The 2022/23 NHL season is starting to catch fire now, and with all teams having played a few matches, we’ve some real form to go on for our latest Ice hockey betting picks.
The Divisions are starting to settle down now. And yes, we may still have some shock leaders, but on the whole, the cream seems to now be starting to rise to the top.
The Colorado Avalanche is one such team. After an indifferent start to their season, they now seem to have gotten their act together. Back-to-back wins over the Rangers on Tuesday and the Golden Knights over the weekend have got Jared Bednar’s team back on track.
They now sit second in the Central Division on nine points from their seven matches, with the same record as the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche are next in action on Friday night when they travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils.
The Stars take on the Capitals on Thursday, and that match makes up one of our NHL betting picks, which we will come to later in the article.
First, let’s take a quick look at the latest betting to win the 2023 Stanley Cup. Here we see that the Avalanche are still the favorites, but they have seen their odds now drift out to +550.
Their closest rivals in the latest Vegas NHL odds are the Toronto Maple Leafs at +850 and the Calgary Flames at +950. All the below odds are provided by BetOnline, which you can read more about in our BetOnline sportsbook review. Now, onto our betting picks.
| 2023 Stanley Cup Winner Betting Odds |  |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +550 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +850 |
| Calgary Flames | +950 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 |
| Florida Panthers | +1200 |
| Boston Bruins | +1400 |
| New York Rangers | +1400 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1600 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1600 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +1800 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +2000 |
| Dallas Stars | +2200 |
The in-from team in the NHL so far this season is the Boston Bruins. They have won six times, giving them 12 points and the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins are up against the Red Wings, who have won three of their six matches and have eight points. The Bruins are on a winning streak of three, and the Red Wings are on a losing streak of one.
On the Moneyline, Boston is -235, with Detroit at +210. The handicap sees Boston at +115, giving away 1.5 points. Detroit is -125 with the 1.5 points advantage. The total points spread sits at 6, with over at -125 and under at +113.
Four of Boston’s six wins have been by two points or more. So at odds of +115 on the handicap, the Bruins have to be the pick in this matchup.
The Stars started the season on fire, winning four openings five matches. The wheels have come undone in their last couple of matches, with defeats to the Bruins (3-1), and Senators (4-2).
The Capitals have not had the worst start to the season, winning four and losing three. In their last two matches, they have won 6-3 away at the Devils and 4-3 at home to the Kings. In their last five outings, the Capitals have won four.
This matchup is pretty even on the moneyline. The Stars are slight favorites at -115, with the Capitals at +104. Starting from -1.5 points on the handicap, the Stars are +195, with the Capitals at -225 with the 1.5 points advantage. On the total points spread, the marker is set at 6. Over 6 points is -120, with under 6 at +109.
I’m edging toward the Stars with home advantage. It’s just a case of choosing between the moneyline and the handicap. The odds of -115 on the moneyline are just about acceptable, and I’m going with the Stars as my second pick.
I’m looking at the final match on Thursday involves the struggling Sharks and the misfiring Maple Leafs. The Sharks have had a torrid start to the season, losing seven of their nine matches.
David Quinn’s team has won two of their last four matches, which is a major improvement on losing their opening five matches of the season.
As for the Maple Leafs, they sit sixth in the Atlantic Division. Sheldon Keefe’s team has won four and lost three of their opening seven matches. They’re on a losing streak of one, with the most recent defeat coming at the hands of the Golden Knights (3-1) on Monday night.
In the betting to win this, the Maple Leafs are -220 on the moneyline, with the Sharks at +197. The handicap line sees the Maple Leafs start from -1.5, where their odds are +120, and the Sharks are -140 with a +1.5 points start. Total points are 6.5, over is +106, and under is -117.
At no point can the Sharks be backed to win with a minus in front of them, and with the Maple Leafs not reliable, they can’t be backed on the moneyline. There looks like little value in either of those bets.
The Maple Leafs’ matches have only bettered the points spread set for this match once, and the Sharks’ matches twice. Therefore, I’m going with under 6.5 goals at -117 for my final betting pick.
