Free NHL Expert and Computer Picks For Every Game Oct. 20, 2026
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3.27 |
-105 
|
o6.5 +105 
|
+1.5 -240 
|
|
3.09 |
-107 
|
u6.5 -118
|
-1.5 +210
|
Colorado
New Jersey
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.54 |
+140 
|
o5.5 -120 
|
+1.5 -180
|
|
3.20 |
-150 
|
u5.5 +105
|
-1.5 +163 
|
Los Angeles
Washington
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.78 |
+135
|
o5.5 -122
|
+1.5 -180
|
|
3.31 |
-150
|
u6.5 -136 
|
-1.5 +164
|
Anaheim
NY Islanders
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.86 |
+188
|
o6.5 -118
|
+1.5 -130
|
|
3.88 |
-200
|
u6.5 +100
|
-1.5 +120
|
San Jose
Montreal
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.97 |
+136
|
o6.5 +100
|
+1.5 -175
|
|
3.68 |
-150
|
u6.5 -110
|
-1.5 +160
|
Toronto
Columbus
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.65 |
+146
|
o5.5 -118
|
+1.5 -170
|
|
3.22 |
-159
|
u5.5 +101
|
-1.5 +163
|
Boston
Dallas
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.66 |
+130
|
o5.5 -124
|
+1.5 -204
|
|
3.12 |
-140
|
u6.0 -115
|
-1.5 +180
|
Winnipeg
St. Louis
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3.17 |
+118
|
o6.5 +105
|
+1.5 -210
|
|
3.38 |
-130
|
u6.5 -119
|
-1.5 +185
|
Minnesota
Edmonton
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3.26 |
-105
|
o6.5 -102
|
+1.5 -265
|
|
3.32 |
-110
|
u6.5 -113
|
-1.5 +220
|
Detroit
Seattle
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4.23 |
-290
|
o6.5 +100
|
-1.5 -115
|
|
2.54 |
+260
|
u6.5 -110
|
+1.5 +100
|
Carolina
Vancouver
Predicted Score
Team |
Predicted Score |
ML |
Total |
Puck Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3.32 |
+100
|
o6.0 -122
|
+1.5 -250
|
|
3.17 |
-110
|
u6.5 -120
|
-1.5 +220
|
Tampa Bay
Vegas
SJ
@
MON
Tue, Oct 20 • 7:00 PM ET
u6.5 (-105)
I’m jumping on the Under to 52%.
San Jose is known as a high-powered offensive team but they sit 24th in goals per game and 25th in shooting percentage.
Alex Ndeljkovic is tied with Ilya Sorokin for third in Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 (+1.2), and will prevent the Montreal Canadiens from truly running it up.
Juraj Slafkovsky o0.5 Goals Scored (+160)
Juraj Slafkovsky is off to somewhat of a slow start but this is a great spot to get going.
The San Jose Sharks are 23rd in expected goals against at 5-on-5 and are even worse on the penalty kill, ranking ahead of only the Canucks.
Opportunities should be plentiful in all situations against this Sharks team, and tired legs could lead to more power plays for Montreal.
TOR
@
CLB
Tue, Oct 20 • 7:00 PM ET
Auston Matthews o0.5 Goals Scored (+160)
Auston Matthews is set to play his 700th NHL game tonight, and there's no better way to celebrate than with a goal. The Maple Leafs captain visits Columbus with a chance to mark the milestone against a Blue Jackets team that has struggled to keep opponents off the scoresheet. Matthews' scoring ability makes him a natural anytime-goal candidate, but it's his matchup and opportunity, not the round number, that make this worth considering.
Auston Matthews o0.5 Goals Scored (+160)
Welcome back to the Auston Matthews section of my Leafs articles - he's cashed us in four of the last five games, so we're not going to fix what ain't broken here. Matthews continues to be a monster this season and is averaging 4.43 high-danger shot attempts per game. Against one of the worst penalty kill units in hockey, look for Matthews to light the lamp in Columbus.
BOS
@
DAL
Tue, Oct 20 • 8:00 PM ET
Wyatt Johnston o0.5 Goals Scored (+175)
Wyatt Johnston is coming off a 45 goal campaign and owns an exceptional 16.8% finishing rate in his career.
He’s a top-tier goal scorer who is yet to open his account despite generating more than 2.9 expected goals and increasing his shot attempt output.
The Bruins are 16th in slot shots allowed and that is where the bulk of Johnston’s volume comes from.
Miro Heiskanen o0.5 Points (-135)
Miro Heiskanen has six points through eight games, and I like the star blueliner to record another one up to 60%.
The Bruins are a subpar shot suppression team at 5-on-5, ranking 23rd in shots on goal per 60 minutes. Heiskanen plays a ton of minutes and quietly sits second on the team in shot attempts in that state.
He also quarterbacks a dangerous power play that is Top-6 in both shot volume and shot quality.
WIN
@
STL
Tue, Oct 20 • 8:00 PM ET
Kyle Connor o0.5 Goals Scored (+130)
Play up to 46%. Kyle Connor has eight goals in eight games and has scored in four of his last five. He leads Winnipeg in individual scoring chances and ranks second in high-danger chances, while St. Louis sits 24th in goals allowed.
MIN
@
EDM
Tue, Oct 20 • 9:00 PM ET
Evan Bouchard o0.5 Goals Scored (+350)
Evan Bouchard celebrates his 27th birthday tonight, and the Oilers defenseman has been scoring like a forward. Bouchard has already buried six goals in eight games, making him one of the NHL's most dangerous offensive blueliners to start the season. Minnesota presents a tough matchup, but the high game total suggests scoring opportunities on both sides. With his recent finishing form and Birthday Mojo in play, I'm backing Bouchard to bury one.
Matt Boldy o3.5 Shots On Goal (-110)
Play up to 58%. Matt Boldy is averaging 4.55 SOG per game and has fired 14 shots on target over his last two outings. He also leads Minnesota comfortably in total and unblocked shot attempts, while Edmonton allows 6.5 SOG per game to left wingers.
DET
@
SEA
Tue, Oct 20 • 9:40 PM ET
Alex DeBrincat o0.5 Goals Scored (+155)
Alex DeBrincat is one goal away from 300 for his NHL career, and the matchup couldn't be much better. Seattle allows 3.44 goals and 31.8 shots per game, ranking 30th in shots surrendered. The Kraken also struggle on the penalty kill and rank 28th in penalty minutes per game, creating additional opportunities for Detroit's power play. With three goals in his last three games, I'm backing DeBrincat to reach No. 300 tonight.
TB
@
VEG
Tue, Oct 20 • 10:30 PM ET
Jack Eichel o2.5 Shots On Goal (-145)
This Over is recommended up to 60% because Eichel has recorded three or more shots in four of his past six games for 20 total on 29 attempts. The go-to center has also posted a high-end 56.1 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five, and Vegas head coach Ryan Craig has the last-change advantage to pick the on-ice matchups for his No. 1 center tonight. Finally, there is also statistical correction coming to Eichel's shot volume with the man advantage.
Brayden Point o0.5 Goals Scored (+245)
The prop is in play to 34% because Point has been limited to a 13.1 shooting percentage since the beginning of the 2025-26 season, and he’s only scored once this year despite piling up 2.93 individual expected goals and 15 high-danger scoring chances. Point scored 139 times with a 21.4 SH% across the prior three years, while skating in the exact same go-to offensive role, so the statistical correction is coming after he spent the offseason focused on expanding his scoring zone and tight-area scoring.
Our experts and prediction models are hard at work analyzing the data. Check back shortly for today's picks, or explore our Computer Picks for inspiration.
We've combined statistical analysis and machine learning to make these computer picks. The table above shows you how the computer has done in its last 100 picks against the moneyline, spread (puck line), and total with $100 units.
Seeing where the computer has had success, or has failed, can give you some insight into where the betting value might lie going forward.
Use our computer picks as the starting point in your handicapping journey. Our computer analyzes every stat in our database and chooses the bet that has the most likely outcome. Now, use our other tools to do your own research and see if that research agrees or disagrees with the computer.
An NHL moneyline bet is simple: all you need to do is pick a winner. Whether that's in regulation or overtime, they don't ask how, but how many, right?
| Team | Moneyline Odds |
|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | -130 |
| Florida Panthers | +110 |
As with all moneyline odds, the team with the minus sign (-) is the favorite, while the side with the plus sign (+) is the underdog.
Betting $100 on Edmonton at -130 would net you $176 in winnings if they win the game, $76 of profit plus your initial $100 wager. Conversely, if you bet on Florida and they win, you get $210: $110 in profit plus your initial $100 bet.
The puck line is the NHL's version of the spread, where each team is given a certain number of goals to either win or lose by. Unlike the NFL or the NBA, the NHL spread doesn't typically change from 1.5 for each side. The spread is designed to make betting on the favorite more enticing.
| Team | Moneyline Odds | Puck line Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | -130 | -1.5 (-110) |
| Florida Panthers | +110 | +1.5 (-180) |
The favorite, Edmonton at -1.5, would need to win by at least two goals for the bet to cash. If Edmonton wins by two or more goals, in other words, "covers the bet," you'd get $191 in winnings instead of $176 by taking them on the moneyline.
There are two ways for the underdog, Florida at +1.5, to "cover" a +1.5 puck line bet. They can lose by a single goal or win outright to cash. The odds are shorter, but you have options on this bet.
With a total bet, you're wagering on the total number of goals scored by both teams. You aren't backing any single side to win.
| Team | Total Odds |
|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | O5.5 (-115) |
| Florida Panthers | U5.5 (-105) |
Sportsbooks will set a line for the game. In this case, it's 5.5 goals. Your job is to figure out if Edmonton and Florida will score more or fewer than 5.5 goals, not counting the shootout.
If you see a line that's an even number, like 6.0, those bets can end in a push where your wager is refunded if the game ends at exactly six goals.
You know what the moneyline, spread (puck line), and total bets are, so you're ready to start betting on NHL hockey. But before you start placing bets with your gut, make sure to check out our betting tools and betting guides.
They can guide you with more than just moneyline, spread, and total bets. They can also help you find value in the futures and player props markets.
If you're ready to bet on NHL picks, you first need to find the right sportsbook. Our NHL betting sites guide offers secure banking, the best odds, bonuses, and reliable customer service options for you.
Covers’ NHL picks typically release on game day. Some significant matchups like playoff games release in the days leading up to the game.
Covers provides free NHL picks covering many markets, including puck lines, totals, moneylines, player props, and more.
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