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Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (10/26)

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We have a loaded 11-game slate on Thursday with some great betting angles to attack. Below, I walk through my three best bets for Thursday’s NHL slate.

Follow me on Twitter to get all my plays on days without full write-ups.

Thursday’s NHL Best Bets

Anaheim Ducks (+240) at Boston Bruins (-300) | O/U 5.5 (-138/+112)

The Under cashed between these two teams when Boston won 3-0 in Anaheim on Sunday, and I don’t expect this matchup going any differently.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to start between the pipes for the Bruins, which bodes well for the Under. Picking up right where he left off last year, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner is 3-0 with a .962 SV% and 1.00 GAA.

Playing in front of him is one of the better blue lines in hockey, which should help quell a solid Ducks forward group. There have now been five or fewer total goals scored in five of each of these teams’ first six games.

Bet: Under 5.5 Total Goals (+112 at FanDuel)

Minnesota Wild (-130) @ Philadelphia Flyers (+110) | O/U 6 (-118/-102)

The Flyers have been playing a much better brand of hockey than their 3-2-1 record suggests. Coming off two straight losses, now is a great time to buy low on Philadelphia.

Those two losses came against the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, two likely playoff teams with Cup aspirations this year. The Flyers even finished with more expected goals than Dallas in that overtime loss.

In fact, Philadelphia ranks higher than Minnesota this year in both expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5. Not only do they look better both offensively and defensively than the Wild thus far, but the Flyers also possess the goaltending advantage in the expected Gustavsson-vs-Hart matchup.

Through four starts this year, Carter Hart is 3-1 with a .929 SV% and 2.01 GAA. That lone loss came against the defending Cup champions.

Bet: Flyers Moneyline (+110 at DraftKings)

New York Rangers (-120) @ Edmonton Oilers (+100) | O/U 6 (-136/+106)

Edmonton’s biggest weakness is its depth, which is not surprising given how top-heavy its lineup is. The problem with that roster construction is that if a top guy gets hurt, like Connor McDavid currently is, then the team is in a really difficult spot.

Put that team against one of the best blue line/goaltending combinations in the league, then they are in a REALLY difficult spot. That is the case for Edmonton on Thursday as the Rangers rank fifth in the league in xGA/60 at 5-on-5.

Backing up this strong defense is goaltender Igor Shesterkin, one of the world’s best netminders. Last season, he finished fifth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) at 5-on-5.

While he had a few rough outings to start the campaign, he found his form his last time out against the Calgary Flames, a game in which he stopped 24 of 25 shots for a .960 SV% en route to a 3-1 win. I wouldn’t be too surprised if we see a similar result against a McDavid-less Oilers on Thursday.

Bet: Under 6 Total Goals (+106 at FanDuel)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:


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Tony Sartori is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tony, check out his archive and follow him @tony_sartori.

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