NHL Slate Analysis — Thursday, October 15, 2026

Thursday, October 15, 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 Thursday, October 15, 2026 has 11 games, the first at 6:00 PM CT. AiQ has a moneyline pick on all 11. 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

Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs

6:00 PM CT at Scotiabank Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Buffalo Sabres 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 4. That is an average, not a pick.

Both teams have won 3 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 14, 2026, the Buffalo Sabres won 3-2 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (confirmed, .850 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Buffalo Sabres and Sergei Bobrovsky (confirmed, .907 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• An uphill climb on the power play. The Buffalo Sabres scored on 11.1% of their power plays this season, the 3rd lowest in the NHL, and the Toronto Maple Leafs allowed opponents to score on 4.2% of their power plays, the lowest.
• Mismatch on the power play. The Toronto Maple Leafs scored on 29.2% of their power plays this season, the 5th highest in the NHL, and the Buffalo Sabres allowed opponents to score on 39.1% of their power plays, the 3rd highest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Toronto Maple Leafs a 52.3% chance to beat Buffalo Sabres. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -118, is priced below the fair price of -109 (−3.5% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 53.4% and the under at 46.6%. 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, 6.9 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Buffalo Sabres +1.5 a 69.0% chance to cover and Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 31.0%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Everything points over on the total. The last 4 games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs went over the total. Of the last 4 meetings between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres, 3 went over the total.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Buffalo Sabres failed to cover the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres covered the puck line in 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

New York Islanders at Ottawa Senators

6:00 PM CT at Canadian Tire Centre. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is New York Islanders 3, Ottawa Senators 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The New York Islanders have won 3 of their 6 games this season. The Ottawa Senators have won 5 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on April 11, 2026, the Ottawa Senators won 3-0 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Semyon Varlamov (confirmed) for the New York Islanders and Linus Ullmark (confirmed, .948 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Ottawa Senators.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Ottawa Senators a 59.9% chance to beat New York Islanders. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -160 at Caesars, is priced below the fair price of -150 (−2.6% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 49.9% and the under at 50.1%. 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, 5.9 goals, sits on the 5.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives New York Islanders +1.5 a 64.3% chance to cover and Ottawa Senators -1.5 35.7%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean under. The Ottawa Senators went under the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Seattle Kraken at Tampa Bay Lightning

6:00 PM CT at Benchmark International Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Seattle Kraken 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Seattle Kraken have won 5 of their 7 games this season, winning the last three. The Tampa Bay Lightning have won 4 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 26, 2026, the Seattle Kraken won 4-3 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Joey Daccord (not yet confirmed, .913 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Seattle Kraken and Andrei Vasilevskiy (confirmed, .885 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Strength against strength in scoring. The Seattle Kraken averaged 4.00 goals per game this season, the 3rd most in the NHL, and the Tampa Bay Lightning allowed 2.67 goals per game, the 8th fewest.
• Mismatch in shots. The Tampa Bay Lightning averaged 29.5 shots on goal per game this season, the 8th most in the NHL, and the Seattle Kraken allowed 30.6 shots on goal per game, the 3rd most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Tampa Bay Lightning a 71.9% chance to beat Seattle Kraken. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -275 at Caesars, is priced below the fair price of -255 (−2.0% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 46.6% and the under at 53.4%. 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, 6.4 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Seattle Kraken +1.5 a 50.0% chance to cover and Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 50.0%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean under. The Tampa Bay Lightning went under the total in 8 of their last 10 games.

Recent results against the puck line back the Seattle Kraken, the underdog here. The Tampa Bay Lightning failed to cover the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers

6:00 PM CT at Amerant Bank Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Vancouver Canucks 2, Florida Panthers 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Vancouver Canucks have won 2 of their 8 games this season, losing the last five. The Florida Panthers have won 3 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 17, 2026, the Vancouver Canucks won 5-2 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Leevi Merilainen (confirmed, .927 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Vancouver Canucks and Akira Schmid (confirmed, .875 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Florida Panthers.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Florida Panthers a 73.0% chance to beat Vancouver Canucks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -295 at Caesars, is priced below the fair price of -271 (−2.2% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 45.1% and the under at 54.9%. 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, 6.3 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Vancouver Canucks +1.5 a 49.1% chance to cover and Florida Panthers -1.5 50.9%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The Vancouver Canucks went over the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

6:00 PM CT at Prudential Center. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is New York Rangers 3, New Jersey Devils 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The New York Rangers have won 6 of their 8 games this season, winning four of the last five. The New Jersey Devils have won 3 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 31, 2026, the New York Rangers won 4-1 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Dylan Garand (confirmed, .951 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the New York Rangers and Nico Daws (confirmed) for the New Jersey Devils.
• Strength against strength in shots. The New Jersey Devils averaged 36.3 shots on goal per game this season, the most in the NHL, and the New York Rangers allowed 24.0 shots on goal per game, the 6th fewest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives New Jersey Devils a 55.3% chance to beat New York Rangers. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -130, is priced below the fair price of -124 (−2.1% 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, 6.3 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives New York Rangers +1.5 a 66.8% chance to cover and New Jersey Devils -1.5 33.2%. 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 New York Rangers. The New Jersey Devils failed to cover the puck line in 4 of 5 games as favorites this season. The New York Rangers covered the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings

6:30 PM CT at Little Caesars Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Philadelphia Flyers 3, Detroit Red Wings 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Philadelphia Flyers have lost 12 straight, a run that goes back to last season's playoffs, and all eight of their games this season. The Detroit Red Wings have won 1 of their 6 games this season, losing the last three. When these teams last met, on April 9, 2026, the Detroit Red Wings won 6-3 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Joseph Woll (confirmed, .914 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Philadelphia Flyers and Daniil Tarasov (confirmed) for the Detroit Red Wings.
• Weakness against weakness on the power play. The Philadelphia Flyers scored on 8.3% of their power plays this season, tied for the lowest in the NHL, and the Detroit Red Wings allowed opponents to score on 33.3% of their power plays, the 5th highest.
• Mismatch in shots. The Detroit Red Wings averaged 31.8 shots on goal per game this season, the 3rd most in the NHL, and the Philadelphia Flyers allowed 34.6 shots on goal per game, the most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Detroit Red Wings a 56.1% chance to beat Philadelphia Flyers. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -132 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -128 (−1.4% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 52.4% and the under at 47.6%. 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, 6.0 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 a 67.6% chance to cover and Detroit Red Wings -1.5 32.4%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

The total pulls both ways. Each of the last 3 meetings between the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers went over the total. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers went under the total in 8 of their last 10 games. The Detroit Red Wings went over the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Winnipeg Jets at Chicago Blackhawks

7:00 PM CT at United Center. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Winnipeg Jets 3, Chicago Blackhawks 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Winnipeg Jets have won 4 of their 6 games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks have won 2 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 31, 2026, the Winnipeg Jets won 4-3 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Stuart Skinner (confirmed, .917 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Winnipeg Jets and Spencer Knight (confirmed, .886 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Chicago Blackhawks.
• An uphill climb on the power play. The Chicago Blackhawks scored on 12.5% of their power plays this season, tied for the 4th lowest in the NHL, and the Winnipeg Jets allowed opponents to score on 7.7% of their power plays, the 3rd lowest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Winnipeg Jets a 54.6% chance to beat Chicago Blackhawks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -124 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -120 (−1.4% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 45.5% and the under at 54.5%. 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, 6.3 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Winnipeg Jets -1.5 a 32.0% chance to cover and Chicago Blackhawks +1.5 68.0%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The Chicago Blackhawks went over the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Recent results against the puck line back the Chicago Blackhawks, the underdog here. The Chicago Blackhawks covered the puck line in 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Winnipeg Jets.

San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators

7:00 PM CT at Bridgestone Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is San Jose Sharks 3, Nashville Predators 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The San Jose Sharks have won 3 of their 6 games this season. The Nashville Predators have won 2 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on April 13, 2026, the San Jose Sharks won 3-2 on the road.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Alex Nedeljkovic (confirmed) for the San Jose Sharks and Juuse Saros (confirmed, .897 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Nashville Predators.
• Weakness against weakness in scoring. The Nashville Predators averaged 2.67 goals per game this season, tied for the 7th fewest in the NHL, and the San Jose Sharks allowed 3.83 goals per game, the 7th most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Nashville Predators a 54.5% chance to beat San Jose Sharks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -128 at FanDuel, is priced below the fair price of -120 (−2.9% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 47.5% and the under at 52.5%. 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, 6.5 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives San Jose Sharks +1.5 a 67.2% chance to cover and Nashville Predators -1.5 32.8%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild

7:00 PM CT at Grand Casino Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is St. Louis Blues 3, Minnesota Wild 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The St. Louis Blues have won 3 of their 6 games this season. The Minnesota Wild have won 4 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on April 13, 2026, the St. Louis Blues won 6-3 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Joel Hofer (confirmed, .920 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the St. Louis Blues and Jesper Wallstedt (confirmed, .933 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Minnesota Wild.
• Strength against strength in scoring. The St. Louis Blues averaged 3.50 goals per game this season, the 8th most in the NHL, and the Minnesota Wild allowed 2.29 goals per game, tied for the 3rd fewest.
• Strength against strength on the power play. The Minnesota Wild scored on 36.8% of their power plays this season, the highest in the NHL, and the St. Louis Blues allowed opponents to score on 10.5% of their power plays, tied for the 7th lowest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Minnesota Wild a 56.8% chance to beat St. Louis Blues. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The best price, -136 at BetRivers, is priced below the fair price of -132 (−1.4% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 5.5 goals at 55.0% and the under at 45.0%. 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, 6.2 goals, comes from the same market prices, so it adds nothing to them.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives St. Louis Blues +1.5 a 66.4% chance to cover and Minnesota Wild -1.5 33.6%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

Recent totals lean over. The St. Louis Blues went over the total in 8 of their last 10 games.

Recent results against the puck line back the St. Louis Blues, the underdog here. The St. Louis Blues covered the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.

Utah Mammoth at Edmonton Oilers

8:00 PM CT at Rogers Place. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Utah Mammoth 3, Edmonton Oilers 3. That is an average, not a pick.

The Edmonton Oilers have won 5 of their 6 games this season, winning the last five. The Utah Mammoth have won 5 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on April 7, 2026, the Utah Mammoth won 6-5 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Karel Vejmelka (confirmed, .895 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Utah Mammoth and Devon Levi (confirmed, .903 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Edmonton Oilers.
• Mismatch on the power play. The Utah Mammoth scored on 34.5% of their power plays this season, the 2nd highest in the NHL, and the Edmonton Oilers allowed opponents to score on 26.3% of their power plays, the 7th highest.
• Mismatch on the power play. The Edmonton Oilers scored on 23.8% of their power plays this season, tied for the 7th highest in the NHL, and the Utah Mammoth allowed opponents to score on 25.9% of their power plays, the 8th highest.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Utah Mammoth a 50.8% chance to beat Edmonton Oilers. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors, here by less than a point. The price on record, -115, is priced below the fair price of -103 (−5.0% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 52.0% and the under at 48.0%. 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 Utah Mammoth -1.5 a 29.8% chance to cover and Edmonton Oilers +1.5 70.2%. 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 pull in opposite directions. The Edmonton Oilers covered the puck line in 5 straight games. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers covered the puck line in each of the last 3 meetings with the Utah Mammoth. The Utah Mammoth covered the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.

Recent totals lean over. Each of the last 3 meetings between the Edmonton Oilers and the Utah Mammoth went over the total.

Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights

9:00 PM CT at T-Mobile Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Calgary Flames 2, Vegas Golden Knights 4. That is an average, not a pick.

The Calgary Flames have won 1 of their 6 games this season. The Vegas Golden Knights have won 6 of their 8 games this season, winning four of the last five. When these teams last met, on April 2, 2026, the Vegas Golden Knights won 6-3 at home.

Matchups to watch.

• The probable starting goalies are Dustin Wolf (confirmed, .839 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Calgary Flames and Carter Hart (confirmed, .906 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Vegas Golden Knights.
• An uphill climb in scoring. The Calgary Flames averaged 2.00 goals per game this season, the 2nd fewest in the NHL, and the Vegas Golden Knights allowed 2.50 goals per game, tied for the 6th fewest.
• Mismatch in scoring. The Vegas Golden Knights averaged 3.63 goals per game this season, the 7th most in the NHL, and the Calgary Flames allowed 4.83 goals per game, the most.

• Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Vegas Golden Knights a 72.7% chance to beat Calgary Flames. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -285, is priced below the fair price of -267 (−1.8% value).
• Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 46.7% and the under at 53.3%. 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, 6.4 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
• Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Calgary Flames +1.5 a 50.3% chance to cover and Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 49.7%. That is near a coin flip, and AiQ's read is the market's own, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.

Trends in play.

The total pulls both ways. Each of the last 4 meetings between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Calgary Flames went over the total. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames went under the total in 7 of their last 10 games.

Against the puck line, the records pull in opposite directions. The Vegas Golden Knights failed to cover the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights covered the puck line in 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Calgary Flames.

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.

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