NHL Picks Today: 3 NHL Predictions, Props and Best Bets for Monday, Oct. 26

Today’s Top NHL Picks at a Glance

• Rangers Moneyline (-130)
• Auston Matthews Anytime Goal (+120)
• Red Wings-Oilers Over 6.5 (-122)

Monday's NHL schedule gives us a compact three-game slate, but there's still plenty to work with from a betting perspective. The night features the Rangers trying to remain perfect at home, a surging Maple Leafs offense visiting Calgary, and an Edmonton-Detroit matchup that has plenty of scoring potential.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

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NHL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NHL Predictions Today: Player Props, Best Bets

New York Rangers Moneyline (-130)

Kings at Rangers — 7:00 p.m. ET

Madison Square Garden has been a major advantage for the New York Rangers early this season, and I'm willing to back them at reasonable moneyline odds against the Los Angeles Kings.

New York enters Monday a perfect 6-0-0 at home. That's particularly noteworthy considering the Rangers haven't exactly been airtight defensively of late, surrendering 22 goals across their past five games. They gave up seven in Saturday's loss at Ottawa, but a return home provides a good opportunity to bounce back.

The bigger concern for Los Angeles is its offense. The Kings are averaging only 2.33 goals per game, putting them near the bottom of the NHL in scoring. They've been held to one goal in five of their first nine contests and are coming off a 3-1 loss to New Jersey.

Artemi Panarin has supplied plenty of individual offense for Los Angeles, but the Kings haven't consistently generated enough scoring around him. Meanwhile, New York's penalty kill has been one of the league's better units.

With the Rangers unbeaten at MSG and Los Angeles struggling to manufacture goals consistently, the Rangers to win is my favorite moneyline bet tonight.

Auston Matthews Anytime Goal (+120)

Maple Leafs at Flames — 8:30 p.m. ET

Auston Matthews has started the season looking very much like Auston Matthews, and getting plus money on him to score is appealing in this matchup.

Matthews has already produced 9 goals through 13 games, giving him an average of 0.69 goals per game. He's also generated 39 shots, so the scoring has been backed by plenty of shooting volume rather than an unsustainable conversion rate.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been rolling offensively, winning four consecutive games while scoring 20 total goals during that stretch. Their latest outing was a 7-2 road victory over Edmonton, a game in which Matthews once again found the net.

Calgary hasn't been especially strong at either end of the ice, and Toronto enters as a sizable road favorite. That creates an appealing environment for Matthews, who remains the focal point of the Leafs' attack and gets prime opportunities on the power play.

Red Wings-Oilers Over 6.5 (-122)

Red Wings at Oilers — 9:30 p.m. ET

The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the NHL's most entertaining teams, and Monday's matchup with the Detroit Red Wings sets up for another high-scoring game.

Edmonton leads the league with 4.36 goals per game through 11 contests. Connor McDavid has already piled up 33 points, while Leon Draisaitl has scored 12 goals and enters Monday riding a six-game goal streak.

Detroit's special teams could struggle badly against that group. The Red Wings enter with a 65.8% penalty kill, ranking near the bottom of the NHL, and Edmonton's power play is converting at 35.1%. That's an enormous mismatch whenever Detroit gives McDavid and Draisaitl opportunities with the man advantage.

The Oilers aren't exactly shutting teams down at the other end, either. Edmonton is allowing 3.55 goals per game and owns a 70.0% penalty kill, giving Detroit a legitimate path to contributing enough offense for the over.

Seven of Edmonton's first 11 games have produced at least seven total goals, while six of Detroit's 11 have cleared this number. With Edmonton capable of doing much of the heavy lifting itself, over 6.5 is my favorite way to attack the final game of Monday's slate.

NHL Betting -- Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Puck Line in NHL Betting?

The puck line is hockey's version of a point spread. The standard puck line is usually set at 1.5 goals, meaning a team listed at -1.5 must win by at least two goals for the bet to cash. A team at +1.5 can either win outright or lose by one goal.

What Does the Moneyline Mean in NHL Betting?

A moneyline bet is a wager on which team will win the game. Favorites have negative odds, while underdogs have positive odds. Unlike the puck line, the margin of victory does not matter.

What Are NHL Player Props?

NHL player props allow bettors to wager on an individual player's performance rather than the final result of the game. Common markets include goals, assists, points, shots on goal, and goalie saves.

What Should You Consider When Betting on NHL Games?

Several factors can influence NHL betting decisions, including starting goaltenders, injuries, recent team performance, special-teams play, expected line combinations, and whether a team is playing on consecutive nights. Because goalie confirmations can significantly impact a matchup, it can be useful to check the latest lineup news before placing a bet.

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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.