We are now 4-2 through the Betting News Network NHL best bets articles. Let’s keep the puck gliding down the ice and continue to find value each week. So pull out your readers and snippers to grab some NHL player props at discounts. We will be looking for mispriced props, tasty narrative plays and players who are on heaters (that the books keep ignoring). We had a winning record across the Betting News NHL Best Bets articles last season with nearly 20+ units earned. Let’s bring the action back to the 2025-2026 NHL season.
We will be breaking down NHL best bets here at Betting News all playoffs long! Each article will look for VALUE, as in straights you can take to build up your bankroll or pieces you can use to beef up your parlays. All bets will be -135 or better odds. And while we will focus on NHL player props, there are times we will take sides and totals. So keep your eyes peeled here as we will drop these throughout the week.
And if you haven’t already be sure to check out some of my favorite futures and awards. So time to lace them up and get ready to ride with Betzky for my favorite NHL best bets of the day.
1. Dylan Cozens Point -110 on BetOnline:
Dylan Cozens may get revenge on the team who drafted him tonight
We love a good revenge narrative. And while Dylan Cozens may be thrilled that he is on a winning team now and not stuck in the purgatory that is Buffalo, he still may want to punish the team who drafted him. On top of that, the Ottawa Senators will be without one of their top forwards Brady Tkachuk for four weeks, meaning Cozens will need to step up to keep this offense rolling. At near plus money, this NHL best bet should help pad your bankroll.
Now one of the angles that makes this bet more tempting is the special teams. Cozens scored a power-play goal in Ottawa’s opener last week, and he is logging top power-play time. This could particularly be useful against a Sabres penalty kill that finished 23rd in 2024-25 (≈76%). That combination gives him multiple avenues (5-on-5 or PP) to hit the scoresheet.
Over 2024-25, Cozens posted 47 points in 82 games and averaged about 2.4 shots per game, the kind of shot volume that keeps his point floor respectable even if he doesn’t score himself. To eek out even more value you could lean into his assist for plus money. But without top goalscorer Brady Tkachuk it may be safer to pay the juice and take his point. The Sabres have allowed 10 goals in their first three games this season.
2. Pavel Buchnevich o1.5 SOG + a Point +110 on BetOnline:
Buchnevich will be riding on the top line for the Blues
It’s Blues–Blackhawks tonight in St. Louis, and Chicago have been getting hemmed in early: 30.0 shots against per game so far (after 31.1 SA/GP last season). St. Louis, meanwhile, is generating ~30 shots for per game out of the gate. That’s fertile ground for a modest 1.5 SOG line to clear. Especially when you look at the top line winger’s history against the Blackhawks.
Buchnevich has hit his 1.5 SOG prop in every game this season. But better yet, he has hit in 77% of his last 13 games against the Blackhawks. The playmaker has also racked up two points this season and has at least one against Chicago in his last four games playing against them. Better still, he has 8 points in his last 6 games against the Blackhawks.
Buchnevich is stapled to the top power-play unit (with Thomas/Schenn), which boosts assist/goal paths and adds multiple “outs” for the point leg. Last season the Chicago PK sat right around 79–80%, and this week they just surrendered 10 power plays to Montreal—evidence of discipline/issues that can feed Blues PP opportunities. Add this all up and it’s clear why Buchnevich offers some of the best NHL bets tonight.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick
3. Mikael Sergachev Point -125 on BetOnline:
Utah Hockey Club defenseman Mikhail Sergachev controls the puck in his own zone.
It is the first game at home for the Utah Mammoth. And the first game at home AS the Utah Mammoth. The crowd will be roaring and the team will be hosting the Flames who played last night against the Vegas Golden Knights. And the assistant captain Mikael Sergachev would like nothing more than to get on the scoresheet.
Through three games Sergachev has been pointless. This is largely due to the Mammoth’s struggles with scoring, only tickling the twine 5 times in three games. But the Flames will be starting backup goalie Cooley in net, who has had a rough 6 NHL starts to his career, sporting a 4.65 goals against average. This does not bode well for a Calgary team who could be a bit sloppy after a hard fought loss last night. And sloppy play leads to penalties.
Sergachev quaterbacks the top power play for the Mammoth, a squad that has two deadly snipers in Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Calgary’s PK finished 76.1% in 2024-25 (bottom-third) and is 78.6% through the first week of 2025-26—still middling. That keeps PP points firmly in play for a PP1 defenseman. Sergachev racked up four points against Calgary in his last three games against them.
You could take his power play point for some extra spice to this NHL best bet at +260 or play it safe with his point.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick