Zero to Hero: Dominating the NHL Season with Smart Bets – October 17
Hi, all. We’re a week into the season, and it’s turning out to be a good one so far.
The premise of each article in this series is to feature a few “safe” foundational plays to build some strong cash lines around as well as to offer any props or straight bets that have some solid potential. We’re looking for players and teams that have a solid floor and are in a good spot matchup-wise; these will be the building blocks of a booming bankroll. (Yeah, I alliterized…deal with it.) I will also provide a recap from the day before and rewind to see if we were on the right plays. Keep in mind that just like a regular season, the building of a solid bankroll is a grind – it requires patience, mental fortitude, and discipline to weather the cold streaks until things turn around and you go on a heater.
Recap from 10/16
Player builder: Auston Matthews (eight shots but no goals) ❌
Stack builder: TOR PP1 (one goal and one assist; 20 shots between them) ❌
Bet builder: TOR/NYR ML parlay (who knew that the Leafs would miss) ❌
Bet Builder Record: 3-1; +2.67 units
The Player Builder: Filip Forsberg ($6700 DK / $7700 FD)
Forsberg has put up three assists in three games, but the key here is that he’s also put up 14 shots, which shows that he’s still the volume shooter that he’s always been. The Predators are facing the Oilers tonight, who are desperate to get back on track, which could lead to increased scoring chances (and power plays) for Forsberg and the Predators. The shot volume alone provides a very nice floor, and he is also very reasonably priced tonight for his upside. I like him in all formats.
The Stack Builder: EDM PP1 (McDavid/Draisaitl/Hyman/Nugent-Hopkins/Bouchard)
This line (and this team) are off to a little bit of a slow start compared to their talent. However, they are in a good matchup today. The Predators give up nearly 30 shots per game, and the Oilers are averaging 34 so far, so the volume will be there. Their power play is hitting at a 27% clip, which is quite good, and the Preds penalty killing has only been successful 2/3 of the time. Juuse Saros can steal a game, but the Oilers are too good to be kept down for long, and they’re beginning to ramp up. They’re an expensive stack, but there is some good value in other spots that you can afford to pay up.
The Bet Builder: CAR/NYI ML parlay – around +100
The Hurricanes get one of the worst teams in the league tonight in the Sharks. Their offense has been quite good, scoring 14 goals in their first three games, and we should see more of the same tonight. Sebastian Aho has been his typical strong and consistent self (a goal and two assists) and Teuro Teravainen has been on fire, scoring four goals so far to lead the team. This game is around a -300 line, so you can feel comfortable anticipating a positive outcome.
The Islanders get the Coyotes on the second night of a back-to-back and who lost a tough matchup to the Rangers. Ilya Sorokin looked great in the Isles’ opener, stopping 26 of 28 shots against the Sabres, and he shouldn’t have much issue with the Coyotes’ offense tonight. Brock Nelson scored 36 goals last season and tallied one in their opener, but the rest of the team hasn’t done much thus far. Still, the Islanders (line around -190) at home should be able to put this one away.
Oct 22, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) shoots the puck during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
