NHL Daily Betting Rundown (Oct. 17): Good value on Mammoth puck line vs. lowly Sharks

In this article, I’ll outline the most noteworthy news and betting notes surrounding Friday’s four-game NHL slate and I’ll also offer up my best bet.

Best Bet – Utah Mammoth -1.5: +110 bet365

It took a late empty-netter for us to cash our best bet on the Mammoth in Wednesday’s matchup versus the Calgary Flames, but the game easily could have been way out of reach prior to that point.

In their first home game of the season, the Mammoth generated 4.76 expected goals and were visibly dominant throughout the majority of the game. Many of the Mammoth’s best chances came from top offensive skaters such as Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther, who each recorded at least three shots on target and looked quite threatening. 

Though the Mammoth hold a modest 2-2-0 record, they have looked quite solid in those matchups, and it still seems quite realistic to believe they will make a big jump towards legitimate contention this season. 

The Sharks, meanwhile, have not looked much better than they did last season, which is not overly surprising given that none of the veterans they signed this offseason actually produced better than average results in 2024-25.

After allowing the most goals in the NHL last season, San Jose has coughed up 5.33 goals against per game so far, and has surrendered 3.74 xGA/60 this season while generating only 2.73 xGF/60.

This is the type of game the Mammoth can’t afford to take lightly if they are to earn a playoff berth this season, and I believe head coach Andre Tourigny’s side will take advantage of this soft matchup. 

At +105 or better, there is value in banking on a talented Mammoth side earning a fairly comfortable win Friday.

 Minnesota Wild vs Washington Capitals

Wild moneyline odds	+105
Capitals moneyline odds	-125
Game total	Over 5.5 goals (-125), Under 5.5 (+105)
Time	7 p.m. ET

All odds courtesy of bet365.

• The Wild won both head-to-head matchups last season. 
• At the time of writing, the Capitals have not yet confirmed a starting goaltender, but it would not be surprising to see them turn to 1B option Charlie Lindgren, as the crease will likely be shared quite evenly. If Logan Thompson gets this start, expect Lindgren to play in Sunday’s game.
• Capitals have the NHL’s highest goal share in five-on-five play (77.28%), while the Wild hold the fifth-worst goal share in even strength play (36.94%).  
• Wild power play has succeeded on 47.6% of opportunities, while the Capitals power play has converted on just 9.1% of opportunities.
• Alex Ovechkin has been held goalless in his first four games of the season. He’s scored 20 goals in 25 matchups versus the Wild in his career. 
• Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have combined for 17 points in the first four games of the season. 
• Pierre-Luc Dubois remains day-to-day after missing Tuesday’s matchup with a lower-body injury. 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings

Lightning moneyline odds	-150
Red Wings moneyline odds	+15
Game total	Over 6 goals (-120), Under 6 (+100)
Time	7 p.m. ET

• Out of the 10 teams that entered the season with the lowest betting odds to win the Stanley Cup, the Lightning are the only one that still has a record below .500 (1-2-1).
• Lightning hold an expected goal share of just 42.85%. They have played a fairly tough schedule, but it’s been a surprisingly slow start from a Cup contender that entered the year with strong roster continuity.
• Fifth straight inter-division matchup for the Red Wings, who have gotten off to a strong 3-1-0 start. All three of those wins came in regulation, which is important given that they have been versus Atlantic Division opponents.
• Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane have combined for 11 points in four games, teaming up on the second line as well as the top power-play unit.
• John Gibson has been confirmed as the Red Wings’ starting goaltender. He has not seen game action since allowing five goals on 13 shots in his Red Wings debut, before being pulled late in the second period. 
• The Lightning went 2-1-1 in last season’s head-to-head matchups.

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks

Canucks moneyline odds	-150
Blackhawks moneyline odds	+125
Game total	Over 6 goals (-115), Under 6 (-105)
Time	8:37 p.m. ET

• Tough spot for the Canucks, who travelled out of Dallas last evening following an impressive 5-3 victory. Vancouver held a record of 2-8-0 in the second leg of back-to-backs last season. 
• Kevin Lankinen is expected to make his second start of the season. Lankinen played to a +0.1 GSAx and .902 save percentage last season, but on a game-by-game basis was better than those marks suggest.
• At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether or not the Blackhawks will start number-one goaltender Spencer Knight, and the decision is significant to bettors. Knight played to a +6.9 GSAx in 38 appearances last season, and is off to an excellent start with a +4.0 GSAx and .920 save percentage in three starts this season.
• Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. 
• Connor Bedard has put up six points in five games this season. While offensively he likely did not get enough credit last season, his overall compete level has clearly been elevated in the early stage of this campaign.

San Jose Sharks vs Utah Mammoth

Sharks moneyline odds	+205
Mammoth moneyline odds	-250
Game total	Over 6.5 goals (+100), Under 6.5 (-120)
Time	9 p.m. ET

• Fourth straight Sharks game to feature a betting total of 6.5 to start the season. The over is 2-1-0 so far, and San Jose’s matchups have featured an average total of 8.66 goals.
• Yaroslav Askarov is expected to start in goal. Though he holds a 3.27 GAA in 17 NHL appearances throughout his career, he holds a respectable +1.1 GSAx rating and has certainly suffered playing behind arguably the NHL’s worst defensive side.
• Vincent Iorio could make his Sharks debut after being claimed off waivers Thursday. Iorio does have some promise, being a six-foot-four, right-shot defender with strong mobility, who helped lead the Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup championships.