Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (10/25)
All sports fans and bettors will shift their focus to the ice tonight, as we don’t have any football or baseball on the schedule. The NHL is slated for 10 games, with action getting underway as early as 7:00 p.m. ET. The day wraps up out west with two 10:30 p.m. ET games as the Golden Knights take on the Sharks, and the Kings host the Lightning. Let’s dive into my top three bets for tonight!
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
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Arizona Coyotes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Coyotes finish up a six-game road trip tonight, and they’re off to a slow start in 2022. Arizona is just 1-4-0 (two points), tied for dead last in the league (Vancouver, two points). Columbus is off to a slightly better start as they come into tonight’s game at 3-4-0 (six points) and have won three out of their last four games. Tonight’s cross-conference clash is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Nationwide Arena.
I’m going to back the Blue Jackets on the puck line tonight, and this is really more of a fade of Arizona than an endorsement of Columbus. Everyone’s expectations for the Yotes are pretty low this season, and rightfully so. So far, they’ve lived up to the hype of being one of the worst teams in the league, both in the standings and on the stat sheet. Arizona is currently ranked 29th in goals per game (2.6) and 31st in goals allowed per game (4.80).
Columbus appears to be finding its groove right now as they’ve collected impressive wins over the Rangers and Predators in two out of their last three games. I expect this experienced roster to take care of business tonight and spread out the lead by at least two goals. The Blue Jackets are respectable on the defensive end and boast a top-10 penalty-killing unit (9th, 85.71%). They should be able to stifle this bottom-tier Arizona offense. Let’s lock in Columbus -1.5 tonight.
Bet: Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5 (+110 via Caesars)
Buffalo Sabres vs. Seattle Kraken
The Sabres are off to a 4-1-0 start (eight points), and they’re a perfect 3-0-0 on their current four-game road trip with wins over the Oilers, Flames, and Canucks most recently. The Kraken hasn’t been as fortunate out of the gate as they’re just 2-3-2 (six points) to start the season. Tonight’s matchup is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Seattle.
I’m slightly stunned by this line as I don’t think the Kraken should be laying juice to many teams in the NHL – especially not the Sabres. I’m not saying that I expect Buffalo to make be a top team this year, but I believe they have some young talent, and they’re on the rise. I’m going to lock them in as a slight underdog tonight.
Buffalo’s offense is on a tear to start the season, as they boast the second-best offense with 4.4 goals per game. Rasmus Dahlin leads the charge with five goals and three assists, while the hometown kid, Alex Tuch, is right behind him with six goals and one helper. What’s surprised me thus far is how well the Sabres are playing on their own end. They’re sixth in goals allowed per game (2.20), and their penalty kill is 11th at 83.33%. I don’t think Seattle has the offensive firepower to keep up in this game, and that leads me to believe the Sabres have a great chance to come away victorious tonight. Let’s ride with Buffalo on the moneyline.
Bet: Buffalo Sabres Moneyline (+110 via Caesars)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Los Angeles Kings
The Bolts got off to a slow start, but they’ve won their last two games and now sit at 3-3-0 (six points). The Kings have dropped their last two games and come into tonight’s contest at 3-4-0 (six points). Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to be back in net tonight for Tampa Bay, and that’s enough of a reason for me to take the Lightning tonight. He’s just 2-2-0 to start the season, but he hasn’t skipped a beat in terms of his individual stats. Vasilevskiy owns a 2.52 GAA, and his SV% is currently .922.
The offensive end is where the Lightning haven’t been able to establish themselves yet. They’re just 20th in the league in goals per game (3.0); however, their power play is clicking as they’re finding the back of the net on 28.0% of man-advantage opportunities (8th). This has the potential to be a breakout game offensively for Tampa Bay. They’re running into a Kings team that’s 29th in goals allowed per game (4.29) and 17th on the PK (78.12%). Let’s lean on Vasilevskiy in net and hope the Bolts can get the offense going tonight against a lowly defensive team in Los Angeles.
Bet: Tampa Bay Lightning Moneyline (-130 via Caesars)
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