Two top forwards are featured in Wednesday’s NHL goal picks.
The pregame narrative: Tage Thompson hasn’t been productive so far this season, but I expect a turnaround starting on Wednesday. Elsewhere, take the value on Matt Boldy to score during his meteoric rise for the Minnesota Wild.
Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for Oct. 22.
-> Join NorthStar Bets to start betting on the NHL
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Thompson to score a goal (+125)
Thompson has had a slow start to the season, but he is one of the best goalscorers in the league when he’s on.
- He finished tied for third in the NHL with 44 goals last season.
- Thompson led the league with 37 even-strength goals.
Since he plays on the Buffalo Sabres, power-play points are hard to come by, so it’s nice to see he can create goals during 5-on-5 play.
-> Bet on the Tage Thompson to score tonight!
This season has been a struggle, though. Thompson has potted just a single goal in six games, putting him on a 14-goal pace.
Over the past four seasons, he’s scored an average of 39.5 goals, so it’s more than reasonable to expect an uptick in production moving forward.
The Detroit Red Wings are off to a great start, but I do see some regression coming in the near future.
John Gibson starts in goal, and his .873 SV% is far from great.
Key stat: Thompson had four goals in four games against Detroit last year.
-> Don’t miss out — Bet on tonight’s NHL markets
NHL predictions
Boldy to score a goal (+160): Kirill Kaprizov has the attention in Minnesota after becoming the highest-paid player in the NHL during the offseason.
But Boldy has been just as important for the Wild in the early portion of the season.
Take a look at his stats and where they rank among NHL forwards:
- 3rd in time on ice (22:14)
- 6th in points (10)
- 9th in shots (27)
Boldy deserves to be mentioned alongside the elite forwards, but his odds don’t reflect that.
-> Bet on NHL goal scorer props
He scored in each of the first four games but has been goalless since. Still, that makes him 4-3 against this wager.
But what catches my eye is the opportunity. He’s playing top minutes and taking a lot of shots. Playing with a player of Kaprizov’s calibre on the first line and power play certainly doesn’t hurt.
The New Jersey Devils are on a five-game win streak, but they just played in Toronto last night before travelling home for Wednesday’s game.
Because of an injury to Jacob Markstrom, Nico Daws will make his first start of the season for the Devils.
NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:30 p.m. ET on 10/22/2025.
-> Sign up to NorthStar Bets today!
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.