Thursday’s NHL Hockey Free Picks & Predictions [10/1/26]

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Trends are through 9/29/26 and courtesy of Don Best Sports.


Tampa Bay at NY Rangers – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Rangers are 5-2 in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Rangers are 5-2 in their last 7 home games.
Cold: Lightning are 0-6 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Cold: Lightning are 0-4 in their last 4 games following a win.
Cold: Lightning are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. Metropolitan.
Cold: Rangers are 1-4 in their last 5 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 6-0 in Rangers last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Hot: Under is 6-0 in Lightning last 6 overall.
Hot: Under is 6-0 in Lightning last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Lightning last 5 road games.
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Lightning last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Rangers last 4 overall.

Head-to-Head
Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in New York.
Under is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings.
Cold: Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Lightning are 3-8 in the last 11 meetings in New York.

Pick: Rangers +125


Philadelphia at New Jersey – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Flyers are 13-5 in their last 18 road games.
Cold: Flyers are 0-4 in their last 4 vs. Metropolitan.
Cold: Flyers are 0-4 in their last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
Cold: Flyers are 0-4 in their last 4 overall.
Devils are 8-25 in their last 33 vs. Metropolitan.
Flyers are 19-58 in their last 77 games playing on 0 days rest.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 7-0-1 in Devils last 8 home games.
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Flyers last 5 road games.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Devils last 4 Thursday games.
Under is 14-4-3 in Flyers last 21 vs. Metropolitan.
Over is 10-3-2 in Devils last 15 overall.
Under is 16-5-5 in Flyers last 26 vs. Eastern Conference.

Head-to-Head
Flyers are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

Pick: Devils -1.5 +173


Buffalo at Columbus – 7:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Sabres are 6-0 in their last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Sabres are 27-7 in their last 34 road games.
Sabres are 21-6 in their last 27 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Cold: Blue Jackets are 0-6 in their last 6 home games.
Cold: Blue Jackets are 0-4 in their last 4 games following a win.
Cold: Blue Jackets are 2-9 in their last 11 overall.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Blue Jackets last 4 games following a win.
Hot: Under is 7-1 in Blue Jackets last 8 Thursday games.
Hot: Under is 7-1 in Sabres last 8 Thursday games.
Hot: Under is 5-1 in Blue Jackets last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Under is 4-1 in Sabres last 5 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Over is 3-1-2 in Sabres last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Over is 7-2-2 in the last 11 meetings in Columbus.
Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.

Pick: Sabres -105


Minnesota at Nashville – 8:07 ET

Win/Loss
Predators are 8-3 in their last 11 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
Predators are 5-2 in their last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Predators are 5-2 in their last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Cold: Predators are 1-4 in their last 5 home games.
Cold: Predators are 1-4 in their last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Cold: Wild are 1-4 in their last 5 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Predators last 4 vs. Central.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Wild last 4 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 8-1-2 in Wild last 11 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Hot: Under is 6-1 in Predators last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Hot: Over is 6-1 in Wild last 7 vs. Western Conference.
Hot: Over is 6-1 in Wild last 7 vs. Central.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Nashville.
Home team is 23-9 in the last 32 meetings.
Cold: Wild are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings in Nashville.

Pick: Predators +129


Seattle at Calgary – 9:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Flames are 8-2 in their last 10 home games.
Hot: Flames are 8-2 in their last 10 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Hot: Flames are 4-1 in their last 5 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
Kraken are 5-16 in their last 21 road games.
Kraken are 6-18 in their last 24 vs. Western Conference.
Kraken are 2-6 in their last 8 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.

Over/Under
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Flames last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Hot: Under is 5-0 in Flames last 5 overall.
Hot: Under is 5-1 in Flames last 6 home games.
Under is 7-2 in Flames last 9 Thursday games.
Over is 3-1-1 in Kraken last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Under is 8-3 in Flames last 11 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Calgary.
Kraken are 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Calgary.
Road team is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.

Pick: Flames -115


Chicago at Utah – 9:07 ET

Win/Loss
Mammoth are 5-2 in their last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Cold: Mammoth are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
Cold: Blackhawks are 1-4 in their last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Blackhawks are 11-40 in their last 51 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Blackhawks are 15-49 in their last 64 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
Blackhawks are 28-88 in their last 116 road games.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 6-0-1 in Blackhawks last 7 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 5-0-1 in Blackhawks last 6 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 5-0 in Mammoth last 5 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 3-0-2 in Mammoth last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Hot: Over is 4-0 in Blackhawks last 4 following a loss of 3 or more goals.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Mammoth last 4 overall.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Blackhawks are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

Pick: Mammoth -1.5 +127


Edmonton at Vancouver – 10:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Oilers are 5-0 in their last 5 in the second game of a home-and-home situation.
Hot: Canucks are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Pacific.
Canucks are 40-17 in their last 57 vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
Cold: Canucks are 0-5 in their last 5 Thursday games.
Cold: Oilers are 0-4 in their last 4 road games.
Cold: Oilers are 1-6 in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Canucks last 5 overall.
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Canucks last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Hot: Over is 4-0-1 in Canucks last 5 vs. Pacific.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Canucks last 4 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Oilers last 4 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 9-1-1 in Canucks last 11 games following a win.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings.
Home team is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
Oilers are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

Pick: Oilers -1.5 +127


Florida at San Jose – 10:07 ET

Win/Loss
Hot: Panthers are 4-0 in their last 4 overall.
Cold: Sharks are 13-56 in their last 69 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Sharks are 11-40 in their last 51 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Panthers are 4-14 in their last 18 road games.
Panthers are 2-7 in their last 9 vs. Western Conference.
Sharks are 7-21 in their last 28 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

Over/Under
Hot: Over is 5-0 in Sharks last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Hot: Under is 4-0 in Panthers last 4 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Over is 3-0-1 in Sharks last 4 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Hot: Under is 6-1-2 in Sharks last 9 Thursday games.
Hot: Under is 10-2-1 in Sharks last 13 vs. Atlantic.
Hot: Under is 4-1 in Sharks last 5 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.

Head-to-Head
Hot: Panthers are 12-2 in the last 14 meetings in San Jose.
Panthers are 21-7 in the last 28 meetings.
Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.

Pick: Sharks +125

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Jay has been watching and following sports since he could walk and turned to betting in his late teens. His favorite sport is MLB and has been producing winners on UltimateCapper for almost 25 years. Follow Jay's free sports picks and enjoy the winners.