Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Canucks-Panthers, Sabres-Maple Leafs, Mammoth-Oilers)

The NHL picks things up again on Thursday night with an 11-game slate on tap.

I’m targeting a pair of high-scoring games and a home favorite in my NHL best bets for Thursday night.

Let’s get right into my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Thursday, Oct. 15.

NHL Best Bets for Thursday, Oct. 15

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers OVER 6.5 (+110)
Toronto Maple Leafs (-118) vs. Buffalo Sabres
Utah Mammoth at Edmonton Oilers OVER 6.5 (-118)

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers OVER 6.5 (+110)

The Frozen Frenzy was a feeding frenzy for Florida on Thursday night, as the Panthers came alive with four power-play goals en route to a 7-3 win in Columbus. It was the second half of a back-to-back for the Cats, but that didn’t seem to matter as Brady Tkachuk broke out for a natural hat trick in the win.

That’s two straight high-scoring games for the Panthers, who lost 5-3 in Buffalo on Monday.

The Canucks are going to be one of the worst teams in the league this season, and they’ve dropped five in a row since starting the season 2-1-0. They typically allow at least four goals per game, but are capable of scoring a few themselves.

Both meetings between these teams went OVER the total last season, with the Panthers winning 8-5 in November and the Canucks getting a 5-2 home win in March.

Toronto Maple Leafs (-118) vs. Buffalo Sabres

The Maple Leafs are back at home after a 1-1-1 road trip against three pretty tough teams. They held on for a point in Vegas, upset the Avalanche, then fell 5-4 to the Mammoth on Tuesday night. Toronto had two days off between those final two games, though, giving it a rest advantage heading into tonight’s matchup.

That’s because this will be the third game in four nights and the fourth game in six nights for the Sabres. They beat the Panthers 5-3 on Monday before falling 4-3 in a shootout in Montreal.

Buffalo still hasn’t won on the road this season, losing its season opener 6-3 in its only other road contest. And while getting a point in Montreal is somewhat impressive on no days' rest, the Sabres were outshot 38-16 in that game.

The Leafs are buzzing right now, and the Sabres are a bit beat up. Rasmus Dahlin will miss another game tonight, and the top-pair defenseman should impact the market more than this.

Toronto should be a bigger favorite tonight at home.

Utah Mammoth at Edmonton Oilers OVER 6.5 (-118)

I’m shocked that this OVER isn’t juiced a bit more. The Oilers have scored 29 goals through six games, with Utah netting 27 goals in its first seven contests. These teams have also allowed 21 and 19 goals, respectively.

The Mammoth have gone OVER the total in four of their last five games, including a 5-4 win over the Leafs on Tuesday night. The Oilers have had a few straight games go under the total, but that’s more so due to the teams they were playing than anything.

Utah is capable of putting at least two or three goals on the board, and the Oilers have scored at least three goals in every game, including four or more in all but two contests.

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