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Week 1 NHL Top Games Odds: Looking to the first week of the regular season, let’s talk about some NHL betting picks.
Summer temperatures still blanket much of the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start the 2023-24 NHL regular season. The Winnipeg Jets made a huge statement on the eve of the season, announcing that the two cornerstone stars of the franchise, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, signed seven-year deals with identical values, averaging $8.5 million annually. The two would have become unrestricted free agents next July, but this gives the players and the team security – and both will be 38 when these deals end. Keep following reading to discover more of the NHL Top Games Odds to win during this week.
Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights
When: Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10:30 pm ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
TV: ESPN
NHL Odds: Seattle +141 vs Vegas -173
The Kraken put up a surprising 46-28-8 record, posting 100 points on the season, and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before losing to Dallas. They upset the defending champion Avalanche in the opening round, though, behind amazing goalie play from Philipp Grubauer. In the playoffs, he posted a 2.99 GAA and a .903 save percentage – but his intangibles in the win over the Avs made that six-year deal he signed before the season worth it.
The Golden Knights went 51-22-9 (111 points) and hoisted the Stanley Cup, thanks in large part to their deal for Ivan Barbashev at the trade deadline. He put up six goals and 10 helpers in 23 regular-season games and seven goals and 13 assists in the postseason. He came as a rental, so to ink him to a deal, the team had to say goodbye to Reilly Smith, a franchise original. Barbashev needs to continue his play as a solid two-way forward for this deal to make sense. Golden Knights to win.
Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames
When: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 10:00 pm ET
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
TV: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Calgary -136 vs Winnipeg +112
Winnipeg bowed in the first round of the playoffs last year after posting a 46-33-3 record (95 points). The problem was not Hellebuyck’s play in net; he is a perennial candidate to win the Vezina Trophy and, barring injury, can play at least 60 games in the long regular season. In the off-season, the team added Laurent Brossoit to back up Hellebuyck and forwards Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, and Rasmus Kupari to spice up the offense.
The Flames (38-27-17, 93 points) ended up missing out on the postseason last year. Elias Lindholm enters the last year of his contract after coming in second on the team in points and contributing on the penalty kill and the power play last year. They added Yegor Sharangovich to their forward group, but this team needs consistent play and a playoff run to cement a culture that has, to this point, proven elusive. Jets to win.
Colorado Avalanche at L.A. Kings
When: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 10:00 pm ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
TV: TNT
NHL Odds: L.A. -110 vs Colorado -110
The Avalanche (51-24-7, 109 points) ended their season way too early, with that first-round thud against the Kraken. Cale Makar ended up leading the NHL in ice time (26:22 per contest) due to a number of injuries, keeping him from being able to score as often as he might have without all that fatigue. Adding the likes of Miles Wood, Ross Colton, Ryan Johansen, and Jonathan Drouin to the forward group should give the Avs more scoring options and more depth. The team still has Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to score in bunches.
The Kings (47-25-10, 104 points) bounced out in the first round of the playoffs, and the team went and got forward Pierre-Luc Dubois in the off-season, showing that they are trying to win now. That trade cost a lot of assets – and then the team inked him to an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million per season. Along with Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault, the Kings have one of the best center trios in the league, and the length of his deal should extend the Kings’ championship window. Avs to win.
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