The Carolina Hurricanes will continue their West Coast road trip when they take on the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. Carolina is off to an undefeated start to their season and will try to keep that going against a Ducks team that is on a two-game winning streak of their own. Here, I break down this inter-conference matchup in the NHL and give you my Hurricanes vs Ducks prediction.
Our Hurricanes vs Ducks Pick
- Pick: Over 6.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Carolina Hurricanes vs Anaheim Ducks
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10:00 PM EDT
- Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Recent Form: Carolina is off to a strong start with a 3-0-0 record, including a dominant 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in their last outing. The Canes are averaging five goals per game through three games and they will try to continue their offensive onslaught against the Ducks here. Anaheim has shown resilience, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have won two games in a row after dropping their season opener to the Seattle Kraken one week ago.
- Goaltending: Carolina’s Frederik Andersen is expected to return to the crease after Brandon Bussi’s impressive debut. Andersen is 2-0 with a 2.89 GAA coming into this matchup and he will try to keep the Canes undefeated with a win here. Anaheim’s Petr Mrazek is slated to start against his former team, adding intrigue to the goaltending matchup. Mrazek has struggled early on and will try to take advantage of this opportunity to rebound.
- Key Skaters: Balance is the name of the game for Carolina so far this season. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis are tied for the team lead with four points. Carolina is able to hurt opponents with so many different players and that could give them the edge here. Anaheim’s Chris Kreider has four goals and one assist early in the season.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Chris Kreider (ANA) | Anytime Goal Scorer |
| Sebastian Aho (CAR) | Over 0.5 Assists |
| Frederik Andersen (CAR) | Under 2.5 Goals Allowed |
Betting Trends
- Carolina is 2-1 on the puckline to start their season.
- Anaheim has failed to cover the puckline in three games to begin this year.
- Both teams are 2-1 to the over through their first three games.
Hurricanes vs Ducks Model Projection
- Score Projection: Carolina 5 – Anaheim 2
- Win Probability: Carolina 65%, Anaheim 35%
Final Thoughts
Carolina enters this game as the stronger team on paper, with a perfect record and a potent offense. Anaheim has shown promise but faces a tough challenge against a well-rounded Hurricanes squad. I expect Carolina to win this game on the road to improve to 4-0-0 on the year. But my best bet here is for the game to go over the total of 6.5 goals thanks to the explosive nature of both of these teams on the attack.
