The NHL regular season gets underway in earnest today with three games on the schedule, all on ESPN. Here are our best picks from NHL betting sites in America.
St. Louis Blues at Seattle Kraken Picks
- Time: 4:38 p.m. ET
- Money Line/Spread: St. Louis (+120/+1.5 (-210), Seattle (-145/-1.5 (+170))
- Total: 5.5 (over -120/under +100)
- Pick: STL
The first full season for St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister begins later this afternoon as St. Louis travels out west to take on the Seattle Kraken. Since replacing former head coach Craig Berube last season, Bannister led the Blues to a 30-19-5 record (65 points) and is looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
The Blues compiled a 3-0-0 record against the Kraken last season and all-time, they are 7-2-0 against Seattle, highlighted by a 3-1-0 road record at Climate Pledge Arena.
After a second-round playoff run two seasons ago, the Kraken look to return to the playoffs after not making it last season, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division with a 34-35-15 record.
New head coach Dan Bylsma takes over for Dave Hakstol, the first coach in the Kraken’s short history and will have an emphasis on offensive production after finishing a woeful 29th in the league in goals last season (2.61 per game).
Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers Picks
- Time: 7:08 p.m. ET
- Money Line/Spread: Boston (+130/+1.5 (-190), Florida (-155/-1.5 (+155))
- Total: 5.5 (over -120/under +100)
- Pick: BOS
The Boston Bruins travel to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, a team they are very familiar with and not in a good way.
The Panthers upended the Bruins, 4-2, in the best-of-seven second round Eastern Conference series last season enroute to their Stanley Cup title. Two seasons ago, the Bruins won the Presidents’ Cup trophy as the best team during the regular season with 135 points and led 3-1 in their first-round matchup against the Panthers, only to historically lose the next three games to be ousted from the playoffs.
Despite that, the Bruins are 8-3 in their last 11 games on the road and are 4-1 in their last five road games at Florida. The Panthers are 7-3 in their last 10 games, highlighted by the Game 7 home win last year versus the Edmonton Oilers to clinch the Stanley Cup.
Chicago Blackhawks at Utah Hockey Club Picks
- Time: 10:08 p.m. ET
- Money Line/Spread: Chicago (+140/+1.5 (-175), Utah (-165/-1.5 (+145))
- Total: 6 (over -120/under +100)
- Pick: UTA
A new era of hockey begins tonight as the Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) will be hosting their first-ever game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Utah added some key personnel in the offseason including Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, and John Marino. Logan Cooley will look to build upon his rookie season and Connor Ingram will return in net after his impressive play last season. Ingram appeared in a career-high 47 games with a 22-21-3 record, a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage.
The young and improved Blackhawks are built around their teenage sensation Connor Bedard. In his rookie season last year, Bedard tallied 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games played as an 18-year-old rookie. Expectations will be extremely high again and with the additions of Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, Bedard will have some more help and some more offensive production as Chicago looks to avert its third straight eighth place finish in the Central Division.
The Blackhawks won the season series, 2-1, against the Coyotes last season.
