NHL Best Bets Today, 10/28: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Monday

Hello and welcome everyone to the Monday, October 28th edition of the NHL Best Bets Today! It’s a brand-new week of NHL action as we move into the end of the opening month of the season. After a few weeks, I am starting to get a handle on who these teams really are as we make NHL picks. Tonight, we have 8 games on the slate to pick apart so check out my NHL predictions below, and let’s go stuff our wallets!
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 10/28
A note though for this first month of the season, all bets until November will be half-unit plays while we figure out the identity of these teams so don’t go wild on the bankroll just yet, let’s learn some things!
In this NHL Best Bets Today article you will find a wide array of choices from some Money Lines and Team totals to plenty of player props for the action today in NHL Picks! 16 games on this weekday slate let’s dive right into it!
Now, let's dive into my expert NHL Best Bets Today!
***ALL BETS ARE HALF UNIT PLAYS***
- Regular Season Record: 34-24-0
- Bankroll: +5.5 Units
Follow me on X/Twitter: @jwaggs10
Oilers vs. Blue Jackets Prediction: Monday, October 28th
As I prepare to break down this game, I just want to say thank you to all the money the Blue Jackets have made us so far this season as underdogs and all the plus odds that have come with it! That being said, it's time to flip away from them at least for tonight as Connor McDavid and the Oilers come to town.
Elvin Merzlikins will start for the Blue Jackets and that’s where the fade begins as he’s 0-2-0 on the season with a 3.65 GAA and .854 SV% – neither are up to par for NHL goaltenders! The Oilers' offense hasn’t been the best this season overall, but they’ve been scoring more in the past week and this is just an absolute prime matchup given the Blue Jackets' struggles against top forward units.
The Oilers powerplay unit is also just 13% this season. While they probably won’t reach over 30% like last season, I fully expect that to pick up and they very well could this evening. Give me the Oilers over 3.5 goals tonight!
If the Oilers are going to have a big game, it's time for Zach Hyman to get it together and start scoring goals this season! He has no goals so far through 9 games and that’s just not up to his standard as a 30-40 goal scorer in this offense. He’s getting almost 20 minutes on the ice per game and has 25 shots on goal through the first few weeks. The chances will be there and I am betting he scores a goal tonight.
- Expert Oilers vs. Blue Jackets NHL Picks
- Edmonton Oilers Over 3.5 Team Total Goals (-160 on DraftKings)
- Zach Hyman Anytime Goalscorer (+100 on DraftKings)
Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 10/28
- Nashville Predators Money Line (+115 on DraftKings)
- San Jose Sharks Money Line (+225 on DraftKings)
- Carolina Hurricanes & Vancouver Canucks Under 6 Goals (-115 on DraftKings)
- Pavel Dorofeyev (VGK) Over 2.5 Shots On Goal (+100 on DraftKings)
Player News
Jorge Soler left Wednesday’s game against the Mets with an apparent injury.
Soler has been dealing with some nagging issues as of late, and it appears that has something to do with the early exit for the 33-year-old. Chris Taylor has moved to right field from third base, and Kevin Newman has taken over at third. Specifics on why Soler left Wednesday’s game should be available shortly.
Andrew Vaughn is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s finale against the Mariners.
Vaughn will rest for the first time since the break. Tyler Black will get the start at first base for the finale against Seattle versus Luis Castillo.
Brenton Doyle is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s tilt against the Cardinals.
Doyle will get another day off Wednesday, as he’s not been in the starting lineup in three of the seven games since the All-Star break. Mickey Moniak will get the start in center field in Doyle’s absence.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Dolphins CB Artie Burns is believed to have suffered a torn ACL in Wednesday’s practice.
The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones has since confirmed that Burns tore his ACL in practice. The injury will sideline him for the entirety of the 2025 season. Burns signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason to bolster their secondary. Burns bounced between the Seahawks’ practice squad and active roster last year and was set to compete for a rotational role in Miami. The injury and Jalen Ramsey trade leave Miami severely undermanned at corner. They could look to the free agent market for some depth.
Jose Altuve is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s bout against the Diamondbacks.
It’ll be the first time Altuve doesn’t start for the Astros since June 10. The 35-year-old gets a breather with Cooper Hummel in left field as Houston looks to complete a three-game sweep.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports Bears WR Luther Burden is not practicing at the start of training camp.
As Cronin notes, Burden got banged up when he landed on the ball in an early offseason practice. He was also dealing with a hamstring issue at one point. It’s not clear which injury is forcing him to miss the start of camp, but it’s a bad sign no matter the cause. The fact thta Ben Johnson previously indicated that Burden would be ready for camp and he isn’t is an even brighter red flag. Burden left Mizzou as a schemed-touches master, perfect for Johnson’s heavily curated offense. Fantasy managers should still bet on him carving out a role as a rookie, but the odds of that happening early in the season are decreasing by the day.