NHL Predictions: Tuesday October 8
The NHL officially kicks off its season in North America today with an ESPN tripleheader. It’s also my debut as VSIN’s Hockey Betting Analyst and I can’t be more excited about the opportunity that’s been given to me. I will be providing NHL predictions and analysis here on the site a minimum five days a week as well as making regular appearances on the various VSIN shows. Join me today at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT when I join Mitch Moss and Pauly Howard on Follow the Money. (WATCH | LISTEN)
Be sure to follow me on X, @westcoasthky.
4:30 p.m. ET: St. Louis Blues at Seattle Kraken (-148, 5.5)
The Seattle Kraken welcome the St. Louis Blues into Climate Pledge Arena to mark the start of the 2024-25 NHL season. Not only has Seattle lost all three of their home openers in franchise history, but they have also dropped three of four at home to the Blues, and seven of nine overall. Despite their past struggles versus St. Louis, bettors aren’t concerned. The Kraken opened as a (-130) home favorite and have been steamed up to (-148).
The total on this game opened at 6 (-125) juiced to the Under and both pros and the public jumped on the Under pushing the total in most spots down to 5.5. The last three meetings between the two teams in Seattle have all featured seven goals and two of the three Seattle home openers have had at least six combined goals.
One other note on this game: VSIN’s own Stormy Buonantony will be the ESPN rinkside reporter for the game.
NHL Prediction: St. Louis Blues/Seattle Kraken Over 5.5 (1 unit)
7:00 p.m. ET: Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers (-155, 5.5)
It will be Stanley Cup Banner raising night in South Florida as the Panthers host their Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Bruins. Florida eliminated Boston in six games in Round 2 of last season’s playoffs enroute to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Panthers bring back their top eight point-producing forwards from last season but lose two of their top three scoring defenseman. Boston took care of some important business over the weekend, locking up star goaltender Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million per season. With Swayman missing all of training camp and the pre-season, the expectation is that Joonas Korpisalo will get the start but Bruins head coach, Jim Montgomery on Monday didn’t rule out the possibility of Swayman getting the start. Korpisalo has a 3-7-2 career record versus Florida giving up an average of just under four goals per game. The Bruins won all four regular-season games versus the Panthers last season, but it should be noted that Linus Ullmark (now in Ottawa) won three of those games.
As of 7:15 a.m. PT, the Bruins were getting 45% of the bets and 61% of the handle. What is notable about these bet splits is that while the percentage of bets has remained constant the handle has decreased by 10% which explains why we have seen a line freeze. Books have been holding firm with the Panthers being a (-155) home favorite.
NHL Prediction: Florida Panthers in regulation (+100) – 1 unit
10 p.m. ET: Chicago Blackhawks at Utah Hockey Club (-170, 6)
It is going to be a special day and night at the Delta Center in Utah as the Utah HC plays its first ever regular season game when they play host to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. The former Arizona Coyotes will play in front of an expected sold-out crowd of 16,000 after playing last season in the cozy confines of 5000 fans at Arizona State University.
Utah opened as a (-180) home favorite, but the line has been moving in the direction of the visiting Chicago Blackhawks with the line dropping to Utah (-170). The Utah HC is taking in 56% of the bets, but only 51% of the handle which explains the line move to the road underdog.
Bedard, last season’s Rookie of the Year, once again is the focal point of the Blackhawks offense. Bedard was tied for the team lead in goals and No. 1 in points and shots on goal. In 41 of 68 games last season, he had at least three shots on goal and 25 times he had at least four shots on goal. In a recent interview I did with Mike Palm (VP of Circa, The D and the Golden Gate), he shared with me that for every dollar in bets that Circa was taking in on the Blackhawks side or total, they were taking in two dollars in Bedard prop bets.
The Utah HC is led up front by Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Keller has scored 70 goals the past two seasons and Guenther had 18 goals in just 45 games in 2023-24 season. Teammates have said there is no reason why Guenther won’t reach a minimum 30 goals if he can play all 82 games.
NHL Predictions: Utah HC in regulation (-110) – 1 unit
Connor Bedard Over 0.5 points/Over 2.5 SOG parlay – 1 unit pays 1.38 units
Connor Bedard Over 3.5 SOG (+145) – 1/2 unit
Clayton Keller anytime goal (+160) – 1/2 unit
Dylan Guenther anytime goal (+165) – 1/2 unit
—
