Tonight’s NHL card has some exciting matchups and some interesting betting opportunities. The Detroit Red Wings have been on fire so far this season and we are targeting their star man to keep bringing his shooting gloves to the ice.
Elsewhere, we believe the Edmonton Oilers are being disrespected as home underdogs (even without their star player) and Mikko Rantanen looks like value to score points on the road.
Picks Summary
- Dylan Larkin Over 3.5 Shots (+138)
- Mikko Rantanen Over 1.5 Points (+125)
- Edmonton Oilers ML (+110)
*All Odds available at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Winnipeg Jets vs. Detroit Red Wings
Thursday, October 26, 2023 – 07:00 PM EDT at Little Caesars Arena
Betting Trends
- Dylan Larkin has averaged 4.2 shots per game thus far this season.
- Last season, Larkin led the Detroit Red Wings in shots per game, averaging 3.1 in total.
- Throughout his career, Larkin has averaged 4.2 shots per game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Larkin Has Been on Fire This Season
We don’t think many people would have expected the Detroit Red Wings to make such a strong start as they have done, having gone 5-2 to start the season. Much of their success has been down to forwards Alex DeBrincat and long-term Red Wings player Dylan Larkin.
Larkin has netted 4 goals and provided 7 assists in his first seven games of the season, compared to last year, when after seven games, he only had 8 points (which is still a very solid return).
Larkin has been on fire in the past few games, having had 3/3/2/3 points in each game, although his points total to go over 1.5 tonight is tempting at +110, we are looking at his shot line instead as it represents better value.
The Pick
With such a strong record against the Jets in recent games having averaged 4.3 shots per game and the fact he is the number one shot-taker on the Red Wings team, we must target Larkins over tonight.
There are rumors that DeBrincat won’t be playing due to an illness, which if anything is better for our Larkin bet, as more responsibility will fall on his shoulders without his wingman.
NHL Pick: Dylan Larkin Over 3.5 Shots (+138) at Bet365
Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Thursday, October 26th, 2023 – 07:00 PM EDT at PPG Paints Arena
Betting Trends
- Mikko Rantanen leads the Colorado Avalanche in points this season averaging 2 per game.
- Rantanen has seen 2+ points in 50% of his games this season and only failed to score in 1 of 6 games thus far this season.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed 3.3 goals per game to date.
Rantanen Value to Score Points on Road
The Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed 3.3 goals per game thus far this season, while Colorado is scoring 4.5 goals per game (the joint second most in the league).
When taking a look at Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen, he has scored 12 points in 6 games, which is ranked as the 4th most in the NHL at the time of writing. Rantanen is currently on a four-game scoring streak, having scored 1/2/1/4 points in each game.
The Pick
We expect this might be a sneaky high-scoring affair, and even if not, it’s still very possible Mikko Rantanen will score 2+ points in this game given his recent strong form in front of the net.
The odds for him to see two or more points tonight seem very generous at +125 and we would happily bet this down to +110.
Lifetime Rantanen has scored 9 points in 11 games against the Penguins. Let’s hope he makes it 11 in 12 at +125 NHL betting odds tonight.
NHL Pick: Mikko Rantanen Over 1.5 Points (+125) at Bet365
New York Rangers vs. Edmonton Oilers
Thursday, October 26th, 2023 – 09:00 PM EDT at Rogers Place
Betting Trends
- Edmonton are 1-7 in their last 8 games.
- NY Rangers are 2-6 in their last 8 games against Edmonton.
- The total has gone under in 5 of NY Rangers’ last 5 games against an opponent in the Western Conference.
No McDavid, No Problem
Well we do use this heading as a semi-joke, but also half serious. Of course, no Connor McDavid equals problems, and a 1-5 start to the season is an even bigger problem as the Oilers are massively on the back foot right now to catch up with the rest of the teams at the top of the Pacific Division.
The Oilers arguably lose 30/40% of their ability without McDavid, but even bad teams can have a winning night and the Oilers are not that bad of a team.
This seems like an easy NY Rangers victory, which is precisely why it’s our banana skin pick of the day; the Oilers are at home and underdogs against a Rangers team who started the season 4-2, but we like the home team’s chances of causing an upset tonight.
The Pick
The Oilers know they can’t afford to lose many more games with or without McDavid, this matchup will really show the teams’ battle and determination to improve.
The Oilers have been beaten by some weak teams, but on the flip side, the Rangers only barely scrapped by Calgary and Arizona to pick up two of their wins, and they lost on the road to Columbus.
Don’t be shocked if the Rangers win here. They are favorites after all, and there is no McDavid, but we just can’t pass up on the Oilers in a bounce-back spot as home dogs in a winnable matchup.
NHL Pick: Oilers ML (+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.
