NHL Picks: Betting Advice & Analysis for Global Series

The first game of the 2022-23 NHL season starts at 2 p.m. ET from the O2 Arena in Prague. Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks will play each other. The game will be broadcast on NHL Network, Bally Sports South and NBC Sports Bay Area And California.

It has been 3½ months since the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. The preseason has featured some exciting twists, but the games that count are the focus. Game 1 for Nashville and San Jose comes in about 72 hours.

Juuse Saros is a healthy goalie for the start of the season. Kevin Lankinen is the backup goalie. Nashville will have to find a way to allow less than 225 goals. Roman Josi had 96 points last year. Nashville had 10 players score 10 or more goals last season and scored 266 times. They will need to grow and complement the top point producers via younger players like Eeli Toivanen and Tanner Jeannot. Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg could be paired with Ryan Johansen again. Nino Niederreiter was brought in to sure up the scoring.

The San Jose Sharks came off a 32-37-13 season in 2021-22. They gutted their management and hired a new general manager in Mike Grier. Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier are the young duo that needs to keep things together. Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are shells of their former selves. San Francisco scored 214 goals last season and gave up 264.

NHL bettors have the following lean options for Friday: Nashville under 3.5 goals (-125), San Jose under 2. 5 goals (115) via DraftKings.

Nashville under 3.5 goals (-125) or San Jose under 2. 5 goals ( (-115) via DraftKings is a good bet.