NHL Opening Night Picks: Best Bets & Predictions for All 5 Games
By Chris Amberley in NHL Hockey
Published:
- NHL Opening night brings five matchups to sweat on Tuesday, September 29
- I’m backing four of the five home teams on this slate
- See my favorite NHL Opening Night picks, best bets and predictions for all five games, below
The NHL opens its 2026-27 season with five games tonight. The slate starts with Florida at Carolina and finishes with Chicago visiting Vegas, giving bettors a full evening of matchups to choose from.
Opening night also means weighing familiar teams against changed rosters. Toronto has added Kirill Marchenko, while injuries are already affecting some of the players available for the first game.
Below are my NHL opening-night picks, best bets and predictions for all five games. Compare the odds across NHL betting apps before choosing where to place a wager.
NHL Opening Night Picks and Best Bets
Odds as of September 28. Moneyline picks include overtime and a shootout; Vegas must win by at least two goals to cover -1.5.
Vancouver is my only outright underdog pick. The plus-money Vegas selection is a puck-line bet on a favorite, which is different from backing an underdog to win. My score predictions below are estimates, not a separate betting market.
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction
- Pick: Carolina moneyline (-130 at BetMGM)
I prefer Carolina at home, where the defending champion Hurricanes can dictate matchups and build pressure through repeated offensive-zone shifts. The price in the NHL odds asks them to win the game, without needing the extra goal required by a puck-line wager. Grab the BetMGM promo code before puck drop to lock in this line.
Florida finished last season with seven losses in its last eight road games. That is supporting evidence rather than a forecast: the Panthers have changed since those games. I still lean toward Carolina’s home advantage at this price. Back the reigning champs in the Stanley Cup odds to get the job done.
My score prediction: Carolina 3, Florida 2.
Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction
- Pick: Toronto moneyline (-113 at bet365)
Toronto has added Marchenko and Miles Wood, but I would not assume a new acquisition immediately fixes every issue or plays a full role on opening night. My bet is on the home team at a modest price, rather than a sweeping claim about the trade.
Montreal is a credible opponent, so the moneyline is more appealing to me than asking Toronto to win comfortably. I want the protection of an outright-win wager if this turns into a one-goal game. Use the bet365 bonus code to tail this pick.
My score prediction: Toronto 4, Montreal 1.
New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins Prediction
- Pick: Boston moneyline (-116 at Caesars Sportsbook)
New York has changed its attacking group, with Pavel Dorofeyev joining a roster that no longer includes Artemi Panarin. That makes assumptions drawn from previous meetings less useful, especially when evaluating who will create offense on the power play.
I lean Boston at home at a relatively short price. This is a narrow preference, not a claim that the Bruins are certain to suppress the Rangers. I would keep the stake modest rather than paying for a larger winning margin. Claim the Caesars promo code to score a bonus to use on this contest.
My score prediction: Boston 3, New York 1.
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Prediction
- Pick: Vancouver moneyline (+233 at bet365)
This is the biggest swing on my card. Edmonton remains the stronger market favorite, but the quoted Vancouver price only needs an upset often enough to justify the payout. At +233, the break-even win rate is about 30%.
Edmonton’s goaltending situation adds uncertainty with Frederik Andersen injured. I am taking that uncertainty at an underdog price, not assuming Vancouver is the better team. This is a higher-risk selection than the shorter favorites earlier in the evening.
My score prediction: Vancouver 3, Edmonton 2.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Vegas Golden Knights Prediction
- Pick: Vegas -1.5 (+101 at BetMGM)
Chicago opens without Connor Bedard after shoulder surgery. That absence is material to its scoring options, and I prefer attacking the matchup through the Vegas puck line rather than laying a much larger moneyline price.
Vegas won 11 of its last 15 home games last season, although winning and covering -1.5 are different outcomes. A one-goal Vegas victory would lose this wager.
My score prediction: Vegas 4, Chicago 2.
NHL Opening Night Public Betting Splits
Looking at the NHL public betting spilts for tonight, Vegas leads the supplied moneyline-handle snapshot at 88.98%, followed by Edmonton at 88.39%. Montreal has 77.79%, Boston 60.96% and Carolina 55.60%. Handle means the share of money wagered, not the percentage of individual bets.
My Toronto and Vancouver picks go against those handle majorities. The splits describe where bets have landed; they do not prove which team offers value. I use them as context alongside the matchup and price, rather than as a reason to follow or fade a team automatically.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
