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Get Sean Goodwin's top NHL bets and player props for Thursday, 10/8/26. Expert picks powered by the Novig betting exchange -- see today's highest-value plays. Win more with RotoBaller's expert betting advice.
It's a fun 10-game NHL slate on tap tonight! Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my third NHL bets-and-props piece for the 2026-2027 season. I'm pretty excited about tonight's slate, with plenty of juicy spots I want to share with you. Let's go get that green!
Today's picks will all use the odds on the most unique and fastest-growing sports prediction site—Novig. If you're not familiar with the site, I'll explain how it works and provide some of my favorite wagers to place on Novig.
As always, make sure you're following RotoBaller on X and download the RotoBaller app. Now, here are some of the top NHL bets and player props for Tuesday's games.
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What is Novig?
Novig is one of the fastest-growing peer-to-peer sports prediction markets. On Novig, users trade directly with each other without the "vig" that is associated with a typical sportsbook.
The vig represents the money that sportsbooks charge you to use their service. It's a hidden cost that can be found in the odds that are being offered on each side of a specific bet. When a book offers -110 odds on both sides of a bet, they're keeping close to 10% of every bettor's wager, regardless of whether you win or lose.
On Novig, users trade with each other on the outcomes of sporting events, similarly to the way that investors trade on the stock market. But instead of having to beat the books, you just have to win against other users - there's no commission kept by the site.
Users can bet on most traditional sports markets, including moneyline bets, spreads, totals, player props, parlays, and futures! No politics, no betting on wars...just sports!
NHL Game Bets
All odds are from Novig and were accurate as of 9:30 AM ET. Note that Novig odds are now displayed as percentages instead of American odds.
St. Louis Blues -1.5 vs San Jose Sharks (36%)
So I am going right back to the well with the Blues for tonight's puck line bet.
They owe us after that game against Chicago on Tuesday, and now they are finally home for their opener this evening against a young Sharks team that should be exciting this year and compete for a playoff spot in the West. Still, they need to tighten up their defense.
Right now, they rank bottom-ten in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes and scoring chances against per 60 minutes, and they allow more than 14 high-danger chances per 60 minutes, which asks your goalie to be heroic most nights.
Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres UNDER 6.5 goals (55%)
We are going with a game total for this one and taking the under in the Stars-at-the-Sabres game.
Over three games, the Stars have scored only 6 goals while allowing just 6. They also rank in the top ten in goals against per 60 minutes and scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes, which, if you have been following the Stars the last few seasons, is how this team is built to play.
On the other side, the Sabres, coming off their first playoff appearance in what felt like decades, clearly want to return to the dance, and they seem to be starting the season by returning to team defence. They currently rank in the top 5 in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes, scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes, and high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes.
By the way, if you love stats like me and use them for betting or DFS, these are the ones you want - Corsi, Fenwick, and the rest are just white noise.
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Check out our "No-Vig" Calculator, and you can de-vig any line you want to see what the fair odds should be!
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NHL Prop Bets
All odds are from Novig and were accurate as of 9:00 AM ET. Note that Novig odds are now displayed as percentages instead of American odds.
William Eklund (OTT) To Score A Goal vs Philadelphia Flyers (27%)
Tonight, I am taking a bit of a wild swing with my Anytime Goal prop, but trust me, once we dive into the numbers, it all makes sense, Eklund.
Sure, he has just one goal in his first three games, but he is letting the puck fly with nine shots already. Even better, he leads the Senators in expected goals per 60 minutes (4.34), scoring chances per 60 (39.86), and my personal favorite: a jaw-dropping 21.35 high-danger chances per 60 minutes.
And it gets even sweeter—Eklund, alongside Cozens and Zetterlund, has been the Senators’ top line by a mile through three games.
Chart courtesy of moneypuck.com
Jackson Blake (CAR) Assist vs Vancouver Canucks (33%)
Of course, we have a play lined up against the Canucks! Anyone can throw out names like Aho or Svechnikov, but at Rotoballer we dive deep into the stats and line matchups.
That brings us to Mr. Blake, who has kicked off the season with assists in each of his first three games. Blake, Hall, and Stankoven have picked up right where they left off in last year’s playoffs.
We’re backing Blake for an assist tonight, but this is really a play on the whole line. One stat we love for NHL DFS and betting is comparing actual goals for per 60 minutes to expected goals for per 60 minutes. This line is due for some positive regression: they currently have a GF/60 of 1.95 and an xGF/60 of 3.76, nearly two goals higher.
No team is better suited to spark that turnaround than the Vancouver Canucks!
NHL Prop Parlay
Now, I know if you're reading this article, you like to add some fun while watching hockey, so I am adding a bonus parlay for tonight! And of course, you can mix and match to find the combo that suits you.
If every leg hits, we are going to 21x our investment. Don't go overboard, but tossing a little change on the full parlay is a nice way to give our betting card a ceiling.
If you have any questions, please hit me up on X or join RotoBaller today and come talk some shop in our premium Discord channel!
Best of luck tonight, and let's have a winning season!
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