NHL Playbook: Betting Lines, Odds & Picks For Monday, Oct. 17

NHL Betting Lines, Odds & Picks

A new week has begun, hockey fans, and today we have a new opportunity to green out those bet slips and take home the dough. The NHL slate today presents us with a modest nine-game slate to work with, so there are plenty of chances to win some major coin on the ice. If you're betting with our NHL model, you have been doing pretty well, as history shows.

The model has gone 299-239 (56% win) on 3-Star and higher NHL spread bets of $100 in the last 365 days, so be sure to check out the model's best bets for tonight. BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick. Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NHL bets, plus what the model is projecting for every football game this week! Start your free trial today!

Both Anaheim and New York will be looking to rebound after taking losses in their last matchups. For the Ducks, their offense has gotten off to a pretty fast start after scoring five goals in an opening night win. They are averaging 3.00 GPG so far through two games, which is very promising for a young team. However, defense continues to be a problem. They have allowed an atrocious 11 goals in those two games, including seven goals in their last game alone. Starting goaltender John Gibson has struggled in the net, allowing nine goals on 75 shots. They have to hope that changes soon.

For the Rangers, they couldn't have asked for a much better start to their season. Yes, they lost their last game, but they were pretty fatigued after playing three games in four nights, and playing Winnipeg in their season opener at home. Their offense has looked great, scoring 11 goals through the first three games, and defensively, they are allowing just 2.67 GPG. They allowed just four goals in their first two games. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has looked incredible in the net, saving 58 of the 62 shots faced to start this season.

TREND: Gerard Gallant is 45-17 SU as a favorite while coaching the New York Rangers.

Talk about two opposites facing each other, these teams have gotten off to two very different starts. For the Coyotes, they have been struggling on both ends of the ice, as we knew they would. The offense has only scored five goals in two games, which is not going to win you anything. But perhaps even worse is the defense, which has allowed an eye-popping 12 goals in just two games. Starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka has been awful in the net to start the season, allowing 11 goals on 95 shots.

For the Maple Leafs, they got off to a rough start to open the season, but have stepped up in their last two games. They have scored at least three goals in all three games this season, so the offense is right where it left off last year. The defense has actually been very good for Toronto so far, allowing just 2.67 GPG. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov has stepped up in the net, saving 50 of the 54 shots faced.

TREND: Sheldon Keefe is 9-18 ATS off a close home win by 1 goal while coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Penguins are perfect on the season so far at 2-0, but now they will hit the road to take on the struggling Canadiens, who sit at 1-2. For Pittsburgh, they will look to make it a perfect 3-0 start to their year, and gain their first road win of the season. They are averaging six goals per game through two games, and scored six goals on 45 shots in their last game. The defense has also played very well, allowing just 2.00 GPG. Goaltender Tristan Jarry is 4-1-0 in five games against the Canadiens in his career with a 1.80 GAA and a .933 save percentage.

For Montreal, they will try to snap a two game losing streak since winning their home opener against Toronto. Montreal is averaging just 1.67 goals per game. They scored one goal on 22 shots in their last game, so they need to improve on that side of the ice. Montreal has struggled defensively as well, giving up three goals per game. Goalie Sam Montembeault is 0-0-0 against Pittsburgh with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

TREND: The Montreal Canadiens are 8-28 SU in the first half of the season over the last two years.

Both of these teams have struggled to begin the regular season and are looking to turn the corner after a few games. For the Canucks, they have a decent roster, but are still looking to get into the win column and even pick up a point this season after dropping their first two games. Their offense has been lacking to say the least, as they have scored just five total goals up to this point. They start this season with a five-game road trip, which isn't ideal, but a win tonight could get them back on track.

For Washington, it has been a very disappointing start to the season. They are currently 18th in the NHL with seven total goals through their first three games of the season, which is very unlike them. They do have some important forwards on Injured Reserve, such as Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, so they need to step up in their absence. The defense hasn't been much better, allowing nine goals in three games.

TREND: Bruce Boudreau is 73-40 SU off a close road loss by 1 goal over his career.

Two playoff teams from the Eastern Conference in 2021, both off to good starts this season take the ice in this one. For Florida, they have gotten over their playoff loss last year in a hurry it seems, starting the year off 2-0. The Panthers have a +3 goal differential so far and look to be effective in the back end, something that the team struggled with mightily last season, particularly in the playoffs. They look great to start the year.

For Boston, they have looked equally as impressive to open the year. In the team's first two games, both wins, the Bruins have scored 11 goals. On Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes, the Bruins won their 19th straight game over Arizona with a 6-3 home-opening win. Everywhere has been impressive for them, and now they will be tested for the first time this season.

TREND: Paul Maurice is 153-206 SU after a 2 game unbeaten streak over his career.

These are two teams that have started out the opposite of what they did last season.. For the Kings, They have looked promising to start the season with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.67 goals per game including seven goals in their recent win. However, the defense has been another story. They have really struggled to start the season, allowing 4.67 goals per game including six goals in their last game. Goaltender Jonathan Quick looks to step up in the net as he's allowed seven goals on only 72 shots.

For the Red Wings, they have started out fantastic to start the year based off of their expectations. The offense has scored eight goals with five goals in their recent win. The defense has been even better, allowing just two goals in two games. When your offense is that good and defense is that good, well, good things start coming.

TREND: The Detroit Red Wings are 11-1 SU when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) in the first half of the season while at home over the last three years.

Both of these teams are expected to be contenders this season, and so far, its been a mixed bag. For the defending Champion Avalanche, they have started the year 1-1, but we all know how dangerous they are. The offense has scored eight goals in their first two games, so they are once again lighting it up. The offense has looked great but the defense has struggled, allowing six goals in their first two games including five goals in their last game. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev looks to step up in the net as he's allowed two goals on only 17 shots this season.

For the Wild, they have yet to win a game this season despite their offense looking great, scoring nine goals in two games. The defense has let the Wild down, allowing 14 goals in only two games, which is just unbelievable. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury hopes to rebound from a rough start to the season as he's allowed 11 goals on only 49 shots thus far. He's been awful, and they need to do better on that side of the ice if they want to be competitive.

TREND: Jared Bednar is 47-37 SU off a road loss by 2 goals or more while coaching the Colorado Avalanche.

The Stars shoot for their fourth straight victory over the Jets in this one. Dallas has also won six consecutive home contests against Winnipeg, so this rivalry has been dominated so far by Dallas. Neither team has lost so far to start the season. For Winnipeg, they have only played in one game thus far. They beat the New York Rangers 4-1 this past Friday, finding the back of the net three times in the final five minutes of the third period. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stood out in the contest. The Rangers outshot the Jets 41-34, but Hellebuyck posted 40 saves to get the win.

For the Stars, they met the Nashville Predators twice last week and earned a couple of comfortable victories to start their year out 2-0. Jake Oettinger allowed just two goals on 62 shots, and he is one of the best young net minders in the league. Last season, Oettinger went 30-15-1 with a solid 2.53 GAA and .914 save percentage, and he looks to be even better this year.

TREND: The Dallas Stars are 11-1 when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season while at home over the last two years.

The late night game features the Seattle Kraken and the Carolina Hurricanes as they do battle out west. For Carolina, they are starting the season on a five-game road trip, starting out 2-0. The offense has put up six goals in two games, which is pretty good, but the defense has been the story so far. Carolina has allowed just two goals in those games, one in each. Frederik Andersen was 35-14-3 with an excellent 2.17 GAA and .922 save percentage last season, and he'll get the start tonight.

For Seattle, they are right where an expansion franchise should be. They were awful last year in their inaugural season, but they have some promising young players to build around. This season has seen them go 1-1-1, which is pretty good for this team. The offense has been somewhat potent, and their defeat of the Kings on the road a few games ago was impressive. Philipp Grubauer might return to the net after yielding five goals to the Ducks in their season opener. Grubauer had a rough 2021 season, notching an 18-31-5 record with a 3.16 GAA and .889 save percentage. 

TREND: Rod Brind Amour is 62-30 SU in non-conference games while coaching the Carolina Hurricanes.