Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Keep Betting the Under in Games Involving the Wild)

Breaking down the best bets for NHL action set for Tuesday, October 22.

Oct 10, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) and defenseman Brock Faber (7) celebrate their teams win against the Columbus Blue Jackets after the game at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Strap in, folks! We have a jam-packed NHL slate on Tuesday night with all 32 teams in action.

That means we have 16 games to sift through to find a few bets. That's exactly what I'm going to do in today's edition of Top Shelf Picks. I've done the work to narrow 16 games down to three bets that I absolutely love.

• NHL Season-to-date record: 9-5 (+3.41 units)

NHL Best Bets Today

• Wild vs. Panthers UNDER 6 (-120) via BetMGM
• Penguins vs. Flames OVER 6.5 (-110) via Caesars
• Sharks +136 vs. Ducks via DraftKings

Wild vs. Panthers UNDER 6 (-120)

The Minnesota Wild are a dream UNDER team so far this year. They lead the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes at 1.96. Offensively, they're averaging just 2.26 expected goals per 60 minutes. Beyond the advanced numbers, they're 25th in shooting percentage and Filip Gustavsson has been fantastic this season, sporting a save percentage of .950.

For the foreseeable future, any time we can bet the UNDER on a total set at 6.0 or higher in a game involving the Wild, I'm going to take that bet.

Penguins vs. Flames OVER 6.5 (-110)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the complete opposite of the Wild. They're second in the league in expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play at 3.92, but are 28th in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes at 3.74. To make matters worse, Tristan Jarry may be the worst goalie in the league. He has a goals against average and a save percentage of .836.

The Flames have also been a strong offensive team, ranking eighth in 5-on-5 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play. I'm banking on this game being a high-scoring affair.

Sharks +136 vs. Ducks

This All-California matchup is an ugly one, but I think there's plenty of value on the Sharks as road underdogs.

The Ducks have been one of the worst statistical teams in the league so far,despite being 2-2-1. They're 31st in CORSI% and 30th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage. The Sharks outrank them by a significant margin in both of those areas. Anaheim has been saved by strong goaltender play by Lukas Dostal, but these two teams are too close in too many areas for the Ducks to be this big of a favorite.

The Sharks are worth a shot as +136 'dogs.

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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