Betsided

NHL Best Bets Today (Fade the Lightning Until Further Notice)

Keep your winning streak alive with these Tuesday hockey picks. Learn why betting against the Tampa Bay Lightning might be a smart move, and why the Winnipeg Jets and the Seattle Kraken could be your best bets.

By Iain MacMillan

Oct 15, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) scores against
Oct 15, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) scores against / Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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We got the week started off right on Monday with a 3-0 sweep with my picks!

Let's keep the momentum going on Tuesday as I once again have three bets locked in for today's hockey action.

If you want to tail any of these plays, I'd recommend doing so at DraftKings Sportsbook. For a limited time, new users will get $200 in bonus bets and plenty of no sweat single-game parlays when they place their first $5 bet! Just click the link below to sign up and take advantage of this offer!

NHL Picks for Tuesday, Oct. 17

  • Sabres -112 vs. Lightning
  • Jets -125 vs. Kings
  • Kraken +134 vs. Avalanche

Sabres -112 vs. Lightning

I'm fairly low on the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, so my strategy is to stick to betting against them through the first few weeks of the season until they prove me wrong or oddsmakers start to devalue them. They're already 1-2 on the year, losing to a couple of not-so-great teams in the Red Wings and Senators.

Their metrics don't look so hot either, with a 5-on-5 expected goal differential per 60 minutes of -1.41, which is currently the second worst mark in the NHL.

I'll stick to my early season strategy and back the Sabres as very slight home favorites.

Jets -125 vs. Kings

I generally don't put too much stock into early season metrics until we get a bigger sample size, but if there's one team that has caught my eye with their play through the first week it's the Jets. Their special teams haven't been so great, but they've dominated 5-on-5 play with an expected goal differential of +2.11 per 60 minutes.

There could be something cooking in Winnipeg, so I'll take a shot on the Jets as home favorites against a Kings team that's still searching for an identity.

Kraken +134 vs. Avalanche

The Avalanche, similar to the Lightning, are a team that I wasn't high on heading into this season. Unlike the Lightning, the Avs have been solid through their first two games, but it's important to note that one of those games came against the worst team in the league, the San Jose Sharks.

They'll wrap up their West Coast road trip in Seattle tonight against the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season. I think it's as good of a time as any to take a shot on the Kraken as home underdogs.

I'm not going to believe in this Avalanche team until further notice.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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