NHL Slate Analysis — Friday, October 16, 2026
Friday, October 16, 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 Friday, October 16, 2026 has 2 games, the first at 8:00 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
Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche
8:00 PM CT at Ball Arena. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Pittsburgh Penguins 3, Colorado Avalanche 4. That is an average, not a pick.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won 3 of their 7 games this season. The Colorado Avalanche have won 4 of their 7 games this season. When these teams last met, on March 24, 2026, the Colorado Avalanche won 6-2 on the road.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Arturs Silovs (confirmed, .885 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mackenzie Blackwood (confirmed, .879 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Colorado Avalanche.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Colorado Avalanche a 66.0% chance to beat Pittsburgh Penguins. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors. The price on record, -205, is priced below the fair price of -194 (−1.8% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 54.0% and the under at 46.0%. 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, 6.9 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 a 56.4% chance to cover and Colorado Avalanche -1.5 43.6%. 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 Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pittsburgh Penguins covered the puck line in 4 of 5 games as underdogs this season. The Colorado Avalanche failed to cover the puck line in 7 of their last 10 games.
Boston Bruins at Anaheim Ducks
9:00 PM CT at Honda Center. Averaged over the outcomes the betting lines imply, the projected score is Boston Bruins 3, Anaheim Ducks 3. That is an average, not a pick.
The Boston Bruins have won 5 of their 7 games this season, winning the last three. The Anaheim Ducks have won 4 of their 6 games this season. When these teams last met, on November 19, 2025, the Anaheim Ducks won 4-3 at home.
Matchups to watch.
- The probable starting goalies are Michael DiPietro (confirmed) for the Boston Bruins and Lukas Dostal (confirmed, .891 save percentage in the 2026-27 season) for the Anaheim Ducks.
- Weakness against weakness in shots. The Anaheim Ducks averaged 23.5 shots on goal per game this season, the 6th fewest in the NHL, and the Boston Bruins allowed 28.7 shots on goal per game, tied for the 8th most.
- Moneyline: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Boston Bruins a 50.1% chance to beat Anaheim Ducks. AiQ's moneyline pick is the side the consensus favors, here by less than a point. The price on record, -112, is priced below the fair price of -100 (−5.2% value).
- Total: The betting market, with the margin removed, puts the over 6.5 goals at 49.1% and the under at 50.9%. 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, 6.6 goals, sits on the 6.5 line.
- Puck line: The betting market, with the margin removed, gives Boston Bruins +1.5 a 70.8% chance to cover and Anaheim Ducks -1.5 29.2%. AiQ's read matches the market price, so AiQ has no edge on the puck line.
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.