NHL Daily Betting Rundown (Oct. 23): Ducks a surprising underdog vs. Bruins

In this article, I’ll outline the most noteworthy odds, news, and betting notes touching on the marquee matchups from Thursday’s 12-game NHL slate, and I’ll also offer up my best bet.

Best Bet – Anaheim Ducks Moneyline -105 (bet365)

The Ducks will visit TD Garden for a date with the Boston Bruins, a matchup pitting two sides with very different styles and polar-opposite roster compositions against one another. 

The upstart young Ducks have looked much better offensively this season under new head coach Joel Quenneville, who appears to be getting much more out of an underrated offensive core than former head coach Greg Cronin did last season. 

Quenneville’s young roster is not without its warts from a defensive perspective, but they have still been generating more high-quality looks at the other end of the ice than they have been allowing this season.

In six matchups, the Ducks have generated 4.00 xGF/60, which is the second-highest mark in the NHL. They have allowed 3.10 xGA/60 which is a higher than average mark, but leaning into a more offensive style given the Ducks’ roster strengths seems quite logical, and has suddenly made Anaheim one of the league’s more exciting teams to watch. 

As expected, the Bruins look quite lethargic offensively, which is no surprise given the team’s lack of quality offensive talent outside of David Pastrnak, who is once again being asked to do some heavy lifting to try and carry the team.

The Bruins rank 26th in xGF/60 average and have actually outperformed expectations in scoring 3.00 goals per game so far this season. They have a solid defensive core and should be able to grind out some low-event games, but that doesn’t suggest they should be favored to beat a dangerous Ducks side.

Both teams will be starting their backup goaltenders in this matchup, which means Petr Mrazek will face off against Joonas Korpisalo. While I would actually prefer it was Lukas Dostal taking on Jeremy Swayman from the perspective of betting the Ducks as an underdog at -105, we can still take our chances on Mrazek in this spot. 

 Chicago Blackhawks vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Blackhawks moneyline odds	+255
Lightning moneyline odds	-315
Game total	Over 6 goals (-115), Under 6 (-105)
Time	6: 45 p.m. ET

All odds courtesy of bet365.

• This matchup presents as a critical get-right spot for a Lightning team that is expected to contend this season, but has gotten off to a 1-3-2 start. The Lightning have been idle since concluding a 1-1-2 road trip Saturday evening.
• While it does feel like a spot to expect a sharp performance from the Lightning, -315 is a pretty big number considering the Blackhawks have looked much improved so far this season. 
• Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are both sitting at exactly a point-per-game pace through the first seven matchups of the season, while surprisingly enough none of the Lightning’s elite offensive talents are holding a PPG average at this point. 
• The Lightning were 29-8-4 on home ice last season but are winless in two attempts this year.
• Lukas Reichel is expected to play on the Blackhawks’ top line. Reichel and Bedard struggled to find chemistry together last season despite the belief that Reichel would provide a strong option for Bedard to play with as the team continues to develop.

 Detroit Red Wings vs New York Islanders

Red Wings moneyline odds	+115
Islanders moneyline odds	-135
Game total	Over 6 goals (-110), Under 6 (-110)
Time	7 p.m. ET

• The Red Wings will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back after suffering a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday evening. 
• Cam Talbot is expected to start in goal after resting last night versus Buffalo. Talbot has outperformed John Gibson so far this season, playing to a .932 save percentage in four appearances. 
• David Rittich will start in goal for the Islanders and could play a surprising amount of games this season if Ilya Sorokin continues to struggle. Rittich held a -11.4 GSAx rating and .886 save percentage in 34 appearances last season with the Los Angeles Kings. 
• First overall pick Matthew Schaefer has recorded a point in all six games played this season. Though preseason Calder favorite Ivan Demidov has also had a good start to the season, Schaefer is now priced at +135 to win the award, a true testament to how incredible his play has been.  

 Philadelphia Flyers vs Ottawa Senators

Flyers moneyline odds	+135
Senators moneyline odds	-160
Game total	Over 5.5 goals (-130), Under 5.5 (+110)
Time	7 p.m. ET

• The Senators will remain without captain Brady Tkachuk in this matchup. They are 1-2-1 in four games so far during Tkachuk’s absence. 
• Dan Vladar is expected to start in goal for the Flyers, and to this point, he has drastically upgraded the Flyers crease compared to last season, playing to a .929 save percentage and 1.75 GAA.
• Owen Tippett has to be viewed as the largest riser on the Flyers roster in their first season under head coach Rick Tocchet. Tippett has recorded five goals in the first six games of the season and has looked quite dominant in all areas of the ice. 
• Shane Pinto enters this matchup tied for the league lead with seven goals. 
• The Senators went 2-0-1 versus the Flyers last season, but that record may not hold much relevance given that Philadelphia is now receiving competent goaltending from Vladar and is playing under a new head coach.

 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Florida Panthers

Penguins moneyline odds	+165
Panthers moneyline odds	-200
Game total	Over 6 goals (-110), Under 6 (-110)
Time	7 p.m. ET

• In the very early stages of the season the Penguins have been one of the NHL’s greatest overachievers relative to preseason expectations. They are 5-2-0, and hold a strong 53.37% expected goal share.
• He’s flying a little under the radar in a stacked rookie class, especially with just one point so far, but Ben Kindel has been playing an excellent two-way game on the Penguins’ third line alongside Thomas Novak and Filip Hallander.
• The Panthers snapped their four-game losing skid with an emotional win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night in what was Brad Marchand’s first game back at TD Garden. 
• The combination of playing so much hockey over the last three seasons, as well as injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, does seem to be getting to the Panthers to some extent. They’re 4-4-0 despite playing a very soft schedule. 

San Jose Sharks vs New York Rangers

Sharks moneyline odds	+220
Rangers moneyline odds	-270
Game total	Over 6 goals (-110), Under 6 (-110)
Time	7 p.m. ET

• The Rangers are 0-4-0 on home ice this season and have scored only one goal in those matchups. 
• A matchup versus the Sharks could help alleviate the Rangers’ scoring woes, as the Sharks have allowed a league-high 4.83 goals against per game this season. 
• Mika Zibanejad has created a ton of scoring chances this season but has tallied just two goals and two assists. 
• The Sharks made a logical bet in claiming Vincent Iorio off waivers last Thursday, and played him on the top pairing on Tuesday versus the New York Islanders. 

Seattle Kraken vs Winnipeg Jets

Kraken moneyline odds	+190
Jets moneyline odds	-230
Game total	Over 5.5 goals (-120), Under 5.5 (+100)
Time	8 p.m. ET

• Jared McCann is still listed as day-to-day ahead of this matchup and his status is quite noteworthy from a betting perspective. McCann, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle have formed a highly effective top trio early on this season, but head coach Lane Lambert has been forced to shuffle every offensive unit during his absence.
• Jets are 5-1-0 this season, and have received a combined save percentage of .927 from their elite goaltending tandem of Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie. 
• The Jets’ underlying numbers are less convincing than their record, as they hold an expected goal share of 46.45%. They are obviously a team that can earn results without tilting the ice too heavily, but they might be pushing it right now.

Utah Mammoth vs St. Louis Blues

Mammoth moneyline odds	+100
Blues moneyline odds	-120
Game total	Over 5.5 goals (-120), Under 5.5 (+100)
Time	8 p.m. ET

• Added importance to this Central Division showdown, as both teams hold similar aspirations this season and may be competing for the same playoff spot. 
• Mammoth have won four straight following an unlucky loss to the Blackhawks. 
• Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller have combined for 19 points playing on the top line alongside Barrett Hayton. 
• Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have combined for just seven points so far this season. In an effort to get more out of his two most talented offensive skaters, head coach Jim Montgomery appears to be stacking Kyrou, Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich on the top line in this matchup.

 Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators

Canucks moneyline odds	-105
Predators moneyline odds	-115
Game total	Over 6 goals (+100), Under 6 (-120)
Time	8 p.m. ET

• Elias Pettersson has had a disappointing start to the season and has not been awarded much ice-time from head coach Adam Foote as a result. Pettersson has averaged 17:56 of time-on-ice so far.
• Conor Garland leads all Canucks skaters with seven points, and is expected to remain on the top line alongside Jake DeBrusk and Pettersson. 
• The Predators will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid in this matchup. They have looked quite thin offensively once again, and playing without Jonathan Marchessault (lower-body injury) hasn’t helped matters. 
• After starting the season as the team’s top-line center, fifth overall draft pick Brady Martin has been sent back to the OHL.
• While the Canucks hold a respectable 4-3-0 record, it’s still felt like a bumpy start to the campaign. If Pettersson can not perform like a true number-one center they stack up quite horribly down the middle, a flaw which could prove significant moving forward.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Colorado Avalanche

Hurricanes moneyline odds	+115
Avalanche moneyline odds	-135
Game total	Over 6 goals (-110), Under 6 (-110)
Time	9 p.m. ET

• Both teams are tied for the league lead with 12 points in the first seven games of the season, and would be power-rated as top three teams by all oddsmakers as of this moment. 
• Hurricanes will continue a lengthy six-game Western road trip in this matchup, aftering suffering their first loss of the season Monday night in Vegas. They are 3-1-0 so far on the trip, which will conclude with a matchup in Dallas Saturday evening.
• Rookie defender Alexander Nikishin has had a strong start to the season, generating four points in six games while looking solid defensively. 
• Frederik Andersen is expected to start in goal for Carolina. Though he holds a 2.46 GAA and 3-1-0 record, he’s played to a 0.0 GSAx rating behind one of the NHL’s better defensive sides.
• Samuel Girard remains sidelined for the Avalanche, which has opened up a role for Ilya Solovyov on the third pairing. 

Montreal Canadiens vs Edmonton Oilers

Canadiens moneyline odds	+190
Oilers moneyline odds	-230
Game total	Over 6 goals (-115), Under 6 (-105)
Time	9 p.m. ET

• The Canadiens will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back after earning an overtime win over the Calgary Flames last night. 
• While Jakub Dobes was excellent in last night’s matchup and the overall run of play was close, the Canadiens did an excellent job of creating much more dangerous chances than the Flames following passes through the royal road. 
• Samuel Montembeault has been confirmed as Montreal’s starting goaltender. He has been considerably outperformed by Dobes so far this season, as Montembeault holds a -3.6 GSAx compared to Dobes’ mark of +7.8.
• Oilers concluded their five-game road trip with an overtime win over the Senators Tuesday night. 
• Calvin Pickard has been confirmed as the Oilers’ starter in this matchup. Pickard holds an .865 save percentage and 2.54 GAA this season.
• Paying attention to the Oilers line combinations at the morning skate will continue to be important all season long, as head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to decide whether he wants to pair Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together depending on the matchup.
• At today’s morning skate, McDavid and Draisaitl were joined by Matt Savoie on the top line.