Ryan Hodges
After an exciting first couple of nights of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, Thursday represents the first double-digit slate! There are 14 games on tap as 28 of the league’s 32 teams are going to be suited up. Most of them will be playing their first game of the season and giving a glimpse of what to look forward to, or not to look forward to, for the next 6 months. There is a little bit of everything on Thursday’s NHL slate from division rivalries to Original 6 matchups. The action begins at 7 PM ET and will go all through the night as the West coast games begin at 10 PM ET.
If you will be tuning into this fantastic night of hockey and want to have a little bit of skin in the game, here are a few betting markets that stand out to us that may be worth considering. Also be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the season.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins game total under 5.5 (+105)
Anaheim Ducks ML (+105) vs Seattle Kraken
Detroit Red Wings ML (-130) at home vs Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins game total under 5.5 (+105)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
The Blackhawks’ first game of the season went under the 5.5 game total. That is not very surprising considering they still appear to be deficient on the offensive side of the puck. In prior years, the Blackhawks being a team that opponents could dominate typically gave the game total over appeal as teams could run up the score. But ever since trading Seth Jones to Florida for goaltender Spencer Knight, Chicago has a legitimate number 1 goalie. The combination of a weakness of goal scoring and a strength of a solid goaltender give this plus money for the under some good value.
The Bruins are a bit polarizing in terms of predicting success, or lack thereof, until there is more of a sample size. Most agree that they do not have the offensive firepower that has made them a Stanley Cup threat year after year. But they do appear to have a very good defensive core in front of what we know is a fantastic goaltender. If 6 or more goals are going to be scored in this one, it is a bit difficult to see where from. Both teams have strong goaltending, forward groups that are not very deep, and at least one side has a defensive core that should have a favorable matchup against less talented forwards. The under is attractive in this one.
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Anaheim Ducks ML (+105) vs Seattle Kraken
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
The Ducks and the Kraken have trended in different directions over the past couple of years. After making the playoffs in their inaugural season, the Kraken have fallen further in the standings come the end of each season. Their roster has some name value, but a lot of question marks. Meanwhile, the Ducks have improved year over year to the point where they now look like a playoff bubble team at worse.
Anaheim now has an enviable mix of talented young players, proven and experienced veterans, and now an all-time great head coach. The Ducks look to be the better team on paper and now have a little bit of positive buzz about them for the first time in years. The team knows what they have in the room and they know this could be the first year of an open window of contention. Look for them to come out flying and make a statement to the rest of the league that their rebuild is over and they are here to compete. This is another plus money line that has a ton of value considering they just may plain be the better team.
Check out our NHL season preview for the 2025-26 season!
Detroit Red Wings ML (-130) at home vs Montreal Canadiens
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
If this season is not “Put up or shut up” time for the Red Wings, then who knows what future season will be? After roughly a 30-year run of unprecedented success, the Red Wings now find themselves having missed the playoffs for 9 consecutive seasons. That would have been unfathomable a decade ago. The team has been good in recent years, but not good enough. It has become loud both locally and nationally about the Red Wings. After coming up just short last year, the Red Wings made a few moves they believe will get them over the hump. The primary move being the acquisition of goaltender John Gibson.
The Red Wings will have their hands full with the Canadiens on Thursday night. But it’s another situation where this is a team that already has plenty of talent and also has a big statement to make. The Red Wings have the opportunity to do so at home. The Canadiens ranked 18th in the NHL in point percentage on the road last years as they went 17-19-5 away from the friendly confines. It will be an uphill battle for them in Detroit against a Red Wings team that is healthy, motivated, and now have what they believe is the goaltender to take them back to the playoffs.
Read our full Canadiens vs Red Wings prediction
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