Top 3 NHL Goal In First Ten Minutes (GIFT) Odds & Picks: Thursday (1/4)
Betting the GIFT (Goal In First Ten) is simple. Pick whether or not a game will have a goal scored in the first 10 minutes of play (00:00-09:59). It's that easy and all you have to do is root for anyone to score and you win. It is one area of hockey betting that has a nearly league-wide positive success rate with 90.6% of the league currently cashing at 50% or better this season. I have been able to use this season’s GIFT numbers to pick winners with extreme accuracy. Tail me for cash, fade me for trash!
For additional prop bets check out our brand new daily NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet. Additionally, I will post my favorite bets in the BettingPros Discord, which is free to join and filled with info from some of the sharpest analysts in the field, including myself.
Thursday’s Best Goal In First Ten Minutes (GIFT) Bets
2023 Season: 41-9-0 (.820) | Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Ottawa Senators at Seattle Kraken
The Senators’ road GIFT streak remains intact at 13-for-13 away from the Canadian Tire Centre this season. The holidays may be over but as long as the Sens keep putting GIFTs under the tree, we’ll keep opening them! The Senators' games have also cashed this prop in 24-of-33 games this season overall, a 72% clip that is tied for the NHL lead this season with the Wild. Ottawa’s games have cashed the GIFT in four of their last five and 11 of 12 overall.
Seattle’s 63% (24-for-38) season GIFT strike rate is ranked 13th in the league, however, their 24 GIFTs are tied for 8th. The Kraken have cashed this prop in 78% of their home games with Climate Pledge Arena GIFTs accounting for 15 of the Kraken’s 24 on the season.
13. for. 13. Until the wheels fall off.
Pick: Goal In First Ten (-160)
Calgary Flames at Nashville Predators
The Flames have cashed GIFTs at a 67% clip (25-for-37) this season, good for 6th in the NHL. They have been even better at cashing on the road, hitting at a 70% rate. Calgary has been on a GIFT heater of late, cashing in four of their last five and eight of their last ten games overall, including four of five away from the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Nashville’s 23-15 (60%) GIFT record may rank 17th but their 23 GIFTs are tied for 12th. The Preds have hit this prop in four of their last five and seven of their last ten games overall. Nashville did cash this prop in their last home game and have hit in three straight overall.
The GIFT cashed at the 4:35 mark when these two teams last met back on November 7 in Calgary.
Pick: Goal In First Ten (-160)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Minnesota Wild
The Lightning have cashed GIFTs at a 71% clip (28-for-39) this season, good for 3rd in the NHL. They have also delivered GIFTs on the road, cashing at an incredible 70% rate. Tampa Bay’s 28 GIFTs this season paces the NHL as well. Tampa Bay has cashed in four of their last five and seven of their last ten games overall, including two straight away from the Amalie Arena.
The Wild have cashed this prop in 72% of their games this season and their 26 GIFTs are second-most in the NHL behind only the Lightning. Xcel Energy Center GIFTs have cashed at a 72% rate this season and accounted for exactly half of their 26 GIFTs as Minnesota has cashed in 72% of their road games as well. The Wild have also cashed this prop in three of their last five and six of ten overall.
The team that has cashed the most GIFTs against the team that cashes at the highest rate. All of that at the -145 value? Fuhgeddaboudit! It’s a no-brainer.
Pick: Goal In First Ten (-145)
Parlay Odds: +346
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Luke Monaldo is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @MoKnowsSports and Discord @alydar1227 AKA The GIFTing Crooner. For more from Luke, check out his archive.