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NHL Best Bets Today (Predators are Great Bet as Home Underdogs)

Breaking down the best bets to place in the NHL for Saturday, October 28, action.

By Iain MacMillan

Oct 24, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44)
Oct 24, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44) / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
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It's been an up-and-down start to the NHL season for me, but we're extremely early in the year.

Let's take a step in the right direction with today's loaded slate. I have three bets locked in and I'll break down each of them momentarily.

If you want to join me on the action, I'd recommend doing so at Caesars Sportsbook. For a limited time, new users who click the link below to sign up for an account will get their first bet on Caesars up to $1,000!

NHL picks for Saturday, Oct. 28

  • Kraken/Panthers UNDER 6.5 (+105)
  • Predators +132 vs. Maple Leafs
  • Kings -105 vs. Golden Knights

Kraken/Panthers UNDER 6.5 (+105)

My favorite total bet of the day is the UNDER between the Kraken and the Panthers. First of all, the Kraken have had a ton of trouble finding the back of the net this season. Heading into today's action, they rank just 29th in shooting percentage, scoring on 7.18% of their shots on goal.

The Panthers haven't been much better in that stat, scoring on only 8.46% of their shots on goal which ranks 25th in the league. At the same time, the Panthers have the seventh best mark in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes, making them a good UNDER team in the early part of the season.

Getting plus-money on the UNDER 6.5 in this matchup is some solid value.

Predators +132 vs. Maple Leafs

I was able to grab the Predators at +132 on Friday night, but I still like them as +120 underdogs against my very own Maple Leafs largely due to Ilya Samsonov starting in net for the Leafs. Joseph Woll has been absolutely stellar between the pipes for Toronto this season, but the Leafs are giving him a night off and putting in a struggling Samsonov instead. He has an .831 save percentage and a 4.34 goals against average in three starts this season.

That paired with the fact the Preds are rolling with Juuse Saros, makes the Predators a good bet as home underdogs. Toss in the fact Nashville ranks third in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goal differential per 60 minutes and we have ourselves a great bet.

Kings -105 vs. Golden Knights

The Kings will be playing in the second half of a back-to-back, but their numbers are too good for me to ignore them tonight.

They lead the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goal differential at +0.78 per 60 minutes of play. They've also been hot when it comes to score, ranking second in the league in shooting percentage, scoring on 14.22% of their shots on goal.

The Golden Knights once again have some average metrics, but they're one of those teams that find ways to win games on an almost nightly basis. With that being said, I'm a numbers guy so I have to trust the metrics and back the Kings as slight home underdogs.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

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