We're heading into the second weekend of college hockey, and this will be the first in a series of college hockey betting articles on RotoWire's website. You can check out last week's NHL Prospects to Watch article that focused on college players.
The action kicks off with a four-game slate Thursday, October 9, that begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Clarkson facing off against Penn State. Friday's slate starts at 5:00 p.m. ET with the Ice Breaker Tournament between Alaska and Quinnipiac. We'll look into a bevy of games and try to get the season started with a bang.
Analyzing Thursday's College Hockey Games
No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Clarkson Knights
The Nittany Lions came from behind in both games during opening weekend, and most notably, 17-year-old Gavin McKenna looked like a phenom. He was clearly the most talented player on the ice, looking decisive and comfortable on the big stage. The Nittany Lions are far deeper than just McKenna, as Aiden Fink and Charlie Cerrato combined for 10 points in the series. Their home opener is a lopsided matchup on paper, as Clarkson has just one draft pick and no players under the age of 20. Clarkson goaltender Shane Soderwall is an intriguing player, however, as he dominated Division III hockey at Curry College and impressed in the opener against Canisius. He'll steal some games this year, but I feel comfortable with Penn State covering this weekend.
- Penn State -2.5 (-108 at FanDuel)
No. 11 Boston College Eagles at No. 12 Minnesota Gophers
I left both teams out of my preseason futures article because they faced significant turnover this offseason and didn't properly replenish the cupboards. Both teams were subsequently upset in the opening weekend, as Boston College lost to Quinnipiac and Minnesota split its series against unranked Michigan Tech. Quinnipiac could be a powerhouse, and Michigan Tech has the legs to take the CCHA, but both BC and Minnesota are probably overrated. I'm taking BC here. I view both goalies – Luca Di Pasquo and Jan Korec – relatively equal with strong but incomplete resumes. Boston College's blue line is far more experienced, however, and they have more firepower on the top end with James Hagens and Teddy Stiga.
- Boston College ML (+100 at DraftKings)
- Over 6.5 Goals (+105 at DraftKings)
No. 3 Michigan State Spartans vs. New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire tied sixth-ranked Maine in an exhibition match last week, and while we shouldn't draw too many conclusions from a preseason game, it's an encouraging start for an unranked team. The Wildcats have an intriguing forward corps featuring potentially star freshmen from the QMJHL. Specifically, Sam Oliver led Drummondville with 50 goals over 63 games last year, while Jacob Newcombe generated 73 points over 63 games with Cape Breton. Meanwhile, Michigan State has a star-studded lineup with three first-round picks and five second-round picks. The strengths of both of these teams are on offense, while their respective blue lines have plenty to prove, so a high-scoring battle is on tap. Michigan State's offensive firepower should overpower the Wildcats.
- Michigan State -2.5 (+110 at DraftKings)
- Over 5.5 Goals (-126 at FanDuel)
Top College Hockey Showdowns Friday
No. 8 Quinnipiac vs. Alaska Fairbanks
Quinnipiac is the clear favorite in the ECAC, and they're an experienced team that returned five players who scored 10-plus goals last season, in addition to the massive recruiting class they brought in from the CHL. They immediately confirmed the hype was real by going on the road and beating Boston College. Now, they face Alaska on Friday in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Tempe, Arizona. Alaska just got swept at home by Minnesota-Duluth, losing both games by three or more goals. Alaska goaltender Lassi Lehti -- who registered a .924 save percentage last year -- is the only reason this bet gives me pause, but he's merely damage control in this situation. Quinnipiac is legit and should dominate this game. I would take an alternate line of -2.5 if it were available.
- Quinnipiac -1.5 (-135 at DraftKings)
- Over 5.5 Goals (-110 at DraftKings)
No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This is the second game of the Ice Breaker Tournament that Arizona State is hosting. The Sun Devils were swept by Penn State last weekend, but they led in the third period of both games and looked up to the task when facing one of the best teams in the nation. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has an iffy goaltending situation with a tandem of sophomore Nick Kempf – a 19-year-old who was previously a member of the NTDP – and Yale transfer Luke Pearson. It's unclear who will start, but neither netminder has a convincing enough resume to overlook Notre Dame's deficiencies at offense – it scored just 2.7 goals per game last year. I'm taking Arizona State to bounce back in front of the home crowd.
- Arizona State -1.5 (+154 at DraftKings)
Bemidji State Beavers vs. St. Cloud State Huskies
This is a home-and-home series, with the Beavers hosting the first game. Bemidji State is coming off an opening sweep of Alaska Anchorage, while St. Cloud State lost to St. Thomas in its opener. Beavers freshman goaltender Max Hildebrand was superb in the WHL last season and posted a shutout in his first collegiate start. He looks like the real deal, and the Beavers have a rock-solid blue line to help the cause. They're built to win low-scoring games. On the other hand, the Huskies have a deep set of forwards with plenty of experience, headlined by potential star forward Austin Burnevik, who posted 13 goals and 28 points as a true freshman. Still, the Beavers have the shutdown abilities to steal one of the two games this weekend, making them a strong value option.
- Bemidji State ML (+150 at DraftKings)
- Under 5.5 Goals (+100 at DraftKings)
Minnesota State Mavericks at Omaha Lancers
The Mavericks turned over nearly their entire team from last season, and they'll have 17 new players on their roster to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Nevertheless, star goaltender Alex Tracy remains between the pipes, giving them a chance to win every night. They also have a sturdy blue line to take the pressure off Tracy, featuring CCHA Defenseman of the Year Evan Murr and Campbell Cichosz. Meanwhile, Omaha is tough to peg down, as they dipped heavily into the CHL and USports (Canadian Colleges) -- two leagues where it's unclear how they'll translate -- to replenish their departures. Losing their opener to Air Force is a reason to second-guess Omaha's progress. This is a close matchup on paper, but I'm taking the proven goaltender and probably attaching U 5.5 to it, too.
- Minnesota State ML (+126 at FanDuel)
- Under 5.5 Goals (-126 at FanDuel)
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs vs. Augustana Vikings
Augustana tied St. Cloud State in an exhibition game last week, and now their games will start to count. Josh Kotai is the focal point of this team after posting a .936 save percentage and a 17-10-3 record last season. The Vikings retained defenseman Hayden Hennen, who should play big minutes and help keep Kotai out of some danger. Still, it's difficult to be confident about this offense after Luke Mobley -- who scored 13 goals last year -- exited. However, there are plenty of upperclassmen who could immediately step into a big role. The Bulldogs outmatch the Vikings in offensive upside with 2024 second-round pick Max Plante and 2023 fourth-round pick Jayson Shaugabay. Overall, Augustana has a rock-solid defense and goaltending situation with questionable forwards, while Duluth basically has the opposite, although the Bulldogs' goalie, Adam Gajan, has some upside. I project a low-scoring affair here, so I'm leaning towards the underdog with a game-breaking goaltender.
- Augustana ML (+130 at DraftKings)
- Under 5.5 Goals (+100 at DraftKings)
