Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (10/12)
It was an excellent start to the new season as we cashed both of our bets last night on the Rangers ML (-115) and Golden Knights ML (+100)! The NHL is back with another six games this evening as 12 teams take the ice for the first time this year. Here are my top two bets for today’s slate.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Check out our consensus odds for 2022-23 Stanley Cup Champion >>
Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals
Both the Bruins and Capitals saw first-round exits in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and are looking to build around their veteran core players in the new campaign. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena for this Eastern Conference clash.
Boston’s first move this offseason was opting to get rid of Bruce Cassidy at the helm. They’ll hand the reigns over to Jim Montgomery, who was formerly the coach of the Stars (2018-2019) and most recently an assistant with the Blues (2020-2022). As for the roster construction, there wasn’t much movement aside from bringing back David Krejci, who played in Europe last season and adding centerman Pavel Zacha, who comes over from the Devils via free agency.
Washington was fairly active over the offseason, bringing in Stanley Cup goaltender Darcy Kuemper and fortifying forward depth with Dylan Strome, Connor Brown, and Henrik Borgstrom. And, of course, the Capitals will run it back with the usual cast of characters in Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, and John Carlson. Nicklas Backstrom is still with Washington but will miss time due to having hip surgery over the offseason.
While typically, you’d be settling in to watch a physical battle with some high-flying talent between these two teams, we might not get that tonight… at least from one team. Boston has a few key injuries out of the gate, with Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy both sidelined with offseason surgeries. This was already a middle-of-the-pack offense last year (15th, 3.09 gpg), and without their leading scorer in Marchand (80 points on 32G, 48A), they may be in trouble to start the year. Meanwhile, we have a Caps team that is home and bolstered their backend with the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. I think Washington has more than enough firepower to take care of an aging Bruins team without their most significant player. Give me the Caps tonight on the moneyline.
Bet: Washington Capitals Moneyline (-140 via DraftKings)
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Colorado Avalanche
Speaking of the Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche is getting ready to open up the new season as they host a Blackhawks organization that doesn’t have much optimism heading into the year. The puck drop for this Central Division matchup is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from Pepsi Center in Denver.
Chicago is in an interesting position as they still have one of the most lethal players in the league in Patrick Kane, who amassed 92 points last year on 26 goals and 66 assists. Aside from him, this team hasn’t much to be excited about. They shipped off Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa and Kirby Dach to Montreal for draft picks, essentially signaling that they’re entering a rebuild.
As for the champs, they also saw significant roster turnover, with Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri, Darcy Kuemper, and Jack Johnson (to Chicago) all departing. The only key addition that they made was bringing in Evan Rodrigues from Pittsburgh. The winger showed signs of brilliance with the Pens last season, scoring 43 points on 19 goals and 24 helpers. I guess that’s what happens when you finally break through and win the Cup and have to break open the checkbook the following off-season. However, there is still plenty of talent on this team, with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews, and Cale Makar all returning. That’s a core group, along with the injured Gabriel Landeskog, who will be a threat to make another deep run when the playoffs roll around this year.
I will back the champs on the puck line tonight as they open their season against a lowly Blackhawks team. Even with a few key departures, they still have exponentially more talent than Chicago. Good luck dealing with Nathan Mackinnon’s speed and intelligence while having Cale Makar and Devon Toews weigh you in the offensive zone. This could be a bloodbath for this youthful, inexperienced Chicago team trying to find an answer for one of the most talented rosters in hockey. Let’s go with the Avs -1.5 tonight.
Bet: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (-155 via DraftKings)
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