Utah travels to Raleigh on Thursday night to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Utah has surged through January and finds itself in fourth place in the Central Division, while Carolina comes into this game in first place in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams have won four of their last five games, but only one team will keep its winning ways going here. Before this contest begins, keep reading for my Mammoth vs Hurricanes prediction in the NHL.
Our Mammoth vs Hurricanes Pick
Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
| Matchup: | Utah Mammoth vs Carolina Hurricanes |
| Date & Time: | Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Venue: | Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC |
| Broadcast: | ESPN+ |

Key Storylines
- Form snapshot: Utah is 28-21-4 and enters off a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Carolina is 32-15-5 and 7-1-2 across the last 10 games, fresh off a win over the Ottawa Senators.
- Pace and shot share: Carolina averages 32.1 shots per game and allows 24.3, among the league’s best differentials. Utah sits at 28.3 shots per game and 25.7 shots allowed.
- Special teams: Utah’s power play has converted at just 15.2% so far this season, while Carolina’s power play has a success rate of 21.3% going into this matchup.
Goaltending
- Utah: Karel Vejmelka is 25-12-2 with a 2.56 GAA and .902 save percentage. He has been a big reason for Utah’s recent success.
- Carolina: Brandon Bussi checks in at 19-3-1 with a 2.15 GAA and .911 save percentage, providing calm, efficient play in net behind an elite shot-suppressing defense.
Key skaters
- Utah leaders: Clayton Keller leads the team with 50 points. Dylan Guenther leads the Mammoth in goals with 24.
- Carolina leaders: Sebastian Aho has 52 points and drives the top unit for the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis leads the Canes in goals with 23, adding finishing ability on top of Aho’s playmaking.
- Injury notes: The aforementioned Guenther is listed as day-to-day for Utah, while Alexander Kerfoot remains out. For Carolina, Shayne Gostisbehere has been day-to-day, while Eric Robinson is sidelined.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of two regular-season games between the Mammoth and Hurricanes this season.
- Carolina is 20-32 in the puckline market going into Thursday night’s game.
- Utah is 22-30 on the puckline going into this game from Raleigh.

