5 Best NHL Bets and Player Props for Saturday 10/18/25

Whether it's moneylines, goal props, or who lights the lamp, there are plenty of ways to bet on NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL player prop projections, which are powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

Today's Best NHL Bets and Player Props

Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets

Over 6.5 Goals (-106)
Dmitri Voronkov to Record a Point (+106)

Two of the NHL's worst defenses meet tonight in Columbus, and there is enough offense in the tank to imply hope for a high-scoring tilt.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets are both top-9 teams in Corsi allowed per 60 minutes and top-13 teams in expected goals (xG) allowed per 60 minutes. That's a good start.

Columbus, surprisingly, sits 10th in the 2025-26's small sample in xG per 60 minutes (3.31). It's actually Tampa, with a star-studded roster, that's behind in that category (2.64) early in the going. It feels like will definitely regress above 30th in short order.

Goaltending also isn't a massive obstacle to the over. In terms of goals saved above expectation per 60 minutes (GSAx/60), Jet Greaves of the Jackets is hot right now (1.08), and Tampa Bay's Jonas Johansson (-0.10) is not, but neither has a season in the tank with at least 12 starts and below a 3.00 GAA. They're totally unproven.

Regression is my focus here when Thursday's game at Nationwide Arena had 59 shots on goal but just 5 markers. Two were even called back on reviews. The Jackets will play shootouts if they keep skating like this.

One of the men who can help them win a shootout is Dmitri Voronkov.

Voronkov's role is in the absolute best place it could be right now. He's on the Jackets' top forward line and top powerplay unit, averaging 15:49 time on ice (TOI) and 2.0 shots on goal per game.

Going beyond the box score, Vorkonov has actually attempted 4.0 shots per game, but he's had an unusual time finding the net with them thus far.

It doesn't hurt this market that Kirill Marchenko (+160) and Sean Monahan (+210) are Columbus' two likeliest scorers tonight on his same line, per FanDuel's odds.

FanDuel Research's NHL player prop projections expect 0.75 median points from Voronkov tonight, implying closer to -112 odds for one. If we're expecting more scoring than bookmakers, that's gravy on top.

Minnesota Wild at Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers Moneyline (-120)

The Philadelphia Flyers only have three points to show for the season in four games, but their formula to win is significantly better than it has been in prior seasons.

In terms of expected-goals-for-rate thus far, Philadelphia (51.2 xGF%) ranks a modest 14th. They've been slightly outplaying their opponents between scoring outcomes. Tonight's visiting Minnesota Wild rank 30th (41.0 xGF%) in that department so far -- albeit in a small sample.

In previous seasons, it's been the man between the pipes that has undone Philly, but Dan Vladar is playing well so far at 0.86 GSAx/60. That's also just a bit higher than Minny's Jesper Wallstedt (0.74 GSAx/60) when I'd classify both as high-risk candidates for negative regression. At worst, that's probably neutral in this handicap.

With a day of rest as an advantage, Philadelphia also is granted home ice. Reputation is baked into this line when Minnesota (97 points) was so much better than Philadelphia (76) a year ago. As the Flyers' youngsters have taken a leap, that's not the case right now.

Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks

Penguins Over 3.5 Goals (+100)

Team totals were invented for teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

You'd theoretically think they could handle a San Jose Sharks offense on a back-to-back that ranks 32nd in xG per 60 minutes (2.45), but if I don't have to risk it, I won't.

Pittsburgh should beat up on San Jose's defense. The Pens are seventh in xG per 60 minutes (3.60) when the Sharks are allowed the sixth-most per 60 (3.70), and Alex Nedeljkovic has been outright harmful in net at times. Nedeljkovic sits sixth-worst in the NHL at -1.29 GSAx/60 in the early going.

Not trusting Arturs Silovs or an embattled Penguins D in this spot, plus money on becoming the fifth consecutive Sharks opponent to meet or exceed four goals this season is a sweet deal.

Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights

Tomas Hertl Anytime Goal (+200)

Tomas Hertl potted a goal when these teams met on Tuesday in Calgary. Can he do the same in the rematch?

Expect a more aggressive Hertl in the scoring column than the pass-first guy he's been most of his career when Mitchell Marner is on his same second forward line and first powerplay unit. Marner is notorious for moving the puck, which is why it's not a huge surprise Hertl has tried to finish 12 plays over five games with shots on goal. He's scored twice.

The Calgary Flames are a middle-of-the-road defense as skaters (3.27 xG allowed per 60), but their goaltending situation has been a nightmare in the early going. Dustin Wolf has, classically, posted -1.21 GSAx/60 after his stellar season a year ago. Trusting a goalie in a new season isn't wise.

Hertl's 18:01 TOI average would be his best in a season with the Vegas Golden Knights, too. Our projections expect 0.49 median goals from him on Saturday, so I'd have expected to see him closer to +158 for a tally.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.