NHL hockey is officially back!
To start off the regular season here in North America, we have three consecutive games, which feature the Blues vs. Kraken, Bruins vs. Panthers and Blackhawks vs. Utah Hockey Club – with all three games broadcast on ESPN beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT)
Our staff of NHL experts have compiled 5 NHL best bets for your betting pleasure, including goalscorer props, points props, a spread pick and – to cap off our NHL preview – a special 3-leg first goalscorer round robin.
Let's dive in and see what's in store with our 5 NHL picks, props, predictions and best bets for Tuesday, October 8.
NHL Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 4:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
 | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Blues vs. Kraken
By Greg Liodice
Shane Wright has had a whirlwind career, and he’s only 20 years old. In his draft year, he was the consensus #1 overall pick and, to the surprise of us all, fell to fourth overall, where the Seattle Kraken capitalized on the young stud.
From there, he’s been back and forth from the NHL, back to Junior, played in the Calder Cup Finals in the AHL, back to the Pros, captained Canada in the World Juniors and finally dominated a full season in the AHL.
For a 20-year-old, that’s a lot of movement. But the one thing Wright has always maintained was his production. In 67 AHL games, he produced 53 points – not including his 22 points in 36 AHL playoff games.
This season, he finally gets the call as a full-time NHL player. According to DailyFaceoff, he’ll be centering the third line with Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand – two legitimate goalscorers in their own right.
Seattle has a deep roster and is pushing hard to return to the playoffs. Its opponents, the St. Louis Blues last season, were horrendous defensively, with a 3.48 xGA/60 and allowed 3.02 goals per game.
Jordan Binnington will do his best to stand on his head in front of a defense that hasn’t seemed to get better (maybe except by adding Philip Broberg). Regardless, I see several opportunities for Seattle to break through, with Wright being a benefactor of it.
Pick: Shane Wright anytime goalscorer (+380)
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Blues vs. Kraken
By Nick Martin
At the tail end of the 2021-22 season, Matty Beniers broke into the NHL with nine points in his first ten games and became a trendy pick in the following season’s Calder Trophy race as a result. He didn’t disappoint, as he netted 57 points in 80 games and won the 2023 Rookie of the Year award.
Surprisingly, he registered an unproductive campaign last season and took considerable steps backward on a Kraken side, which scored only 2.61 goals per game. Now he and the Kraken will look to get right under new bench boss Dan Byslma, who may not be a perfect hire but does seem to have a better eye for the game offensively than former coach Dave Hakstol.
Beniers looks set to skate on Seattle’s top line alongside Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle in Tuesday’s game, a line that owned 56% of the expected goals last season but had a tough time finishing opportunities.
Even under new coach Drew Bannister, the Blues were a below-average side defensively last season. From January on, they held the league's fifth-highest xGA/60. Their defensive core still looks shaky and, as a whole, provides a solid matchup for Beniers and the Kraken’s top unit.
If Beniers bounces back like I am expecting prices of +110 for him to record a single point, he will not be around for very long, and I’m happy to back him at that number in the Kraken’s home opener.
Pick: Matty Beniers over 0.5 points (+110)
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Blackhawks vs. Utah
By Greg Liodice
If you read my Playoff Futures article back in August, you’ll know why I’m bullish on Utah.
A franchise once riddled with despair, financial troubles, and arena issues in Arizona finally has a reason to believe. You could put all the talent in the world in Arizona; the Coyotes weren’t going to win a thing until they had their issues solved.
Salt Lake City is going to be bumping. As an NBA fan as well, I know how much the Utah faithful get behind its sports teams. While the Delta Center isn’t exactly optimal for hockey (it will be in a few years), they’ll make it work. The fans showed up to the only preseason game in droves and shook the roof off.
The Chicago Blackhawks come into town, and all eyes will be on second-year phenom Connor Bedard. The 19-year-old superstar will be coming with a whole lot of expectations after averaging a smidge under a point per game in his rookie season.
Aside from Bedard, who will generate a ton of opportunities for himself and his linemates, I don’t see much else. The Blackhawks have some OK pieces and added some middle-of-the-road veterans, including Tyler Bertuzzi and a few over-the-hill players in Pat Maroon and Craig Smith.
I don’t expect this roster to be the same come March, and we’re in Year 2 of this rebuild. Meanwhile, Utah is blossoming with talent with Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, and more.
To that end, the Hockey Club is set at goal, with Connor Ingram, who’s established himself as a legitimate starter in this league.
I’m taking Utah to win big in front of its home fans.
Pick: Utah -1.5 puck line (+150)
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Blackhawks vs. Utah
It’s funny how things work out in sports (and life). Ilya Mikheyev was essentially given away by Vancouver in a salary dump this summer, but as fate would have it, he landed in one of the cushiest spots in the NHL.
The speedy Russian is slotted to play on Chicago’s first line with Connor Bedard and playmaker Teuvo Teravainen, and that makes him a great target to get on the board at a terrific price.
Not only will this line get plenty of ice time, but there should be a ton of opportunities for Mikheyev, clearly the third wheel in this trio, to cash in.
Pick: Ilya Mikheyev anytime goalscorer (+425)
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First Goal Scorer Round Robin
First Goalscorer Round Robin: Jordan Kyrou (+1300), Evan Rodrigues (+2300), Connor Bedard (+1200)
It’s the official Opening Night of the NHL season, so I want to celebrate with a lottery ticket round-robin for some fun.
Kyrou Poised For Stardom
We’ll kick off this 4367-1 ticket with a play on Jordan Kyrou in the early game. The smooth-skating Kyrou is coming off his second 30-goal season in as many years, and I’d venture we have yet to see the best campaign of his career.
E-Rod Picks Up Where He Left Off
The second leg of this ticket is Evan Rodrigues to get on the board first for the Florida Panthers at +2300. E-Rod was one of Florida’s most effective players in the playoffs last spring and is never shy about getting pucks on net, so I’ll throw his name in the hat to add some serious juice to this puppy.
Bedard the Boy Wonder
The last leg is Connor Bedard at +1200. Not much more I need to add about that.
Pick: First-goalscorer round robin: Jordan Kyrou (+1300), Evan Rodrigues (+2300), Connor Bedard (+1200)
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