Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for All 4 Games on Friday)

The NHL opens the weekend with a four-game slate on Friday night.

The Mammoth didn’t do us any favors last night, but the Lightning beat the Wild, and we got a high-scoring game in Vegas for another 2-1 day.

I have a pick for all four games in my NHL best bets tonight.

Let’s get right into my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Friday, Oct. 9.

NHL Best Bets for Friday, Oct. 9

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Detroit Red Wings (-142) vs. Seattle Kraken
New York Rangers at Washington Capitals UNDER 5.5 (+110)
Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets OVER 6.5 (-105)
Anaheim Ducks (+100) at Winnipeg Jets

Detroit Red Wings (-142) vs. Seattle Kraken

Dylan Larkin helped the Red Wings to their first win of the season in his debut. He scored a goal and added a primary assist in a 5-3 win over the Senators.

The Kraken are off a 2-2-0 start this season, but those wins came against the Flames. Calgary is quite possibly the worst team in the league this season, so even 6-1 victories aren’t too impressive. Not when they lost 3-1 in Edmonton and 6-2 to Vegas.

Detroit still needs some improvement, but having a top-line center like Larkin in the lineup helps sort things out a bit. The Wings should win again tonight as home favorites.

New York Rangers at Washington Capitals UNDER 5.5 (+110)

The Rangers have allowed just eight goals through five games this season, and the Capitals have yielded eight in their three games. The total is set at 5.5 tonight, or you can get a flat six, but I like the UNDER at plus odds.

It should be a good goalie matchup in Washington with Igor Shesterkin against Logan Thompson, two guys who could be in the Vezina Trophy conversation.

This should be a hard-fought divisional game on Friday night.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets OVER 6.5 (-105)

The Penguins started the season hot but have been outscored 8-5 in their last two games. There were plenty of goals in their first two contests as well, beating the Flyers 7-0 and the Canadiens 6-5 in overtime. Pittsburgh is also getting healthier as Bryan Rust made his season debut in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss.

The Blue Jackets put up six goals against Buffalo two games ago and allowed four to Utah last time out.

All four meetings last season went OVER the total, and all went to overtime as well.

Anaheim Ducks (+100) at Winnipeg Jets

The Ducks are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season, falling 5-2 to the Oilers on Wednesday night. They outshot Edmonton 31-19, but Devon Levi was great between the pipes.

The Jets have won three straight games, 3-2, but I haven’t been too impressed with them. They were outshot 34-19 by the Avs on Wednesday.

Winnipeg is already without Connor Hellebuyck (suspension), and now Josh Morrissey got hurt in the last game. The Jets are a top-heavy team, and that Morrissey injury could be a big loss.

All four meetings last season went OVER the total, and all went to overtime as well.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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