The 2024-25 NHL regular season is underway, with a nine-game slate on tap for Thursday night. New coaching and player personnel create good opportunities early in the season to find value in certain NHL betting markets due to the revamped look of each team.
In this article, I’ve got three best bets to tail on the ice during Thursday’s nine-game NHL slate. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL free bets and weekly analysis.
Thursday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New Jersey Devils vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Both of these teams have already played at least one regular season game, with New Jersey improving to 2-0 overseas after sweeping the Buffalo Sabres in Prague. The Devils’ new head coach, Sheldon Keefe, will face his former team when New Jersey hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The Maple Leafs lost 1-0 on the road against Montreal on Wednesday and now have to turn around and play the Devils, who acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom from Calgary this offseason. Markstrom allowed one goal during New Jersey’s 4-1 win over Buffalo, and now, he’ll face a Maple Leafs team that put up over 40 shots but couldn’t light the lamp during a 1-0 loss to the Canadiens on Wednesday night.
This is undoubtedly a grudge match for Keefe but Toronto has had New Jersey’s number in recent matchups, going 5-0 SU on the road against the Devils. Toronto goaltender Dennis Hildeby, called up from the minors, is expected to start on the road against New Jersey on Thursday night. This gives the edge to the Devils, who are -140 on the moneyline, but Toronto will be motivated to score early to get confidence back from their shutout loss to Montreal.
The total has gone under in four of New Jersey’s last five games and under in five consecutive games for Toronto, so with Markstrom in the crease for the Devils, taking under 6.5 total goals at -104 odds is the best bet to make in this Eastern Conference tilt.
Pick: Under 6.5 Total Goals (-104)
Utah Hockey Club vs. New York Islanders
The Utah Hockey Club, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, got off to a hot start against Chicago, winning 5-2 after taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission at home on Tuesday night. Utah hits the road to face the New York Islanders, who are expected to start goaltender Semyon Varlamov in the net on Thursday night.
The Islanders have dominated this head-to-head matchup and are the more rested team, having yet to play a regular season game in 2024. New York is 9-1 SU at home against Utah and 6-1 SU during their last seven games played at home. Utah goaltender Connor Ingram surrendered five goals during a 5-1 loss to the Islanders last season, giving up two first-period goals and three more in the third period.
Varlamov is filling in for Ilya Sorokin and recorded a 14-8-4 record in 2024, with a 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage. This is a tougher test on the road for Utah than their season opener at home against Chicago, so let’s lay the juice with New York and bet on the Islanders to win outright on the moneyline at -154 odds.
Pick: New York Islanders Moneyline (-154)
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Minnesota Wild
Columbus heads to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Thursday night. This game promises to deliver goals in bunches due to the shaky goaltending we saw from both netminders down the stretch last season.
The Blue Jackets’ new head coach, Dean Evason, was the head coach for Minnesota last year, so this is another grudge match set to play out on the ice on Thursday. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson finished 2024 with a 3.06 GAA and .899 save percentage, both career lows, while Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was even worse, allowing 3.45 GAA and an .897 save rate.
Goals should be in abundance in this matchup between the Blue Jackets and Wild. Trends back the over, available at plus odds, as the total has gone over in four of Columbus’ last six games played. Both teams hit the over at 52 percent a year ago, while averaging eight goals per game in their head-to-head matchups last season. Minnesota rosters the better offense but Columbus shouldn’t have difficult getting a few shots past Gustavsson either, so let’s pounce on this price.
Pick: Over 6.5 Total Goals (+106)
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.