NHL Betting Picks: Thursday 10/19/23

We've got a full slate of games on Thursday, so we should be able to find some good betting opportunities tonight.

Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the 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.

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 FanDuel Sportsbook.

Vancouver Canucks at Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning ML (-132)

The vultures are circling around the Tampa Bay Lightning, ready to pounce on Tampa Bay's corpse.

It has definitely been a rough start for Tampa. They've lost three games in a row after winning their season opener. That win was their only home game of the season so far, but they'll be back home tonight.

On Tuesday, Tampa finally had more expected goals (xG) than their opponents in a game. That's key, considering they will no longer have the goalie advantage in most games until Andrei Vasilevskiy gets back in the net. They will have Steven Stamkos returning tonight, which should help them finish their chances.

The Lightning will host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Vancouver had two good wins to start the season but completely laid an egg on Tuesday. They allowed 4.78 xG to aPhiladelphia Flyers team that is far from elite offensively. We know that the Canucks are not going to be a great defensive team, and that performance was dreadful.

The Bolts should be able to exploit this weak defense at home, especially with Stamkos back. This -134 number is not too big of a price to lay for Tampa at home.

Calgary Flames at Buffalo Sabres

Sabres ML (+104)

The Buffalo Sabres got off the schneid with a win on Tuesday, their first W of the season. There were a ton of people who were bullish on Buffalo heading into the year, and it was a nice win in their third game before any real concerns took flight.

Buffalo has yet to kick their offense into high gear. Last season, they finished third in goals, but so far, they have averaged just two per game. The good news is that their defense is rounding into form.

With young studs such as Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to go along with underrated players such as Henri Jokiharju and Mattias Samuelsson and a new veteran addition in Erik Johnson, the Sabres sit in the middle of the pack in most defensive metrics. That's a lot better than what they showed in the past few seasons.

The Calgary Flames come to town to play at Buffalo tonight. So far, the Flames haven't been that impressive. They are allowing 3.94 xG per game, the fourth-most in the NHL.

Calgary is also turning to backup goaltender Dan Vladar for this one. Starter Jacob Markstrom saved 4.36 goals above expected in three games this season. Vladar has never finished a season saving more goals than expected, so this is definitely a downgrade for Calgary.

If Buffalo is a serious playoff contender, they should be winning this game. We are getting slightly better than even-money on this bet, so it's an intriguing one.

Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets

Golden Knights ML (-114)

The defending Stanley Cup champions have picked up right where they left off. The Vegas Golden Knights have won all four of their games -- three of them by a score of 4-1.

Not many people were picking Vegas to repeat as champions, pointing out some flaws in their team. But both goaltenders have been excellent so far, and Logan Thompson appears to be getting the call tonight.

Jack Eichel and Mark Stone being healthy and contributing goes a long way for Vegas, as we saw in the playoffs. Eichel has four points in four games and scored the goal of the week.

In the playoffs last season, the Golden Knights dominated the Winnipeg Jets and won the series in five games. They took both games in Winnipeg, as well, so the road environment shouldn't hurt them.

The Jets are coming off a brutal 5-1 loss on Tuesday on home ice. Now, they are giving goalie Laurent Brossoit a chance to face his old team. It's nice that they are doing that for him, but he's definitely not the same level of goalie as Connor Hellebuyck, who was fourth in goals saved above expected last season.

Vegas should have the skater edge and the goalie edge. On top of that, they're in great form. All signs point to a Vegas win.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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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.