Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs - Wednesday, October 13th, 7:08 PM ET
A rematch of the first round of the playoffs last year in the Canadian Division, the two 'Original 6' sides face off in the NHL opening game of their season.
The playoff series ended with the Canadiens getting a win in seven games before they were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five in the Stanley Cup. Since then though, they've seen their roster depleted and another run at such successes seems unlikely.
Goalie Carey Price won't be available for this game which is a big blow but they'll also be missing the injured Shea Weber as well as no longer having Eric Staal and Corey Perry as part of their squad.
On the other hand, The Leafs have kept their squad together after finishing first in the Canadian Division last season. Auston Matthews won't be available for the first game, but Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Reilly will be joined by the returning John Tavares who got injured during the playoff run last year.
With a big disparity in squad quality right now plus the added bonus of having fans back in the bleachers, the Leafs should have too much about them in this game and be able to collect the win.
Bet on the Under
On top of that, the aforementioned injuries for both sides mean this is likely to be a low-scoring game. Matthews hit 66 points last year (13 on the Power Play) while Shea Webber hit 19 points (with 11 on the Power Play).
With both guys missing and both teams defensively being solid with 2.05 and 2.26 goals allower per 60 at 5 on 5 last season, it seems that it could be a case of which defense can hold out more that will collect the victory.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals - Wednesday, October 13th, 7:38 PM ET
A super close match-up on the opening day of the campaign here between these two sides.
The Capitals went 4-4 last season against the Rangers and were 2-6 against the spread over the season, showing that the Rangers are more than capable of spoiling the party against their opponents.
Nicklas Backstrom won't be available for Washington tonight which is likely to hurt their early season form and the added bonus of Rangers' goalie Igor Shesterkin having a 3-1 record against Washington can only be seen as a positive.
The Rangers have a super talented attacking line and with Adam Fox in the team too, the game is set to be close so back New York on the handicap.
Bet on the Over
When you look at the roster of both of these teams, this game just screams goals.
The Rangers have got one of the best top six in the last few years when it comes to scoring goals, with stars like Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad. On the other hand, Alex Ovechkin loves a goal against the Rangers, and the Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov is not quite as good as his opposite number Vitek Vanecek.
The over went 3-3-2 last season between the two sides and with the money going in on the over, it seems like a good bet to follow.
Winnipeg Jets vs Anaheim DucksWednesday, October 13th, 10:08 PM ET
Maybe not the closest game on paper, but there are some great betting opportunities in this match-up.
The Jets had a decent season last year but saw their playoff run put to an end prematurely when Mark Scheifele's suspension meant they went out with a whimper against the Montreal Canadiens.
They responded to that by rebuilding their defense during the off-season and coupling that with a very skilled and talented top six along with one of the best goalies in the league in Connor Hellebuyck they're looking to go deep into the playoffs this time around.
The Ducks on the other hand continue their rebuilding process this year and are likely to show some improvements this year with Trevor Zargas hoping to be a more key member of the team going forward.
Unfortunately, this game is still a mismatch for them. The Jets are the better team in all areas and have far more depth to their roster, so it sits to be a blowout on the opening day in the favour of Winnipeg.
Go with the Under
In a North Division that was lauded for the number of goals in its last season, the Jets were averaging just over 3 goals per game. The Ducks on the other hand could only manage 2.25 goals per game last season and didn't have a single player to score 20 goals or earn 35 points.
The only way the over lands in this one is if Anaheim shocks everyone and scores three, surpassing their average for last season, or if the Jets score 5, almost doubling their average from last season. Both are possible, but both seem highly unlikely in the first game of the season so the under looks good value.
See below the top sportsbooks, like Bovada, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
