. However, keeping in mind that they had a hard task against the Edmonton Oilers just yesterday, I think that the Calgary Flames can eventually take advantage of that and get the win. 

Denis’ NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-154)

Tony Battalio

The New York’s have got off to a hot start this season and even took the Edmonton Oilers to the limit last night. In a game that went to overtime and was tied 5-5 after regulation. New York is sitting at 6-2-3 following their hard fought loss to Edmonton on Friday night. As for the Calgary Flames, they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey over the last week and a half. Even with the last two times they’ve played being losses snapping a 6 game winning streak, they are still asserting themselves as a Stanley Cup threat. They currently sit at 6-1-3 through 10 games on the year. They will be looking to start another streak and gain some more momentum with a win on Saturday. 


As for the game, this will be a highly contested matchup between two really good teams. I have to give the edge to the Calgary Flames in this one partially due to home ice advantage and the New York Rangers playing a back to back. The safer bet is the moneyline because I look for this game to come down to the wire and be decided by only a single goal.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-154)

Michael Lantz

After winning six straight games where they truly were on fire, the Calgary Flames have cooled off after back-to-back overtime losses to the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars—two teams they could have and probably should have beaten. The Flames look to get back on track against the New York Rangers, another team facing consecutive overtime losses. 

On Friday night, the Rangers lost in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers 5-6. After three games where they had pretty impeccable defense, they struggled mightily. If it’s any silver lining, the Edmonton Oilers are the league’s top offense—so many others will suffer the same fate. The Rangers playing a late one on the road just to play the next day, might be a rough go, whereas Calgary has had an extra day of rest. Also, the Flames ripped past the Rangers a couple weeks ago, 5-1, in New York. With home ice and an extra night, Calgary’s the choice and I’ll take a bit of a risk here and say they even beat the spread.

Michael’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+172)

If you’re in need of more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!

*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.

SportsTips covers all the latest betting, odds, picks & predictions news when it comes to major American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information, SportsTips has you covered!