NHL Picks Today: Best Bets & Predictions for Tuesday, Oct. 20
By Michael Schwartz in NHL Hockey
Published:
- Tuesday’s NHL card has several early-season games worth betting
- Win streaks and special teams gaps drive tonight’s best bets
- See my NHL picks today, plus odds and predictions for Oct. 20
This evening brings a full NHL slate, and a few October trends are too strong to ignore. Some teams are rolling, while others are still searching for answers.
The Bruins visit Dallas on a winning streak, the Kings are still chasing their first win, and the Hurricanes head to Vancouver to face a Canucks team that can’t keep the puck out of its net. Those three games are where I found my value.
I’m leaning on recent results and special teams numbers to build tonight’s card. My NHL picks today and predictions are below.
NHL Picks Today
I’ve got one plus-money underdog and two puck lines for Tuesday. Here’s how I got there.
1. Bruins vs Stars Prediction: Bruins Moneyline
- Bruins Moneyline (+140 at BetMGM)
Boston is the hottest team on this card. The Bruins are 7-2 and have won five straight, capped by a 4-1 win over the Kings on Saturday.
Dallas sits at 4-3-1 after blanking Chicago 4-0 on Saturday. That was a strong bounce-back, but the Stars haven’t strung together anything close to Boston’s run.
My Bruins vs Stars prediction is Boston to win outright. The +140 price carries a 41.7% implied probability, and I’d put a team on a five-game heater closer to a coin flip in this spot.
2. Kings vs Capitals Prediction: Capitals -1.5
- Capitals -1.5 (+145 at BetMGM)
My Kings vs Capitals pick targets a Los Angeles team still looking for its first win. Los Angeles is 0-4-2 and just dropped that 4-1 decision to Boston.
Washington is 5-3 overall and 4-1 at home. Three of those four home wins came by at least two goals, so the Caps have been pulling away in front of their own crowd.
They also enter off a 4-2 win over the Devils on Saturday. Rather than lay a steep moneyline, I’m backing Washington to win by multiple goals at +145, which translates to about a 40.8% chance.
3. Hurricanes vs Canucks Prediction: Hurricanes -1.5
- Hurricanes -1.5 (-120 at BetMGM)
My Hurricanes vs Canucks prediction starts with Carolina’s 7-2-1 record and its production at both ends. The Canes score 3.60 goals per game while allowing just 2.40.
Vancouver sits at 2-7-1. The Canucks score three goals per game but give up 4.50, which puts a lot of pressure on their offense every night.
The biggest gap is on special teams. Carolina’s power play is converting at 25.6%, and Vancouver’s penalty kill sits at just 58.1%.
It doesn’t get better the other way. The Canucks’ power play is at 20%, going against a Hurricanes kill working at 91.4%, a stat worth noting for anyone watching the Stanley Cup odds.
Wrapping up my NHL picks today, I’m laying -120 on Carolina -1.5. That price implies roughly a 54.5% chance, and the scoring and special teams edges both point toward a multi-goal win.
Best NHL Bets Tonight: Odds and Implied Probability
Two of my three best bets pay plus money, with the Bruins and Capitals both sitting around a 41% implied chance. Carolina is the only favorite price on the card at -120.
Check the full board with the latest NHL odds for the rest of Tuesday’s games.
Odds from BetMGM. New customers can use the BetMGM promo code to get a bonus for betting on the NHL.
