This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The NHL season is rocking and rolling. It's always tough to call the beginning of the season. There are new systems, new lineups, and new trends still yet to form. Yeah, we can lean on historical data, but when push comes to shove, we're really going on gut at this point. So, my gut tells me these are the top 10 best NHL bets and player props on the board tonight. Let's get frisky! Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Oilers vs Predators
I'm looking at two winless teams getting big road wins tonight to get back in the win column. We'll start in Nashville, where the Oilers are looking for their first W of the season. It's not crazy to bet on the Oilers moneyline at any stage of the season, but we want to press an easy button where we can and stack our bankroll whenever possible. Leon Draisaitl has absolutely torched the Predators in recent history. He's scored two or more points in 9 of his last 11 against the Preds, with a couple of 5-point nights to boot. I think the Oilers power play will be busy as usual tonight, so I see the big guns of Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard hammering a ton of pucks on net with Connor McDavid serving as distributor.
- Oilers ML -135
- Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots on goal +100
- Leon Draisaitl over 1.5 shots on goal +110
- Evan Bouchard over 2.5 shots on goal -145
Kings vs. Jets
Then we've got the Kings visiting the Jets in Winnipeg. The Jets are 1-1 and have played 5-3 and 6-4 games, respectively, so far. The Kings almost uncharacteristically have played 5-2 and 6-5 games, which is not typical to their tight-checking, defensive structure. I think the Kings lock it down tonight and silence a hot Jets offense in Pierre-Luc Dubois' likely unceremonious return to Winnipeg.
Kings ML +105
Best NHL Player Props Tonight
The Canadiens have scored 8 goals in 2 games to start the season. They opened the campaign in Toronto with a 6-5 shootout loss to a Maple Leafs team that they seem to always cause fits for, and then they squeaked out a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks. The Wild come into the Bell Centre tonight and should impose their will on this young Habs team. Matthew Boldy won't play due to injury, so I'm looking at the Wild's other top guns to have a heavy workload.
- Kirill Kaprizov over 3.5 shots on goal -145
- Joel Eriksson Ek over 2.5 shots on goal -140
The Lightning head into Buffalo tonight for an Atlantic Division tilt. The Sabres have all the hype to make a playoff push this season, but the tried-and-true Bolts will certainly have a say in that. All 4 matchups last season saw 38 combined goals, and the Lightning peppered an average of 33 shots on goal per game. Brandon Hagel is seeing increased minutes so far this season and has been averaging over 6 shot attempts per game. I like him to get some through tonight too.
- Brandon Hagel over 2.5 shots on goal -130
The Stars travel to Sin City for a rematch of last season's Western Conference Final with the Golden Knights. Vegas has looked every bit the kind of team capable of repeating as Cup champs. They're off to a 3-0 start, and I think they'll come out with something to prove tonight. I expect a big push from the Stars though, who won all 3 regular season contests between these two last year. Look to the Golden Knights' top dogs to push back.
- Chandler Stephenson over 0.5 points -130
- Jonathan Marchessault over 0.5 points -130
