There are seven games scheduled for Tuesday, October 26th, highlighted by the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Vegas Golden Knights, a rematch of the Second Round matchup that will be broadcasted on ESPN. Last night, we went 4-1 with a push on the six best bets and hope to continue the hot streak with six recommended wagers in the upcoming games.
Under 6.5 – Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
| Lightning stat line | 2.66 goals per game | 4.16 goals against per game |
| Penguins stat line | 4.60 goals per game | 2.20 goals against per game |
The last time these two teams met was opening night, with the Penguins winning 6-2. The last game was a high-scoring one but there are plenty of reasons to forecast a low-scoring game in the upcoming matchup. For starters, the Lightning have struggled across the board this season but after a night off, former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks to bounce back and limit the Penguins’ potent offense along with the Lightning defensemen playing the center of the ice more efficiently.
The Penguins meanwhile have played great across the board this season but have seen goaltender Tristan Jarry take off in the net with a .943 save percentage and a 1.47 goals-against average on 106 shots. Jarry, along with the Penguins defense should eliminate the Lightning offense in the neutral zone and defensive zone alike with the Lightning still struggling to find offense throughout the forward unit in the wake of star forward Nikita Kucherov being out for the foreseeable future to injury.
The Under should cover the high total with both defensive units and goaltenders controlling this game.
Over 6 – Vegas Golden Knights Vs. Colorado Avalanche
| Golden Knights stat line | 2.00 goals per game | 3.80 goals against per game |
| Avalanche stat line | 2.80 goals per game | 4.00 goals against per game |
Last season, these two teams were the most talented across the board in the NHL and despite struggling early on this season, both the Avalanche and the Golden Knights look poised to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. The Avalanche have struggled offensively but the numbers are deceiving as the forwards unit played poorly early on without their star scorer Nathan MacKinnon in the lineup. Since MacKinnon returned, the Avalanche scored eight goals in three games and looks to run up the score against a Golden Knights defense that has struggled, particularly in the net with Robin Lehner as the starting goaltender.
The Golden Knights meanwhile, haven’t found the back of the net a lot this season but have a deep and talented forwards unit that can find plenty of goals on the odd-man rush. The Golden Knights should step up against an Avalanche defense that is allowing opponents to find open shots at will in the offensive zone while new starting goaltender, Darcy Kuemper has struggled in the net.
The Over should cover as both offenses pile on the goals against two struggling defensive units.
San Jose Sharks (+115) Vs. Nashville Predators
| Sharks stat line | 3.80 goals per game | 2.20 goals against per game |
| Predators stat line | 2.83 goals per game | 3.17 goals against per game |
The Sharks have played well to start the season, winning four of their first five games. While the Predators have a talented roster, the Sharks can find mismatches on both ends of the ice throughout this game and pull off the upset in Nashville. The Sharks look to constantly find the back of the net on a Predators defense that struggles in the backend of their unit with Logan Couture and Timo Meier establishing great puck movement in the offensive zone while Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson find scoring opportunities from the point. Speaking of Burns and Karlsson, they both lead a much-improved Sharks defense that can eliminate the Predators’ offense at the blue line and force them to chip the puck into the offensive zone rather than effectively carry the puck into the zone.
The Sharks should win the game and provide great odds in the process as road Underdogs.
Minnesota Wild (-120) Vs. Vancouver Canucks
| Wild stat line | 3.40 goals per game | 3.20 goals against per game |
| Canucks stat line | 2.83 goals per game | 2.83 goals against per game |
The Canucks are off to a strong start and look to build off back-to-back wins with another road victory. The problem is that they are facing arguably the most complete team in the NHL in the Wild, who looks poised to win the Central Division and possibly the Stanley Cup. The Wild should take advantage of the speed from their forwards unit with Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and the rest of the Wild skating through the offensive zone and finding open shots on the net against an inconsistent Canucks defense. In addition, the Wild forwards should create space for open shots throughout the offensive zone, and Mathew Dumba or Jared Spurgeon could easily score from the point as a result.
On the other end of the ice, the Wild looks to eliminate a Canucks forwards unit with has talented scorers but struggles to find goals on the backend. Dumba, Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin along with the rest of the Wild defensive unit should limit the Canucks on the rush while also forcing tough shots on the net by controlling the center of the ice. Moreover, the Wild will turn to goaltender Cam Talbot in the upcoming game who is having a strong start to the season with a .904 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average on 114 shots.
The Wild should win the game to continue the impressive start to their season.
Under 5.5 – Montreal Canadiens Vs. Seattle Kraken
| Canadiens stat line | 1.67 goals per game | 3.33 goals against per game |
| Kraken stat line | 2.17 goals per game | 3.83 goals against per game |
This game features two of the worst offenses in the NHL to start the season. The Kraken are playing their inaugural season in the league and with the first-year franchise, the struggle to form four formidable forward shifts has been prevalent. The Canadiens meanwhile, are still trying to replace some of the key contributors on the forwards unit from last season’s Stanley Cup Final team including Tomas Tatar, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Philip Danault. Both defenses have also struggled but should step up against the opposing offenses, especially since the Canadiens and Kraken have been led by their defensive pairings early on this season.
The Under should easily cover in a low-scoring game with both offenses continuing to play poorly.
Winnipeg Jets (-145) Vs. Anaheim Ducks
| Jets stat line | 4.00 goals per game | 3.80 goals against per game |
| Ducks stat line | 2.83 goals per game | 3.33 goals against per game |
This is the third meeting of the season between these two teams and both rosters are familiar with one another as a result. The Jets, however, have played significantly better as of late, especially on the offensive end of the ice as they have scored 11 goals in the last two games combined. Led by Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Nikolaj Ehlers, the Jets can find open passing lanes against the Ducks defensive unit and fire open shots on the net as a result.
Defensively, the Jets have struggled this season, especially at the blue line where opponents can carry the puck into the offensive zone. However, the Jets have finally found their defensive pairings with Neal Pionk playing alongside Brenden Dillon and Josh Morrisey playing alongside Nate Schmidt. The improved Jets defense should limit the Ducks forwards and help out goaltender Connor Hellebuyck who continues to face an unprecedented number of shots as the Jets start in the net.
The Jets should win the game with great play all over the ice.
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