NHL Best Bets, Odds, & Picks: Friday (10/31)

We’re in for a treat on the ice for Halloween. Friday’s NHL slate is condensed with only three games, but five of six teams have a winning record.

The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights get it started early at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals at 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap features the Detroit Red Wings vs. Anaheim Ducks. Oddsmakers have made the Avalanche a slight road favorite at -120, while the Capitals and Ducks are favorites at home.

My NHL Best Bets, Odds, & Picks: Friday (10/24) wound up profitable at 2-1. Washington and Columbus went under 6.5, while a high-scoring 5-3 win by Buffalo over Toronto cashed over 6.5 goals at plus odds. The lone loss was in the player prop market on Timo Meier to log an assist (+150) against the San Jose Sharks.

Let’s keep it going with three more NHL best bets. Follow me on X @Matt_MacKay_ for additional analysis and free picks.

Our NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet assists bettors by comparing lines from leading sportsbooks with our daily projections >>

NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights

Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado on the road against Vegas this afternoon. It’s the first matchup of the season between these two Western Conference powerhouses, with oddsmakers leaning toward the Avalanche, making the Golden Knights a home underdog at even odds.

Mackenzie Blackwood draws his first start of the year in net for Colorado. Akira Schmid will patrol the crease for Vegas with a 2.73 GAA and 5-1 record.

Blackwood’s last starts came against Dallas in the playoffs last year, allowing 12 goals in his final three starts. Vegas is 3-0-1 at home this season, while Schmid is more game-tested than Blackwood.

The Golden Knights just recorded a statement win on the road, beating Carolina 6-3. Colorado snapped a four-game losing skid with a dominant 8-4 win over an equally impressive New Jersey offense.

It’s not often we get Vegas as a home underdog. Let’s take advantage of the value in this spot and invest in the Golden Knights to build off their win against the Hurricanes by beating the Avalanche at home.

Pick: Golden Knights Moneyline (+100)

New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals

The Islanders and Capitals are much different teams in terms of playing style. Washington is a physical team with one of the league’s best goaltenders, Logan Thompson, boasting a 1.44 GAA. New York’s Ilya Sorokin has a 3.75 GAA, however, the Islanders’ offense ranks 14th with 3.4 goals scored per game.

Tonight, the Capitals host the Islanders as a heavy betting favorite at -220. In the last two games, Washington has been held to one total goal, getting outscored 8-1 against Ottawa and Dallas.

The Islanders are riding a three-game losing skid. This snapped a four-game winning streak, starting with an overtime loss against a good Flyers team. Blowout losses on the road against Boston and Carolina have New York positioned in a good buy-low spot.

Sorokin is the key in this game. He has yet to post a start with two or fewer goals allowed, forcing New York to maintain strong offensive production. Washington’s offense is averaging the sixth-fewest goals per game (2.7) in the NHL, which gives Sorokin a chance to post his best start of the season.

Let’s lay the juice and bet on the New York Islanders to cover +1.5 on the puck line in D.C. tonight.

Pick: Islanders +1.5 (-142)

Detroit Red Wings vs. Anaheim Ducks

The Red Wings are playing the second half of a back-to-back tonight against Anaheim. The Ducks have had two full days of rest since their last game, posting an impressive 3-2 shootout win on the road over Florida.

Lukas Dostal is expected to start for Anaheim. He’s 3-3-1 with a 2.84 GAA, holding three of the past four opponents to two or fewer goals.

John Gibson, a former Ducks goaltender, will make his seventh start of the season for Detroit in his former arena. Gibson has a 3.2 GAA and a 4-2 record for the Red Wings. Detroit’s netminder just held St. Louis to two goals in his last start.

This is the second win streak of the season already for the Red Wings. They won five-in-a-row, then lost twice, before going on a current three-game hot streak. However, Detroit has lost twice on the road, while taking the Kings to a shootout on Thursday night before securing the victory.

Anaheim is only playing its third game of the year at home. The Ducks are 1-1 on home ice, while finishing their five game road trip with a 3-1 record, including wins against the Bruins and Panthers.

There’s a reason Anaheim is a marginal favorite over the surging Red Wings. Let’s take the Ducks, who rank 12th in goals scored per game (3.44) and bet on Anaheim to win outright on the moneyline.

Pick: Ducks Moneyline (-118)

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.