Category: NHL

The first NHL Saturday is here, and I have two picks from the loaded slate of games.

The pregame narrative: The Minnesota Wild are off to a strong start after winning big in their opener. They look to build on the early success against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Later on, expect the San Jose Sharks to earn their first win of the season.

Check out my NHL predictions for Oct. 11.

NHL predictions: Best bet

Best bet: Wild 60-minute moneyline (-116)

The Wild looked dynamic on opening night, thrashing the St. Louis Blues, 5-0.

It was a full team effort on the road, with four different goal scorers getting on the board to pair with a 27-save shutout for Filip Gustavsson.

Kirill Kaprizov added three assists in the first game after inking a new deal that made him the highest-paid player in the NHL.

Minnesota goes as far as Kaprizov takes them. Just take a look at the Wild’s record last season with and without their superstar.

• With: 25-13-3
• Without: 20-17-4

The Blue Jackets start the season with back-to-back away games and lost the first one to the Nashville Predators.

Nashville was the third-worst team in the NHL last season. Columbus generated 37 shots on net but only 3.0 expected goals.

The Blue Jackets failed to get many high-danger chances and should have an even tougher time against the Wild, who are better than the Preds on both sides of the puck.

Key stat: Minnesota went 2-0 against Columbus last year.

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NHL best bet

Sharks moneyline (+100): The Sharks impressed in their opener, taking the Vegas Golden Knights to overtime but ultimately losing.

Thankfully, they get a bit of a soft landing spot in their second game against the Anaheim Ducks.

• Anaheim is 0-1 this season, losing 3-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

• The Ducks had the fourth-worst goal differential in the Western Conference last season (-42). Vegas had the second-best (+56)

Both Anaheim and San Jose are teeming with young talent, but I have to side with the sophomores on the Sharks.

Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith matched up with the Golden Knights’ top line on Thursday, each playing 20+ minutes.

Neither contributed a point, but the Sharks still managed three goals. The pair of budding stars won’t have to deal with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel in their second game, which should open up their offensive opportunities.

The supporting cast looks strong, and both Celebrini and Smith appear ready to carry big roles on the top line.

At home, I’ll definitely take a shot on the Sharks at plus money.

NHL predictions made at 4:18 p.m. ET on 10/10/2025.

The Canadian men’s soccer team is back in action on Friday with a friendly against Australia.

The pregame narrative: Les Rouges are undefeated in this spell of friendlies and now face a top team from the Asian World Cup qualifiers. Canada has never been higher in the FIFA World Rankings (No. 26) and can continue to climb ahead of next year’s World Cup on home soil.

Check out our Canada vs. Australia odds and my best bet for the men’s soccer match on Oct. 10.

Canada vs. Australia odds

Canada vs.Australia betting markets

Canada vs. Australia odds as of 4:17 p.m. ET on 10/09/2025.

Best bet

Canada to win (-134): Including friendlies, Australia is 6-0-0 in 2025. But the lack of solid competition is concerning.

The Australians are one spot higher than Canada in the FIFA World Rankings. However, much like the Canadians, they don’t get to play top teams often.

During its win streak, Australia has played Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia and New Zealand twice.

Japan is the only nation ranked inside the top 50 and is in a bit of a freefall. The side lost to the United States, 2-0, in their most recent friendly in September.

Therefore, I can’t help but feel Australia’s current form is a bit overrated.

On the other side, Canada has been battle-tested in recent months. Les Rouges played two friendlies in September and beat formidable European nations Wales and Ukraine without conceding in either match.

Canada has played 13 times over the last year and lost just once in regular time against Mexico. Along with beating Wales and Romania, the side also has wins mixed in over Ukraine and the USA, and a draw against the Ivory Coast.

For the first time ever, Canada is playing teams from all over the world, and Les Rouges continue to prove they belong on the big stage.

Australia hasn’t played any opponents outside its region, and that should be worrying ahead of its match with the red-hot Canadians.

Key stat: Canada has won six of its past nine games against nations ranked inside the top 100.

Canada vs. Australia predictions made at 4:21 p.m. on 10/09/2025.

The NHL season is underway, and Thursday provides a hefty 14-game slate to look at.

The pregame narrative: The Columbus Blue Jackets make their season debut against the Nashville Predators and I have my sights set on top forward Kirill Marchenko. Elsewhere, two Western Conference powerhouses, the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, battle to begin their seasons.

Check out my NHL predictions for Oct. 9.

NHL predictions: Best bet

Best bet: Marchenko to score 1+ points (-138)

Marchenko is a stud, and he has improved significantly each year of his career.

• Year 1: 59 games, 25 points
• Year 2: 78 games, 42 points
• Year 3: 79 games, 74 points

At 25 years old, there is no reason to expect anything but a similar season or even an uptick in production.

He plays close to 20 minutes a night and plays top power-play minutes. He scored 19 PP points last season, which ranked second on the team behind Zach Werenski.

Marchenko slots in beside Werenski on the blueline with the man advantage.

He gets a lot of offensive zone touches and has a nice matchup to start the season.

• The Preds were dreadful last year. They finished second last in the Atlantic Division with a -60 goal differential.

• Nashville allowed the sixth-most goals per game in 2024-25 (3.3).

This isn’t usually a price I’d play on a points prop, but there’s a lot of value getting behind a point-per-game scorer against a shaky defensive unit.

Key stat: Marchenko scored five points in two games against the Predators last season.

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NHL player prop

Stars/Jets under 5.5 goals (-11): Neither team has played yet this season, but there’s plenty of reason to buy into the defensive upside.

• Winnipeg allowed the fewest goals against last year, and was the only team to concede fewer than 200 overall (190).

• Dallas wasn’t far behind, allowing the sixth fewest goals against per game.

It starts with goaltending, and both teams have a Vezina-calibre goalie between the pipes.

Connor Hellebuyck is coming off one of the best seasons ever for the position. He had a 2.01 GAA and won his second straight Vezina while adding a Hart Trophy to his collection.

Opposite him is Jake Oettinger. He is always in the conversation and has recorded a better than a .900 SV% in all five of his NHL seasons.

Plus, Dallas will be fully healthy ahead of his contest, which was a rare occurrence last season. Star defenceman Miro Heiskanen missed a career high 32 games in 2024-25.

NHL predictions made at 9:26 a.m. ET on 10/09/2025.

The second night of the NHL season produces some intriguing matchups.

The pregame narrative: Mitch Marner will make his debut for the Vegas Golden Knights when they host the Los Angeles Kings. Before that, the Boston Bruins look to begin a bounce-back season against the Washington Capitals.

Check out my NHL predictions for Oct. 8, featuring a prop pick on Morgan Geekie.

NHL predictions: Best bet

Best bet: Golden Knights -1.5 (+115)

This is an early opportunity to fade a team playing a back-to-back on the road.

The Kings started their season on Tuesday with a loss to the Colorado Avalanche. That was at home, where L.A. was much better last season.

In fact, the Kings won the most home games in the NHL in 2024-25 with a 31-6-4 record.

Yesterday’s 4-1 loss didn’t give L.A. fans much to be hopeful for, and the task doesn’t get any easier on Wednesday.

The Golden Knights were among the NHL’s best home teams last year. They held a 29-9-3 record in Vegas and added the superstar Marner to their top line.

He’s known for his offensive skill, but he’s one of the best two-way players in hockey.

Marner joins an already stacked roster that finished with 110 points atop the Pacific Division last year.

Key stat: Vegas covered this puck line in 23 of 29 home wins last season.

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NHL player prop

Geekie to record 1+ points (-125): Geekie will need to take another step this season if the Bruins have any hope of returning to the postseason.

Playing on the first line alongside David Pastrnak, Geekie finished last year with career highs in goals (33) and points (57).

Once the Bruins went full tank mode and traded Brad Marchand, Geekie showed his potential as an elite forward.

• Over the final 14 games of the regular season, Geekie scored 22 points.

• Though unsustainable, that would equate to 129 points over a full 82-game season.

Again, I don’t expect Geekie to go out and lead the NHL in scoring because of one hot stretch, but he’s in a great position to succeed, and I believe it’s reasonable to expect close to a point-per-game campaign.

He will continue to play valuable minutes alongside Pastrnak on the first line and top power-play unit.

Pastrnak has scored 100-plus points in three straight seasons and showed incredible chemistry with Geekie down the stretch.

NHL predictions made at 4:18 p.m. ET on 10/08/2025.