Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Rangers-Penguins, Sabres-Bruins, Jackets-Wild)

Breaking down the best NHL picks on the ice for the 16-game slate on Saturday, October 11.

David Pastrnak and the Bruins are home favorites on Saturday night. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

After no NHL games on Friday night, every single team is in action on Saturday with 16 games throughout the day.

We’ve got a few looks at most teams thus far, giving us a glimpse into how they might perform in the early going.

With plenty of games to choose from on Saturday, my best bets are targeting a trio of home teams to get the job done.

Let’s get right into the best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Saturday, Oct. 11.

NHL Best Bets for Saturday, Oct. 11

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Pittsburgh Penguins (+120) vs. New York Rangers
• Boston Bruins (-115) vs. Buffalo Sabres
• Minnesota Wild (-166) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Pittsburgh Penguins (+120) vs. New York Rangers

The Penguins defeated the Rangers 3-0 in New York’s home opener on Tuesday night, and now the Rangers head to Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

It won’t be the home opener for the Penguins, though, as they beat the Islanders 4-3 in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Rangers were also in action then, getting their first win of the season with a 4-0 shutout in Buffalo.

Arturs Silovs should be back in the net for the Penguins after his shutout against these Rangers, and Pittsburgh was a respectable team at home last season at 21-15-5 despite finishing under .500 overall. 

I’ll take the Penguins as home underdogs against a Rangers team still finding its footing – it was a 1-0 game until the third period in Buffalo on Thursday night.

Boston Bruins (-115) vs. Buffalo Sabres

There are quite a few question marks surrounding the Bruins this season, but they haven’t let that affect them with a 2-0-0 start to the season. On the flip side, the Sabres were shut out in their aforementioned home opener.

Buffalo is hoping to finally take that next step forward (again), and it's already off to a rough start. Starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is out to begin the season, Owen Power is day-to-day with an illness, and forwards Zach Benson (did not play Thursday) and Josh Norris (left Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury) are also questionable to play in this one.

The Bruins are a well-structured team with a strong goalie in Jeremy Swayman. They might only have one line that can really score, but it’s a good one anchored by David Pastrnak.

Boston went 20-14-7 at home last season while tanking down the stretch, and Buffalo was 13-25-3 on the road. I’ll take the Bruins to stay undefeated at this low price.

Minnesota Wild (-166) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Wild opened their season with a 5-0 shutout win in St. Louis and now get to host the Blue Jackets in their home opener in Minnesota. Columbus is coming off a 2-1 loss in Nashville, continuing its road struggles from last season.

When healthy, as they are now, the Wild are one of the best teams in the league. Kirill Kaprizov is now the league’s highest-paid player, Filip Gustavsson has a new contract in the crease as well, and Minnesota’s depth can go up against most teams.

Minnesota went 22-17-2 at home last season while Columbus was just 14-23-4 on the road. The Wild won both meetings last season, 3-2 at home and 3-1 on the road, and shouldn’t have an issue against the Jackets on Saturday night.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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