NHL Picks Today: Best Bets & Predictions for Thursday, Oct. 1

• Thursday’s NHL slate is loaded with eight games on the betting board
• My favorite angles include a road favorite and a pair of plus money wagers
• See below for my favorite NHL picks today, including best bets and predictions for Thursday, Oct. 1

Tonight’s NHL slate offers a fascinating mix of divisional rivalries and heavy road favorites that will put our handicapping to the test. A marquee Pacific Division clash headlines the action as the Edmonton Oilers head to Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Bettors looking to lay the chalk on the road favorites in the NHL odds will have to account for Edmonton missing star forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has been ruled out of this early-season tilt.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference presents plenty of betting intrigue. The Tampa Bay Lightning roll into Madison Square Garden as road favorites against a New York Rangers squad searching for its footing after an opening-night stumble. Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils aim to hold serve as home favorites against the rival Philadelphia Flyers, while out in the Central Division, the Minnesota Wild hit the road against the Nashville Predators.

Navigating these early-season waters can be tricky with fresh rosters and developing chemistry. Whether you want to back the road chalk or find value in home underdogs through the best NHL betting apps, I have you covered. Let’s dive right into the NHL picks today, including my best bets and predictions for Thursday, Oct. 1.

NHL Picks Today

Odds via BetMGM as of October 1.

For today’s slate, I am predicting three favorites and one underdog to come away with outright victories. The Rangers and Flyers both failed to score a single goal while giving up a combined 10 goals in their previous outings, making it easy to back the favored Lightning and Devils to comfortably handle business.

However, my lone underdog prediction features the longest odds on the board. I am backing the Canucks at +166 to defend home ice against the Oilers. Both Pacific Division squads showcased explosive offense and leaky goaltending in their first game, combining for 11 goals, while both netminders posted sub-.870 save percentages.

NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Thursday, Oct. 1

Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers Prediction

• Pick: Lightning ML (-143 at BetMGM)

Backing the Lightning here leans on their road form despite a difficult recent head-to-head record. Tampa Bay has struggled in this matchup recently, holding a 1-3 record against New York over their last four meetings. Their road results offer a more encouraging angle than that head-to-head record.

They enter Madison Square Garden with momentum as road warriors, winning three of their last four away games dating back to last season. Tampa Bay knows how to exploit defensive breakdowns and consistently generate high-danger scoring chances on the rush.

Conversely, the Rangers have struggled mightily, dropping four of their last five contests overall. After failing to find the back of the net in their previous outing, New York will face a stiff test trying to establish a consistent offensive rhythm against a disciplined Stanley Cup odds contender.

Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction

• Pick: Canucks ML (+166 at BetMGM)

As highlighted in my score predictions, the home underdog Canucks offer tremendous value on the moneyline tonight. Vancouver has been excellent in this exact spot, going 4-1 in their last five games as an underdog while also posting a 4-1 overall record in their last five matchups.

If you are signing up with a BetMGM promo code, this plus-money situational angle is incredibly appealing. On the other side of the ice, the Oilers have struggled with a 1-4 record over their last five games dating back to last season. Missing a key top-six piece up front further limits their ability to consistently win physical board battles.

Edmonton’s road woes are particularly concerning, as they have dropped four straight games away from home. Combine those struggles with shaky early-season goaltending and the loss of Nugent-Hopkins, and Vancouver shapes up as a highly attractive play to defend their home rink.

Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils Prediction

• Pick: Devils Puck Line -1.5 (+148 at BetMGM)

If you want a lucrative payout on a favorite, the Devils to cover the puck line is a strong situational angle. New Jersey is 7-3 as an outright favorite over their last 10 games and a reliable 5-2 at home as a favorite in their last seven dating back to last season. Those situational results give the home favorite a useful foundation here.

The Flyers are trending in the exact opposite direction, holding a dismal 1-6 record over their last seven games. They have also lost their last five straight as an underdog, struggling to establish any sort of effective forecheck or sustained offensive zone time.

Philadelphia’s underlying analytics from their previous outing are exceptionally grim. They posted a massive -20 on-ice shot differential, generating only 11 shots while surrendering 31. Expect New Jersey to pepper the net, control the power play, and win comfortably by multiple goals.

NHL Public Betting Splits for Oct. 1

When looking at the NHL public betting splits for the matchups covered in today’s article, a clear consensus has emerged. The following teams represent the heaviest public money among our featured games, drawing the largest share of the moneyline handle:

1. Minnesota [93.98%]
2. Edmonton [93.83%]
3. Tampa Bay [88.08%]
4. New Jersey [79.48%]

The betting public is heavily backing the road squads in three of these four featured matchups. The Wild and Oilers command over 93 percent of the total moneyline stake in their respective contests. Meanwhile, the Devils stand out as the lone home favorite on this list, taking in just under 80 percent of the money against their divisional rival.