NHL Predictions Today: Odds, Picks & Best Bets for Friday, Oct. 23
Though we only have two games on Friday night's slate, my NHL predictions today feature three picks I feel strongly about heading into what should be a great weekend of hockey.
That includes a winner pick and a top player prop for Lightning vs. Avalanche, alongside my best bet for an Original 6 matchup between the Canadiens and Blackhawks.
NHL predictions today: Oct. 23
See all of our experts’ NHL picks based on the latest NHL odds.
| Pick | Odds | Bet size |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning ML (Lightning at Avalanche, 9 p.m. ET) | +109 via bet365 | 1 unit to profit 1.09 units |
| Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 points (Lightning at Avalanche, 9 p.m. ET) | +158 via FanDuel | 0.5 units to profit 0.79 units |
| Over 6 (Canadiens at Blackhawks, 8 p.m. ET) | -118 via BetMGM | 0.5 units to profit 0.42 units |
Total wagered: 2 units | Max profit: 2.3 units
NHL best bet today
Lightning ML vs. Avalanche (+109 via bet365)
The Lightning have owned this matchup over the last four seasons. Since losing to the Avalanche in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning have won six of eight head-to-head against Colorado.
Tonight, they catch an out-of-form Avalanche squad with four regulation losses already and just a .500 winning percentage through the first 10 games of the season. It took until January last season before Colorado lost four games in regulation.
I love backing the Lightning right now as a road underdog at plus money. Among the best sports betting sites, bet365 offers the top value at +109 odds, but I'd bet this anywhere above +100.
📡 SBR Edge: Avs' scoring pace poised for decline
The high-flying Avalanche are due for some negative regression on offense. Colorado has scored seven goals above expected, the fourth-most in the NHL, per MoneyPuck.
More NHL picks & predictions
Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 points vs. Avalanche (+158 via FanDuel)
If the Lightning are going to win tonight, as my best bet predicts, then they'll likely do so on the shoulders of Nikita Kucherov.
The reigning Hart Trophy winner already has five multi-point games this season, going Over this total in more than half of his appearances thus far.
Kucherov has also averaged more than two points per game versus the Avalanche across six matchups over the last three seasons. Given Kucherov's track record against Colorado, FanDuel's +158 odds are a tremendous value.
Canadiens vs. Blackhawks Over 6 (-118 via BetMGM)
Friday's Montreal vs. Chicago matchup features two teams that rank bottom-five in goals allowed per game.
That's resulted in a ton of Overs for both clubs through the early going of the 2026-27 campaign, largely due to poor goaltending. Canadiens and Blackhawks games are a combined 13-5 to the Over this season. That includes a four-game streak of Overs for Montreal entering tonight.
I would still bet the Over at 6.5 (at a minimum of -105 odds), but I love getting the extra wiggle room of a 6-goal total at BetMGM's reasonable -118 odds.
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