At long last, NHL regular-season hockey is upon us — and so are the endless betting opportunities. If you need betting advice on the season-opening games, you’ll want to read this then! We have three picks on three different games so you can start the new year on the right foot!
When Does NHL 2022-23 Season Begin?
Opening Day for the 2022-23 NHL is Friday, October 7 — however, that’s only for two teams and not even in North America. You see, Nashville and San Jose kick off the year in Europe with the NHL Global series. It’s a two-game slate held at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. This marks the first international game in the NHL since 2019.
Opening day back in North America is Tuesday, October 11. Teams will have their first game of the season in the days that follow and then NHL will be off to the proverbial races. We will have regular-season action until Thursday, April 13 when the year concludes.
Against The Spread: San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators
No home-ice advantage for either team as Prague is the sight of this season-opener. There are many ways to gamble on this matchup at NHL’s best betting sites (moneylines, over/unders, props) but we’re drawn to the Sharks-Predators spread. Here’s where the odds currently stand:
It’s important to note that we’re not completely sure what to make of San Jose — at least not yet. The team brought in new head coach David Quinn after a disappointing 32-37-13 season for the Sharks in which they were outscored by 50 goals. Quinn didn’t have the best track record with the Rangers and while we don’t want to judge him solely based on that tenure, we’re just not confident he boosts the Sharks right off the bat. It could take time to see the fruits of Quinn’s labor.
The Predators, on the other hand, are much more surefire. Here’s a franchise that’s made the playoffs seven years in a row — but unfortunately for them, four of those trips ended in first-round exits. It’s this reason why Nashville was busy over the offseason. Notable new additions include Kevin Gravel, Jordan Gross, and Kevin Lankinen.
The start of the season is always full of uncertainty, but even more if you’re starting a new regime like San Jose is. That’s why we’re taking Nashville to win comfortably here, covering the spread in the process. The Preds own four straight wins over the Sharks and we’re betting that number becomes five on Friday.
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers
What an absolutely juicy matchup here as we get a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals to begin the season-opening slate domestically. It’s so juicy that online oddsmakers are split on who wins. Take a gander at the below Tampa-New York moneyline:
Being as they’ve appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning is unsurprisingly one of the top favorites to make another championship run. A fourth straight finals appearance would make them only the third franchise to ever do so.
However, the Eastern Conference is loaded more than ever this season and one of Tampa’s most imposing foes will be New York. The team is set at the game’s premier position, goaltender, with the Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin. But can the Rangers find reliable offensive production to get them over the hump? That held them back a year ago and is the key to its new season.
New York’s offense is looking to improve from within this season. Former pieces like Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano are goners, while young players — namely Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and Filip Chytil — will get more playing time. We think those fresh legs will shine in Game 1, at least compared to a Tampa team more prone to “flipping the switch” when they want to. Take the Rangers’ moneyline here.
Over/Under 6 goals: Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings
This is the second game of October 11, featuring two tried-and-true division foes. Both teams are expected to be in the "middle of the pack" out West, playoff appearances likely, but no one expects either to raise the Stanley Cup at year's end. To start the season, oddsmakers have pegged the game's goal total at six goals, the usual fare for an NHL contest.
We think this season is where the wheels fall off for the Knights. After missing the playoffs, the team had to get rid of standout players like Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov to free up salary space. They lose a lot of offense without either on the ice, which should cause them to struggle — especially early on in the season. In light of that, the under six goals feels like the play here.
How To Bet On 2022-23 NHL Season?
Brace yourselves because the 2022-23 NHL season will be loaded with betting opportunities for a whole eight months. To cash-in on these limitless opportunities, hit one of the bookmakers listed in the underneath table. We’ve listed only the best for NHL betting and we have the up-to-date sportsbook reviews to back that.
Better yet, these same bookies listed are offering killer sign-up bonuses to first-time players. These bonuses are handing out anywhere from $500 to $2500 in free play to bettors — which you can spend at will on NHL or another sport like NFL or UFC. See the table to see what deals are currently available.
