Opening night in the NHL is finally upon us and we have some strong plays that we have our eyes on.
From the opening matchup in Tampa Bay which could be a slow game, to say the least, to the possible goal feast we might see between Chicago and Pittsburgh.
It’s going to be a fun and crazy night of hockey so strap in and let’s check out what bets we are taking on day one of the NHL.
Picks Summary
- Predators-Lighting Under 6.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
- Pittsburgh Penguins ML & Over 5.5 (+100) at Bet365
- Oliver Bjorkstrand Over 2.5 Shots (-110) at Bet365
Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 – 05:30 PM EDT at Amelia Arena
Betting Trends
- Tampa Bay is 4-0 ATS in their previous 4 games against Nashville.
- The total has gone Under in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games against an opponent in the Central Division.
- The total has gone Under in 4 of Nashville’s last 5 games on the road.
No Andrei Vasilevskiy, No Problem
Despite Tampa Bay missing their number one goaltender for at least 7/8 weeks, we still like their chances of winning on the opening day on home ice against a team as mediocre as the Nashville Predators.
Remember Tampa Bay are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and they still have the core of their Stanley Cup winning team, despite losing some pieces over the previous two seasons the Lightning should be strong enough with Jonas Johansson in the crease.
Johansson joins from the Colorado Avalanche and will likely be the number-one goaltender whilst Vasilevskiy remains injured.
The Pick
Whilst we do believe the Tampa Bay Lighting should win this matchup; we believe there to be much better value in targeting the total to go Under 6.5 at -130 at Caesars Sportsbook.
Nashville is not known for their scoring, in fact, it’s one of their weakest points on the team, while Tampa Bay is missing their number one goaltender, they still boast a solid defensive unit and
Johansson will be eager to prove himself. We are predicting the Lightning win this game 4-1, 4-2, or 5-1, and the total to stay under.
NHL Pick: Under 6.5 Goals (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook)
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 – 08:00 PM EDT at PPG Paints Arena
Betting Trends
- Seven of the previous ten games between these sides have seen the total go over 5.5.
- Pittsburgh are 4-2 in their previous six games on home ice.
- The total has gone over in 5 of Chicago’s last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
Penguins Too Strong For Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the league, their only saving grace is the fact they drafted Connor Bedard but that’s going to be a long-term project, he won’t bring them from the bottom to the top overnight.
Pittsburgh should be handing Bedard his first official NHL loss in this matchup, although we wouldn’t bet against Bedard registering at least one point in the game.
The Penguins have improved their team massively during the off-season, with their most notable signing being former San Jose Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson.
The Pick
We can’t look beyond the Penguins here, they should be capable of putting 4 or 5 goals past this Chicago defense and goaltending, whilst the Blackhawks’ main focus will be getting Bedard points.
The Penguins scored 7 goals in their final warmup game, whilst Chicago allowed 5 and 6 goals in their previous two road warmup road games. We expect a solid 5-2 Penguins victory.
NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins ML & Over 5.5 Goals (+100) at Bet365 (check our Bet365)
Seattle Kraken vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 – 10:30 PM EDT at T-Mobile Arena
Betting Trends
- Oliver Bjorkstrand averaged 3.9 shots per game in his six previous matchups against the Golden Knights.
- The Danish-born center ended last season with an average of 2.45 shots per game (the second-highest on the team).
- Bjorkstrand has had 4 assists and 1 goal in his previous six games against the Golden Knights.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (Seattle Kraken)
The Stanley Cup champions take to the ice in this matchup as they play host to the newest team in the NHL the Seattle Kraken. Seattle will be hoping to upset the homecoming in Las Vegas in what is set to be their first official game on home ice since becoming Stanley Cup champions.
Our OddsTrader computer is predicting a 3-2 victory for Las Vegas, and we are of similar thoughts on the scoreline but don’t be surprised if Seattle completely ruins the party and comes out on top in this matchup.
The Pick
Besides a possible under and road underdog win, our favorite play for this game has got to be Seattle’s main center Oliver Bjorkstrand to see 3+ shots in the game at -110 NHL betting odds at Bet365.
Bjorkstrand is one of Seattle’s highest shot takers and has seen 3+ shots in 4 of his previous 6 opening night NHL games, even in the two games in which he failed to hit three shots he ended on two shots (one shot shy of cashing on both occasions).
Win or lose we expect Bjorkstrand will have his shooting gloves on tonight.
NHL Pick: Oliver Bjorkstrand Over 2.5 Shots (-110) at Bet365
The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
