The NHL will follow Friday’s off-day with a massive 16-game “Super Saturday” slate, which will feature start times spanning from 1:30 p.m. ET to 10:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 11.
In this article I’ll provide three moneyline bets that look to be providing plenty of value based on Friday’s opening prices and touch on some game notes involving Canadian matchups.
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres
Best bet: Sabres moneyline: +105 @ ToonieBet (play to -110)
Last year, everything went wrong for the Bruins as they took a massive step backwards in finishing tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 76 points. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman struggled early on after signing a hefty eight-year, $66 million contract extension, while the team’s top two defenders, Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, missed the majority of the season due to injury.
The Bruins opted to pass on committing to interim head coach Joe Sacco for the 2025-26 season, bringing in Marco Sturm, who quickly rose through the coaching ranks after concluding an excellent 17-year career in the NHL.
Boston entered the season priced at +400 to make the playoffs with a betting total of 80.5 points. Based on its solid 2-0 start, it’s already getting more credit than expected in being favoured over a Sabres side that entered the year with higher expectations (+270 to make playoffs).
While Sturm does seem to be a sharp hockey mind and could provide an upgrade at head coach, I’m not sold that the Bruins’ opening pair of wins discounts many of their expected flaws entering the year, and I believe this is a good spot to sell-high on them.
Swayman was fantastic in the Bruins’ opening night matchup versus the Capitals and was rightfully named the game’s first star with 36 saves. A win is a win, but Boston’s performance certainly suggested that it will still be relying quite heavily upon David Pastrnak to power the majority of its offence this season and that he likely remains the team’s only truly dynamic offensive skater. The Bruins generated just five high-danger scoring chances versus the Capitals.
Considering their opponent, the Bruins weren’t much more convincing in their home opener on Thursday, as they squeaked out a 4-3 overtime win over the lowly Chicago Blackhawks.
Through two games, the Bruins have only a 41.38% share of high-danger scoring chances and have mainly looked quite flat offensively despite managing a reasonable output. They project as a lineup that will finish scoring chances at a below-average rate, and two games shouldn’t change that notion.
The Sabres, meanwhile, looked quite respectable in their opening night loss to the Rangers but were stymied by one of the game’s best goaltenders in Igor Shesterkin, who managed a 37-save shutout, including a number of high-quality saves.
Oddsmakers expected the Sabres to be the better of these two teams entering the season, and I’m not sold that what we have seen so far should change that belief. I don’t think the Bruins deserve to be favoured in this matchup, and I’m not sure they will be at puck-drop. At -110 or better, I value backing the Sabres in this spot versus a Bruins side that still appears quite likely to struggle offensively.
Sabres moneyline
Utah Mammoth vs. Nashville Predators
Best bet: Mammoth moneyline: -115 @ bet365 (play to -125)
| Mammoth moneyline odds | -115 |
| Predators moneyline odds | -105 |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-120), Under 5.5 (+100) |
In a similar type of spot as my first best bet, I’m high on the Mammoth as slight favourites taking on a Predators side that stole a victory on opening night over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Predators massively underperformed expectations last season in finishing with a total of just 68 points. And just like the Bruins, I’m not convinced that the Predators’ win on opening night suggests they will be that drastically improved.
The Blue Jackets generated 38 shots on goal and led 10 to 7 in high-danger scoring chances, but the Predators stole a victory with timely scoring and an excellent performance in goal from Juuse Saros.
Outside of Saros, the Mammoth hold considerable edges all over the ice in this matchup, including a much deeper offensive core with several more high-quality offensive threats.
The Mammoth played quite respectably in their opening loss in Colorado, which appears quite likely to be a true Cup contender this season.
While the team’s got different results, there’s a legitimate argument to be made that Utah’s had the more impressive opening night performance out of these two sides. The Mammoth are expected to be the superior team this season, and that still seems likely to be the case.
At -125 or better, there appears to be value in backing Utah to win this matchup.
Mammoth moneyline
Ottawa Senators vs. Florida Panthers
Best bet: Senators +130 @ ToonieBet (play to +125)
| Senators moneyline odds | +130 |
| Panthers moneyline odds | -155 |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-115), Under 5.5 (-105) |
The Panthers’ hopes of becoming the first team to three-peat since the 1982 New York Islanders suffered a massive blow when Aleksander Barkov suffered a season-ending knee injury on September 26th at practice. They are also without star winger Matthew Tkachuk for the time being, providing the team with a very difficult test to start the season.
The Panthers have fared well without Barkov and Tkachuk thus far, earning one-goal victories over the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers.
Hanging in without the NHL’s best defensive forward and an elite two-way winger versus the Senators could prove to be much more difficult. The Flyers and Blackhawks will likely be two of the NHL’s worst offensive teams, while the Senators have much greater offensive depth and looked quite good in a 5-4 win over an elite Tampa Bay Lightning side on Thursday.
The Panthers will always be live in any matchup thanks to their tremendous defensive structure, but at +130, this appears to be a good time to tap into the idea that Barkov and Tkachuk’s absences will still prove to be significant in more difficult matchups.
Senators moneyline
St. Louis Blues vs. Calgary Flames
Game notes:
- The Flames will host the Blues for their home opener and will be playing for the third time in four nights in this matchup.
- In the 2024-25 NHL season, teams playing in three-in-four scheduling spots had struggled at a comparable level to those playing back-to-back.
- St. Louis won all three head-to-head matchups over Calgary last season, which was highly significant as the Blues earned the final playoff spot over the Flames thanks to the tiebreaker.
- Rookie Matvei Gridin shined in Calgary’s first matchup of the season but struggled in the second half of its back-to-back versus the Vancouver Canucks, finishing with a minus-four rating.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings
| Maple Leafs moneyline odds | -135 |
| Red Wings moneyline odds | +115 |
| Game total | Over 6.5 goals (+110), Under 6.5 (-130) |
Game notes:
- The Leafs enter off a fairly unconvincing opening win over the Montreal Canadiens, which saw Anthony Stolarz turn in a sharp performance after a fantastic 2024-25 campaign.
- Matias Maccelli recorded one assist in his Leafs debut, skating on the top line alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Maccelli is expected to remain in the same role on Saturday.
- John Gibson stopped just eight of 13 shots in his Red Wings debut on Thursday before being pulled in favour of Cam Talbot.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Canucks moneyline odds | +145 |
| Oilers moneyline odds | -170 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-110), Under 6 goals (-110) |
Game notes:
- The Oilers won two of three matchups versus the Canucks last season.
- Edmonton will be looking to bounce back after an ugly collapse versus the rival Calgary Flames in its home opener.
- Thatcher Demko stopped 17 of 18 shots in his season debut and will likely get the start once again in this matchup.
- Oilers rookie forward David Tomasek recorded his first NHL point in Edmonton’s opening night loss and will likely remain in a highly favourable role on the team’s top power-play unit.