Tuesday is going to be a busy-busy-busy day in the land of NHL sports betting. Ten games are on this week's Day 3 slate, including the long-awaited matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, two favorites in the Stanley Cup betting odds circle
Better still, six of these 10 tilts are already laying early lines.  That means this latest batch of 2021 NHL picks will tackle the Carolina Hurricanes trying to assert their status over the reigning champion Tampa Bay Lightning, in addition to five other NHL predictions.
Let's begin by taking a look at all the latest NHL betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -125 | +113 | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Edmonton Oilers | -174 | +157 | Detroit Red Wings |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -116 | +105 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Calgary Flames | -201 | +180 | San Jose Sharks |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -130 | +118 | Seattle Kraken |
| Vancouver Canucks | -156 | +141 | Anaheim Ducks |
Remember to always confirm these NHL odds before committing to any NHL picks. Oddsmakers at BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks will continue to adjust their lines right until the opening faceoff.
Can Hurricanes Validate Stanley Cup Stock vs. Lightning?
This is the prevailing question we find ourselves asking entering Tuesday night. The Hurricanes are 9-1, making them a top-three team, but they've so far played out a below-average schedule.
Tampa Bay, as a reigning champion, poses a real test. At the same time, they look tired after making two straight Stanley Cup runs. Only eight teams are allowing more goals per game, and the offense has been lackluster overall.
With the way Carolina has played this season, it's impossible to take anyone else. They have some mettle to prove on the road, but their plus-19 goal differential speaks for itself.
OSB Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes (+113)
Edmonton to Keep Rolling Against Detroit
Guess how many teams are scoring more goals per game than the Edmonton Oilers this season?
Zero. Zilch. Nada. None.
Led by MVP candidates Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton is averaging 4.4 goals per game on the year, all while having played one of the tougher schedules to date. The front office focused on deepening the offensive rotation beyond their two stars over the offseason, and it shows. The Oilers are shooting 13.3 percent from the field and scoring on a whopping 50 percent of their power plays.
There's only one thing for us to do when they go up against the Detroit Red Wings, a team still in the throes of a rebuild: pick Edmonton to win.
OSB Prediction: Edmonton Oilers (-174)
Pittsburgh Should Edge Out Chicago
The Pittsburgh Penguins deserve major props for how they've gutted out this season. Injuries galore have not prevented them from maintaining a top-10 offense, and they're the best team in the league when it comes to killing penalties.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks have a legitimate case to be the NHL's worst team. This particular pick is far from rocket science.
OSB Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins (-118)
Calgary Flames Stays Hot vs. San Jose Sharks
People keep waiting for the Calgary Flames to cool off from their scorching-hot start. And it sure looks like they'll need to keep waiting.
Sure, the San Jose Sharks don't have the offense to pose much of a challenge. But this is more about the Flames themselves. They join the Hurricanes as the only other team in the league to rank inside the top five of both goals scored and goals allowed per game. So even if San Jose's defense holds up, Calgary is built to win a slog.
OSB Prediction: Calgary Flames (-201)
Seattle Wins Toss Up with Vegas
We would love to know how oddsmakers decided the Vegas Golden Knights deserved to be favorites over the new-to-the-NHL Seattle Kraken. This matchup is almost too close to call for us.
In the end, we lean toward Seattle. They are averaging more scores per game, kill a larger share of their penalties, and have posted roughly the same record as Vegas while facing a tougher slate of opponents.
OSB Prediction: Seattle Kraken (+118)
Bet on Anaheim to Surprise Vancouver
It might be time to take the Anaheim Ducks more seriously.
Yes, they're still supposed to be in the middle of a rebuild. But we're not saying they are Stanley Cup favorites. They just might be...actually good. Anaheim owns a top-10 offense against an above-average schedule and is getting quality play between the posts, where their goalies are combining for a top-10 save percentage.
Make no mistake, the Ducks have shown cracks on certain nights. But Vancouver's offense is among the most disappointing early season surprises. They're shooting just 8.3 percent from the ice, and by extension, they haven't done enough for us to invest in their favorite status.
OSB Prediction: Anaheim Ducks (+141)
Check out this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NHL betting:
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