NHL Slate Analysis — Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 · NHL
These games have been played. Picks and prices, where shown, are AiQ's from before each game started. See how they finished in the NHL recaps.
The NHL slate for Wednesday, October 14, 2026 has 2 games, the first at 6:30 PM CT. AiQ has a moneyline pick on all 2. None of AiQ's picks on this slate has a price on record above fair value. Each price is the one AiQ valued the pick at when it last priced the game.
Every game
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
6:30 PM CT at Capital One Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Montreal Canadiens 3, Washington Capitals 3. That is an average, not a pick.
Both teams have won 3 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on February 28, 2026, the Montreal Canadiens won 6-2 at home.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Jakub Dobes (confirmed, .857 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Montreal Canadiens and Charlie Lindgren (confirmed) for the Washington Capitals.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Washington Capitals a 52.5% chance to beat Montreal Canadiens. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -120, is priced below the fair price of -110 (−3.8% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 51.3% and the under at 48.7%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.7 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Montreal Canadiens +1.5 a 69.1% chance to cover and Washington Capitals -1.5 30.9%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.
Trends in play.
Against the puck line, the records lean toward the Washington Capitals. The Montreal Canadiens failed to cover the puck line in 5 straight games. The Washington Capitals covered the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche
7:30 PM CT at Ball Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Dallas Stars 3, Colorado Avalanche 3. That is an average, not a pick.
The Dallas Stars have won 2 of their 6 games this season. The Colorado Avalanche have won 4 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on October 13, 2026, the Colorado Avalanche won 3-2 on the road. This is their second meeting this season.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Casey DeSmith (confirmed) for the Dallas Stars and Scott Wedgewood (not yet confirmed) for the Colorado Avalanche.
- Strength against strength in scoring. The Colorado Avalanche averaged 4.83 goals per game this season, tied for the most in the NHL, and the Dallas Stars allowed 1.67 goals per game, the fewest.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Colorado Avalanche a 59.3% chance to beat Dallas Stars. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -150 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -146 (−1.2% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 44.8% and the under at 55.2%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the total. AiQ's projected total, 6.2 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Dallas Stars +1.5 a 64.4% chance to cover and Colorado Avalanche -1.5 35.6%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.
Trends in play.
Recent results against the puck line back the Dallas Stars, the underdog here. The Dallas Stars covered the puck line in 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Colorado Avalanche.
These come from the closing lines of this season and last. They are context, not the reason for AiQ's picks, and the books price them in.