Mark Lammey
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After a giant 12-game slate, a light night was expected. There are just 3 games taking the ice on Friday night, but we can still find value. Better yet, we can piece together our favorite plays for one incredible payout. Although options are limited, we’ve still targeted the best plays for all 3 games to make Friday night as exciting as possible while looking to boost your bankroll.
Before we dive in, be sure to check out our NHL picks for today’s action.
Tampa Bay Lightning 3-way ML (+130) over Florida Panthers
To say the Lightning are not off to the start of the season most would have anticipated would be an understatement. A 1-3-0 record and last place in the Atlantic Division is very unlike the team that has won 2 of the past 3 Stanley Cups. They did lose some secondary skaters, but their core remains intact. Therefore, expect a big bounce-back from Tampa against their cross-state rivals tonight. There’s no denying the Panthers are a great team in their own right, but the Lightning handled them with ease in their most recent meeting.
The Lightning won that game 8-4, which was also down in South Beach. It’s also worth noting that Tampa’s slow start deserves some further explanation. They opened up the season on the road against the New York Rangers, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before ultimately losing that series to the Lightning. Tampa followed that up by destroying the Columbus Blue Jackets. They had to play a road back-to-back against a perennial Eastern Conference favorite Pittsburgh Penguins team and ultimately lost that matchup. Now that they’re coming into this game with 3 days rest, expect the Stanley Cup-winning Lightning to show up against the Panthers.
Be sure to check out our Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers predictions
Detroit Red Wings 3-way ML (+120) over Chicago Blackhawks
The new-look Red Wings already have fans in Detroit singing their praises and rightfully so. They’re 2-0-1 to start the season and barely lost a close overtime game to the Los Angeles Kings the last time they were on the ice. Now they get a perfect opportunity to bounce back against a bad Blackhawks team. They’re 1-2-0 to begin the year, and their only win was against an 0-5-0 San Jose Sharks squad. Not only did Chicago finish last season as one of the worst teams in the entire NHL, but they got even worse over the offseason.
They lost Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, who was second on the team in terms of both shots and points. Meanwhile, the Red Wings made arguably the most impactful additions over the summer. They added David Perron from the Blues, who scored 27 goals and Andrew Copp, who helped lead the Rangers to within one series of the Stanley Cup Finals. On top of that, former Blues goaltender Vile Husso has already led Detroit to a shutout win this season. There’s a reason the Wings are still favorites despite being on the road, so take them to win this one in regulation.
Be sure to check out our Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks predictions
Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (-120) over Seattle Kraken
All 3 games on the board tonight feature teams in perfect bounce-back spots, and perhaps none are more set up for one than the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Avalanche just fell in overtime to the Jets on Wednesday night, but will remain in Colorado and welcome the Kraken. They’re heading over from an overtime loss themselves up in Seattle, and are still trying to develop as a franchise. This is just their 2nd-ever season, while the Avs are yet again the favorites to hoist the Cup.
Colorado defeated the Minnesota Wild on the road by 3 goals prior to their last game, and they should look much more like that team against the Kraken. Seattle finished last season with the 2nd-worst record in the Western Conference and are still with their same goaltender — Philipp Grubauer. He’s actually a former goalie for Colorado, and there’s a reason the Avs got rid of him and then won the Stanley Cup. They also did right by superstar Nathan MacKinnon and extended him with an 8-year contract during the offseason. There’s simply too much of a talent gap between these teams to expect anything but a convincing Avs win on Friday night.
Be sure to check out our Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche predictions
Friday’s NHL mega parlay (10/21)
Lightning 3-way ML (+130)
Red Wings 3-way ML (+120)
Avalanche -1.5 (-120)
Parlay odds +857
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