NHL Predictions and Best Bets:

Here are today’s NHL predictions and best bets.

Seattle Kraken at Toronto Maple Leafs (-200, 6)

7 p.m. ET

The Maple Leafs are coming off back-to-back wins over the Predators and Rangers. The Kraken have lost two straight, giving up nine goals after surrendering just two goals in winning their first two games to start the season. William Nylander leads Toronto in scoring with nine points (two goals, seven assists). Auston Matthews has scored three goals in the past two games and leads the team with four on the season. Matthews also leads the Maple Leafs with 15 blocked shots. No other Toronto player is in double digits. I only wish I could find a Matthews blocked shots prop. In his eight games versus Seattle, the Maple Leafs captain has seven goals and seven assists. William Nylander has nine points in his eight games versus the Kraken.

On the Seattle side, Eeli Tolvanen, whether it’s been with Nashville or Seattle, likes to score against Toronto with five goals in eight games on just 17 shots. Teammate Jordan Eberle has 28 points in 26 games. The Maple Leafs have won three straight and seven of the last eight meetings against the Kraken, with six of the seven wins by two goals or more.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 goals (+133) – .75 units
Eeli Tolvanen anytime goal (+400) – .10 units
Jordan Eberle Over ½ point (+100) – .10 units
Auston Matthews goal/Nyalnder assist (+182) – .25 units
William Nylander goal/Matthews assist (+285) – .25 units

New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (-125, 5.5)

7 p.m. ET

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Only Buffalo, Edmonton and Calgary, with 10 goals, have scored fewer than the 11 goals scored by the Rangers this season. Yet I am on the Over 5.5 goals in this contest tonight. The last seven meetings between the two teams have all flown Over the total, and the Rangers have won four of the last five meetings. Based on the morning practice, it looks like Jonathan Quick gets the start tonight for the Blueshirts as Igor Shesterkin stayed on the ice after practice to work with the Rangers skaters who are not playing tonight. I will pass on both “sides” as this game is all about the player props.  I am targeting at least seven combined goals. For the Rangers, JT Miller has four goals in six games versus Montreal goalie, Samuel Montembeault and Mika Zibanajed’s 15 goals against the Habs lead all active players on the Rangers roster as well as his three goals in six games against Montembeault. Adam Fox has 15 assists in 14 career games against the Habs, and Will Cuylle has seven points in six games vs Montreal.

For the Canadiens, start with “Goal” Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Caufield has five goals on a three-game goal streak and has three goals in four games against Jonathan Quick and five goals and nine points in his 10 games against the Rangers. Nick Suzuki is on a four-game assist streak (seven total) and has four goals and 11 points in his career against the Rangers. Three of the last four meetings in Montreal have needed overtime.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
New York Rangers/Montreal Canadiens Over 5.5 (-128) – .50 units
Regulation Draw +320 – .10 units
Will Cuylle Over ½ point +124 – .10 units
Mika Zibanejad anytime goal +220 – .10 units
JT Miller anytime goal +260 – .10 units
Adam Fox Over ½ assist +102 – .10 units
Cole Caufield goal/Suzuki assist +266 – .10 units
Nick Suzuki goal/Cole Caufield assist +470 – .10 units
Oliver Kapanen anytime goal +550 – .10 units

Dallas Stars (-125, 5.5) at St. Louis Blues

7 p.m. ET

The history between these two teams says play the game going Under the total, with seven of the last 10 meetings having a combined three goals or less. Why I like the Over is that the Stars have gone Over the total in all four of their games this season. The Blues have cashed the Over in three of their four games and outscored 13-3 on home ice. With the expectation of a high-scoring game, I have a slew of prop plays. Jake Neighbours leads St. Louis with four goals on the season and has twice scored the Blues’ first goal of the game. The Stars’ Mikko Rantanen has torched Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, scoring 14 goals in 17 games against the Blues netminder. His teammate Wyatt Johnston has goals in four straight and has seven goals in 10 games versus the Blues. Jason Robertson leads the Stars with 21 shots on goal in four games this season (5,3,5,8). Thomas Harley has five assists in four games to start the season.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Dallas Stars/St. Louis Blues Over 5.5 (-125) – .50 units
Jason Robertson Over 2.5 shots on goal (-165) – 1 unit
Jason Robertson Over 3.5 shots on goal (+155) – .40 units
Mikko Rantanen anytime goal +160 – .10 units
Wyatt Johnston anytime goal +230 – .10 units
Jake Neighbours anytime goal +330 – .10 units
Jake Neighbours 1st Blues goal of the game +1000 – .10 units
Thomas Harley Over ½ assist +158 – .10 units

Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights (-245, 6)

10 p.m. ET

This is the second meeting between these Pacific Division rivals in the past five days. Calgary jumped out to a 2-0 lead only to see Vegas rally with four unanswered goals in a 4-2 victory over the Flames in Calgary. Jack Eichel responded to being benched (along with his linemates) for the final 7:50 of the opening period by scoring a pair of goals, including the game-winner. Eichel scored in four of the five Knights games this season (five total) and trails only Pavel Dorofeyev, who has the team lead (six). Like Eichel, Dorofeyev has been held without a goal in just one of the five Vegas games to start the season. The Knights’ leading scorer has opened the scoring for Vegas in four of the first five games, but it should be noted that Vegas has given up the first goal of the game in each game this season and 15 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 2024-25. The first period Over 1.5 goals has cashed in 11 of the last 13 October Vegas home games. With the two trends, I will also have a play on both teams to score in the first period.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Calgary Flames to score 1st goal of the game +140 – .25 units
Calgary Flames/Vegas Golden Knights 1st period Over 1.5 goals (-140) – 1.5 units
1st period Both Teams to Score +162 – .25 units
Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal +165 – .10 units
Pavel Dorofeyev to score Vegas 1st goal +600 – .10 units
Jack Eichel anytime goal +140 – .10 units

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