Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (10/8)
After a thrilling two-game Global Series in Prague, Czechia, the NHL returns to North America as the rest of the league kicks off the 2024-2025 season. The league rolls out three games tonight. I have bets locked in for each contest. Let's dive into where I'm laying my money on the ice as the new campaign gets underway.
Tuesday's Best NHL Bets
(Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)
St. Louis Blues (+118) vs. Seattle Kraken (-140) | O/U 5.5 (-120/+100)
The action gets underway early this afternoon, as the Blues square off against the Kraken at 4:30 p.m. ET. Both of these clubs missed the postseason in 2023-2024, with the Blues placing fifth in the Central Division (92 points) and the Kraken settling for sixth in the Pacific (81 points). Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m. ET from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA.
This should be a fun Western Conference matchup to get the day started, but when the dust settles, I think it'll be the Kraken who secure the two points. Give me Seattle on the moneyline. For starters, I like a few of the moves the front office made this past offseason, bringing in experienced Stanley Cup-winning players like C Chandler Stephenson (formerly Las Vegas) and D Brandon Montour (formerly Florida). Goals were tough to come by for the Kraken a year ago, as they ranked 28th in scoring with 2.6 goals per game. These two offensive-minded skaters should help bump that number up in 2024-2025.
As for this game, it may not take a ton of scoring to secure the victory. First off, St. Louis is pretty banged up to start the year, as it's confirmed they'll be missing C Oskar Sundqvist (IR - knee), LW Brandon Saad (IR - personal) and D Torey Krug (IR - ankle). Like Seattle, St. Louis struggled to find consistent scoring last season. They finished 24th in scoring with 2.9 goals per game. They'll have a tall task this afternoon as they try to score on Joey Daccord, who went 19-18-11 last year with a 2.46 GAA (sixth) and .916 SV% (fifth). Give me the healthier, deeper team that also has a home-ice advantage - let's ride with the Kraken.
Bet: Kraken Moneyline (-140)
Boston Bruins (+130) vs. Florida Panthers (-155) | O/U 5.5 (-110/-110)
The reigning Stanley Cup champs hit the ice tonight, as they open up their season against a divisional foe in the Bruins. Florida won the Atlantic Division with 110 points last season, while Boston was right behind them with 109 points. This divisional clash is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL.
I'm not going to overthink this one. I'm playing the under in this divisional rivalry. These are arguably the two best-coached teams in the league when it comes to defensive structure and keeping the puck out of the net. That showed up on the stat sheet last season, where the Panthers led the league in scoring defense (2.27 GAA), while the Bruins were sixth (2.57 GAA). On the penalty kill, the teams were sixth (82.47%) and seventh (82.46%), respectively.
The biggest news over the weekend was that Boston finally inked goalie Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year, $64 million contract. However, the netminder won't go tonight. It'll be newcomer Joonas Korpisalo getting the nod in the crease. The Finnish goalie logged an underwhelming 3.27 GAA (44th) and .890 SV% (45th) with Ottawa last year. I fully expect him to bounce back now that he's in a defensively savvy organization like Boston. He's shown signs of greatness throughout his career and having a bulked-up Boston defense in front should help him excel in 2024-2025. Give me the under in what should be a physical, grinding game between two familiar rivals.
Bet: Under 5.5 Goals (-110)
Chicago Blackhawks (+143) vs. Utah Hockey Club (-170) | O/U 6.0 (-120/+100)
Tuesday's season-opening slate concludes out west, as the Utah Hockey Club is set to play its first-ever NHL game. They'll host another up-and-coming Central Division team in the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks brought up the rear of the Central last season with just 52 points. Utah is essentially made up of the dissolved Arizona Coyotes from last year. The Desert Dogs finished seventh in the Central with 77 points. This NHL nightcap is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT.
I'll play the over in tonight's NHL finale. Both of these offenses are primed to take a step forward in 2024-2025 based on all of the young talent on their rosters. For Chicago, look no further than Connor Bedard, who racked up 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in just 68 games. He'll have some help around him this season, with the recently-added RW Teuvo Teravainen (formerly Carolina), RW Ilya Mikheyev (formerly Vancouver) and LW Tyler Bertuzzi (formerly Toronto). Also, LW Taylor Hall is healthy after missing nearly all of last year.
Furthermore, both of these defenses were bottom-tier units last season. For Chicago, they finished the year ranked 29th in overall defense (3.34 GAA) and 27th on the penalty kill (75.76%). As for Utah, which was formerly Arizona, they were 25th in both defensive scoring (3.11 GAA) and penalty killing (76.32%). The Hockey Club will likely send Connor Ingram to the crease tonight. He posted a 2.91 GAA (29th) and .907 SV% (22nd). As for Chicago's Petr Mrazek, he went 18-31-4 with a 3.05 GAA (35th) and .908 SV% (19th). All things considered, I think we're primed for some scoring tonight in Salt Lake City - give me the over.
Bet: Over 6.0 Goals (-120)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Tuesday: