Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Mammoth-Bruins, Wild-Lightning, Maple Leafs-Knights)

We pick things back up on Thursday night with a 10-game slate on tap.

The Capitals came through for us last night, as did the over in Anaheim, but Stuart Skinner and the Jets held the Avalanche in check for a 2-1 night.

I’m targeting a pair of favorites and a late OVER for my NHL best bets tonight.

Let’s get right into my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Thursday, Oct. 8.

NHL Best Bets for Thursday, Oct. 8

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Utah Mammoth (-125) at Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning (-142) vs. Minnesota Wild
Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights OVER 6.5 (-105)

Utah Mammoth (-125) at Boston Bruins

I’m fairly high on the Mammoth this season. They’re 3-1 with a 17-8 goal differential thus far, and that lone loss was in the second half of a back-to-back with travel.

On the other hand, the Bruins have lost two in a row after two wins to start the season. They were scoreless for most of their 3-0 win over the Rangers to open the season and then needed a late comeback to beat the Jets in overtime. Since then, they’ve lost 4-1 in Minnesota and to the Senators at home.

The underlying numbers support the Mammoth as well. Utah has the fourth-best expected goals share at 5-on-5 at 60.78%, with Boston in the middle of the pack at 51.57%.

Tampa Bay Lightning (-142) vs. Minnesota Wild

The Lightning have settled in after getting called out by John Cooper for their performance in the 5-1 season-opening loss to the Rangers. They then outshot the Capitals 30-21 in a 3-1 win, and dominated the Flyers with a 36-15 shot differential in a 4-1 victory.

Tampa Bay has now had two days off at home ahead of this game, giving them a rest advantage against the Wild.

Minnesota is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Buffalo on Tuesday night. The Wild were outshot 28-20 in that game, and they don’t look like the same team without Brock Faber.

The Lightning are a great home team, and I trust them to get the job done even with Dennis Hildeby making his team debut between the pipes.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights OVER 6.5 (-105)

Toronto’s offense came alive in a 5-4 overtime win against the Predators to close out a four-game homestand for the Maple Leafs. Gavin McKenna scored his first NHL goal, and Auston Matthews got the game-winner in overtime.

The Leafs will look to keep that going against a Golden Knights team that has played some high-scoring games thus far.

Vegas has gone OVER 6.5 in three of its first four games of the season, only going UNDER against the lowly Canucks. The Golden Knights beat the Kraken 6-2 on Tuesday night, and now come home to face off against the Leafs.

Both of these teams have plenty of firepower, and there were 20 goals scored in the two meetings last season. I see another high-scoring game tonight in Sin City.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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