The first Saturday of the NHL season is here, and there’s plenty of value to be found across a busy 13-game slate.
My NHL best bets feature an undervalued Maple Leafs team, another big night for Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche, as well as a high-scoring game in Edmonton.
Read the full analysis in my NHL picks for Saturday, Oct. 3.
Today's top NHL predictions
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
TOR ML
COL -1.5
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SEA/EDM o6.5Percentages courtesy of Novig, one of the best prediction market apps.
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Pick #1: Maple Leafs moneyline
We all know about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ struggles last season, but this is a new year and a much different team. In fact, Toronto had 10 new players on its opening-night roster.
With key additions like Kirill Marchenko, Gavin McKenna, and Darren Raddysh, plus familiar names in Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs are looking to return to the playoffs.
The same cannot be said about the Ottawa Senators, who lost captain Brady Tkachuk, and did not do much to improve this offseason.
Since Matthews debuted in 2016-17, he tops the NHL in goals (26) and points (52) vs. Ottawa. Look for the Leafs captain to lead his team to victory tonight.
- Matchup: Senators vs. Maple Leafs
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
- TV: SNO, SNP
Pick #2: Avalanche -1.5
The Colorado Avalanche had an avalanche of goals in their season opener on Wednesday in an 8-4 win, with eight different players posting a multi-point night.
The St. Louis Blues are fresh off a surprising 4-0 upset over the Dallas Stars on Friday, but this will be a particularly tough matchup on the second half of a back-to-back.
Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington posted a brutal .873 SV% last season, fifth-worst among netminders with at least 20 games played.
The Avs led the league in goals per game in 2025-26 (3.63), and they should score plenty against Binnington and an unrested Blues team.
Bonus pick: Nathan MacKinnon 2+ points (59%)
Going hand in hand with a big Avalanche win is another multi-point performance for Nathan MacKinnon.
The Avs superstar won his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2025-26 with an NHL-best 53 goals to go along with 127 points (third).
MacKinnon has found the score sheet in 20 of his last 23 meetings vs. the Blues, with multiple points in seven of those outings.
He tallied two goals in his season opener against the Los Angeles Kings, with a team-leading 10 shot attempts and six scoring chances.
MacKinnon will be buzzing again tonight, and he’ll rack up at least a couple more points.
- Matchup: Blues vs. Avalanche
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- TV: STLNHL, ALT
Pick #3: Kraken vs. Oilers Over 6.5
The Edmonton Oilers are always fun to watch, but they’ve been a different breed under new head coach Mike Babcock.
Edmonton has already scored 14 goals across its first two games, with an average game total of 13.5 goals.
Evan Bouchard (eight points), Connor McDavid (seven points), and Leon Draisaitl (four points) are all clicking offensively for the Oilers, who won’t struggle to score against a Seattle Kraken squad that finished 23rd in goals against per game last season (3.13).
The Oilers net is in shambles as well — Tristan Jarry owns a .739 SV% in his first start, while Devon Levi put up a .682 SV% in his lone appearance.
All of that points to another wild, high-scoring game in Edmonton.
- Matchup: Kraken vs. Oilers
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
- TV: NHL Network
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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