NHL Predictions

NHL predictions on Scores and Stats start with the 2026-27 regular season, which opens on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. None are published for the new season yet, and each one will appear in the grid below as it goes up.

A prediction on this site names a side and gives the reasons for it. Until opening night, this page gives you the league as it stands: the new schedule, how the 2025-26 season finished and a link to all 32 team pages.

This week’s NHL predictions

Every NHL prediction for a game still to be played, in date order, listed 25 September 2026.

Game date	Prediction
Tue 29 Sep	Blackhawks at Golden Knights Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 29 Sep	Canadiens at Maple Leafs Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 29 Sep	Canucks at Oilers Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 29 Sep	Panthers at Hurricanes Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 29 Sep	Rangers at Bruins Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Wed 30 Sep	Islanders at Maple Leafs Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Wed 30 Sep	Kings at Avalanche Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Wed 30 Sep	Penguins at Flyers Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Blackhawks at Mammoth Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Flyers at Devils Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Kraken at Flames Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Lightning at Rangers Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Oilers at Canucks Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Panthers at Sharks Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Sabres at Blue Jackets Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Thu 1 Oct	Wild at Predators Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Fri 2 Oct	Blues at Stars Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Fri 2 Oct	Bruins at Jets Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Fri 2 Oct	Rangers at Red Wings Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sat 3 Oct	Blackhawks at Sabres Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sat 3 Oct	Bruins at Wild Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sat 3 Oct	Canadiens at Penguins Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sat 3 Oct	Capitals at Lightning Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sat 3 Oct	Devils at Islanders Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sun 4 Oct	Flames at Kraken Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Sun 4 Oct	Panthers at Ducks Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 6 Oct	Blues at Blackhawks Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 6 Oct	Hurricanes at Canadiens Best Pick, Prediction and Odds
Tue 6 Oct	Panthers at Kings Best Pick, Prediction and Odds

NHL right now

The league is in its preseason. ESPN’s 2026-27 schedule, read 23 September 2026, has 84 regular-season games for every team, up from 82 last season, and 1,344 games in all. The regular season runs from 29 September 2026 to Saturday, 10 April 2027, when all 32 teams play.

Opening night has five games:

• Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes
• Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs
• New York Rangers at Boston Bruins
• Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
• Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights

No 2026-27 standings exist until those games are played. The table is where last season ended: the top four in each conference by points.

Conference	Team	W-L-OTL	Points	Goals for	Goals against
East	Carolina Hurricanes	53-22-7	113	296	240
East	Buffalo Sabres	50-23-9	109	288	241
East	Tampa Bay Lightning	50-26-6	106	290	231
East	Montreal Canadiens	48-24-10	106	283	256
West	Colorado Avalanche	55-16-11	121	302	203
West	Dallas Stars	50-20-12	112	279	226
West	Minnesota Wild	46-24-12	104	272	240
West	Vegas Golden Knights	39-26-17	95	265	250

Final 2025-26 regular-season standings, ESPN, read 23 September 2026.

Last season

The Carolina Hurricanes won the 2026 Stanley Cup, beating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to two. They closed it out 3-0 in Game 6 in Vegas on 14 June 2026, and went 16-3 across the playoffs after sweeping Ottawa and Philadelphia in the first two rounds.

Colorado had the league’s most points, 121, and allowed the fewest goals, 203. Vegas swept them 4-0 in the West Final. Two games of the Stanley Cup Final went past regulation: Carolina won Game 2 in overtime, and Vegas took Game 3 in double overtime.

How NHL betting works here

Hockey is low scoring, so most NHL betting starts with the moneyline. You pick the winner, and the price tells you how likely the sportsbook thinks that is: a price with a minus sign is what you risk to win $100, and a price with a plus sign is what a $100 bet wins.

The puck line is hockey’s point spread, and it is almost always set at 1.5 goals. Take the favorite at -1.5 and they must win by two or more. Take the underdog at +1.5 and you win the bet if they win outright or lose by one. Because so many NHL games are decided by one goal, the favorite’s puck line usually pays better than its moneyline, and the underdog’s usually pays less.

The total is the number of goals both teams score combined, and you bet over or under it. At most US sportsbooks, the moneyline, puck line and total all include overtime and the shootout, but house rules differ. Check how your book grades a game that goes past 60 minutes before you bet.

NHL teams

Every team page, grouped by division as ESPN lists them:

• Atlantic Division: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Metropolitan Division: Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals
• Central Division: Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth, Winnipeg Jets
• Pacific Division: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights

The hockey predictions hub covers the sport as a whole. If you are choosing a paid picks service, read our handicapper site reviews before you pay for one.

NHL prediction FAQ

Are 2026-27 NHL predictions up yet? No. The regular season starts on 29 September 2026 with five games, and predictions start with it.

Do you publish a prediction for every NHL game? No NHL predictions are up for this season yet, so there is no count to give you. This page lists each one as it is published.

How many games does each team play this season? 84, according to ESPN’s 2026-27 schedule. Last season it was 82.

When does the regular season end? Saturday, 10 April 2027, with all 32 teams in action that day.

Who won the Stanley Cup last season? The Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights, finishing with a 3-0 win in Game 6 on 14 June 2026.

What is the puck line? The NHL’s point spread, set at 1.5 goals in almost every game. The favorite has to win by two; the underdog covers by winning or by losing by one.