Another week means another slate of hockey games for the 2022-23 NHL season. Each team has played a handful of games, meaning their identities have begun taking shape. Furthermore, bettors have started getting a better idea of the more prominent betting trends.
The week of Oct. 24 brings even more betting opportunities and excitement to the NHL action. Here’s a look at some games and trends worth watching, as well as how a few of the NHL futures odds have changed since last week.
Note: Odds and lines are current at the time of writing and subject to change.
NHL Games of the Week: Oct. 24-30
Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators (Monday, Oct. 24)
The NHL’s best defense meets one of the league’s hottest offenses when the Dallas Stars visit the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The stingy Stars have allowed only eight goals through their first five games, while the red-hot Senators have scored 18 during their three-game home winning streak.
Both sides have players worth keeping an eye on. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger is 4-0-0 with a .959 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.25 goals-against average (GAA). He’s gotten offensive support to help him out, proven by the trio of Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson sharing the team lead with seven points apiece.
Meanwhile, 10 different Senators have scored goals over their last three games. Drake Batherson, Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto each had a team-best three goals over that stretch. With goals in four straight games, oddsmakers list Pinto as having +2400 odds (T-No. 11) to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
For bettors wondering whether offense or defense will prevail, the projected game total is six goals, with -122 odds on the over and +100 on the under. Although Dallas has had impressive defense and goaltending, the total has hit the over in Ottawa’s three home games this season.
Despite having home-ice advantage, the Senators are listed as -115 underdogs, while the Stars are -104 favorites.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Calgary Flames (Tuesday, Oct. 25)
Two of the best teams in each conference collide when the Pittsburgh Penguins meet the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The Penguins currently sit atop the Metropolitan Division with a 4-0-1 record, while the Flames are the Pacific Division leaders at 4-0-1.
Fans can expect a star-studded battle here. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has turned back the clock in his 18th NHL season, tallying 10 points through five games, putting him just two points back of the league lead.
Even with less-than-stellar goaltending, the Flames have found ways to win games. New arrival Nazem Kadri has six points through his first five games in a Calgary jersey, while fellow offseason acquisition Jonathan Huberdeau has four assists without a goal.
Although the odds aren’t available as of writing, it’s important to note that the Flames are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games against the Penguins. The total hit the under in six of those games, making it interesting to see if that trend continues. Pittsburgh has finished with the over in each of its three road games this season.
This game could be a potential Stanley Cup preview, depending on how the season unfolds. Oddsmakers have the Penguins sitting at +1700 to win this year’s Stanley Cup, while the Flames are sitting at +1300.
NHL Futures Odds Update
Atlantic Division Tight Through Two Weeks
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+195)
- Florida Panthers (+230)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+310)
- Boston Bruins (+480)
- Ottawa Senators (+3100)
- Detroit Red Wings (+3100)
- Buffalo Sabers (+7000)
- Montreal Canadiens (+10000)
The Atlantic Division is shaping up to be extremely tight this season if the first two weeks are any indication. Yes, the standings are close because of how young the campaign is. However, the Atlantic is the only division where all eight teams own .500 or better records.
The division was one-sided in the past, but that’s changed this year. Teams like the Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabers appear to have finished rebuilding and are ready to be taken seriously.
The Boston Bruins are the current leaders with a 5-1-0 record and 10 points. Their lead is far from safe, though, as the Florida Panthers (4-1-1) have nine points while three teams are tied at eight and the other three are tied at six.
Yet despite being the leaders, the Bruins sit fourth at +480 as far as Atlantic Division odds go. The Toronto Maple Leafs are favored to win the division at +195. With many games left to play, that’s entirely possible, as the Maples Leafs only trail the Bruins by two points to begin the week.
Seattle’s Matty Beniers Favored to Win Calder Trophy
- Matty Beniers, SEA (+360)
- Mason McTavish, ANA (+600)
- Owen Power, BUF (+600)
- Cole Perfetti, WPG (+1000)
- Logan Thompson, VGK (+1100)
- Shane Wright, SEA (+1500)
The Seattle Kraken’s Matty Beniers has taken over as the Calder Trophy leader with +360 odds. The 2021 NHL Draft’s second-overall pick has five points in seven games, tied for second-most in the NHL with the Senators’ Shane Pinto (+2400).
Despite leading all first-year players with six points, Minnesota Wild defense Calen Addison is tied for the eighth-best odds at +2000. Two of the last three Calder Trophies have been awarded to defensemen, making it interesting to see if Addison continues that trend if he keeps pace.
Another name to watch is Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson. The 25-year-old is 2-2-0 with a 2.29 GAA and 0.926 in four starts thus far. Winning the Calder will be easier said than done, though, as a goaltender hasn’t won the award since Steve Mason received it in the 2008-09 NHL season.
Stanley Cup Odds Remain Locked
- Colorado Avalanche (+450)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+1000)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+1000)
- Florida Panthers (+1100)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+1200)
- Calgary Flames (+1300)
- Edmonton Oilers (+1500)
- New York Rangers (+1500)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (+1700)
- Minnesota Wild (+1800)
With the NHL’s best playing as expected, the 2022-23 Stanley Cup odds have remained steady. In fact, the top 10 teams on one sportsbook’s odds list are in the same position (with the same odds) that they sat in one week ago.
As far as the above teams go, keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers this week. Both squads began the week having lost back-to-back games, and an extended losing skid over the next seven days could hurt their championship odds.
The Rangers have a mixed week slated for them. They play two of the league’s best teams (Stars and Colorado Avalanche) and two of the worst (New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes). Meanwhile, the Hurricanes also face the Islanders on top of games against the lowly Vancouver Canucks and red-hot Philadelphia Flyers.
Nevertheless, the Stanley Cup odds will fluctuate as the season goes on. We’re only starting the third week of games, meaning bettors could see more significant changes one week from now.