NHL parlay picks for opening night: Bet on Penguins to beat Blackhawks

The NHL is back and we're targeting three picks — one from each game — for opening night.

The pregame narrative: The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Nashville Predators to start the season and we're eyeing the under on an alternate total. The Pittsburgh Penguins are an improved team and a nice choice to beat the Chicago Blackhawks. Thirdly, an alternate under is our pick between the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights.

NHL oddsas of 3:04 p.m. on 10/09/2023.

NHL parlay picks

Parlay: Predators vs. Lightning under 7.5 goals + Penguins moneyline + Kraken vs. Golden Knights under 7.5 goals (+148)

Predators vs. Lightning under 7.5 goals (-295): Andrei Vasilevskiy might be out but there's still an elite goalie in this matchup.

Juuse Saros has played a league-leading 131 games across the last two seasons and has been fantastic. He pairs a .918 save percentage with a 2.67 goals-against average during this time with 83 quality starts to his name.

The Predators ranked 12th in goals against (2.88) thanks to his stellar play between the pipes. They were also an underwhelming bunch on offence, registering the fifth-fewest goals per game (2.72).

Jonas Johansson will likely start for the Bolts and he has been sharp in the preseason. He has two shutouts in three games.

Other parlay picks

Penguins moneyline (-250): There's plenty of excitement on the side of the Blackhawks, but let us remind you how bad this team was.

Chicago's 26-49-7 record tied it for the second-worst mark in the league. It scored the fewest goals in the NHL (202) and had the fifth-most goals against (299).

Expecting Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall to make up for all of the squad's struggles, especially in the first game of the season, seems a little ambitious.

Pittsburgh's roster is improved with the additions of three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and secondary pieces Reilly Smith and Ryan Graves. It's in a different tier than the Blackhawks and should benefit from home-ice advantage.

Kraken vs. Golden Knights under 7.5 goals (-315): These two teams play similar styles that don't lead to much goal-scoring.

Seattle ceded the second-fewest shots on goal (27.0) in the NHL last season while Vegas placed 13th (30.9). Both were in the bottom half of the league in goals against with the Kraken tying for 14th (3.07) and the Golden Knights placing 11th (2.74).

The under on this total has hit in 18 of Adin Hill's last 20 appearances (including the playoffs).