Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL projections, powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

NHL Betting Picks Today

Get inside the crease and access who is starting in tonight’s NHL matchups and save projections with SportsGrid’s Starting Goalies Page.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Moneyline +110

It’s about to go from bad to worse for the Los Angeles Kings. Stuck in the middle of a seven-game road trip to open the season, the Kings have dropped their last three games while giving up 16 goals in that span. Now playing their third game in four nights with a mismanaged goaltending situation, LA faces an uphill climb against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

Los Angeles was completely out-matched on Wednesday night. Although they played with desperation, the Kings dropped a decisive 6-2 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Rittich started the game between the pipes but was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Pheonix Copley came on in relief but fared no better. Darcy Kuemper is nursing a lower-body injury and is presumably unavailable, and now the Kings don’t have a fresh netminder to start against the Habs. That’s a significant disadvantage on the second night of a back-to-back.

Montreal is capable of exploiting that weakness on home ice. The Canadiens are firing on all cylinders to open the season. They have recorded 11 goals across their last three games, with eight of those goals coming at five-on-five. Moreover, the Habs have decent production metrics that point to ongoing success, with Montreal averaging 9.0 high-danger chances per game over that modest sample.

Kings goalies are floundering right now. In the best-case scenario, Kuemper is available to play, but even if he suits up, he might not be 100% healthy. If the second- or third-string goaltender get the nod, they will be forced to step up after a humbling performance last night. A Canadiens’ scoring surge can lead them to victory against a tired, beat-up Kings side.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Florida Panthers

Panthers Moneyline -108

Curiously, the Vancouver Canucks have shorter moneyline odds against the Florida Panthers than they did against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. In that game, the Nucks were thoroughly dismantled, and they’ll face an even stiffer challenge against the defending Stanley Cup champions. On that basis, there’s a definitive edge in backing the Panthers.

Playing in their first road game of the season last time out, the Canucks couldn’t get anything right at either end of the ice. Vancouver failed to score at five-on-five despite generating 10 high-danger and 25 scoring chances. However, the more concerning component was their defensive standard. The reigning Pacific Division champs allowed 15 high-danger chances at five-on-five against the Bolts, showing no signs of cohesion against a relatively inferior opponent.

Florida returns home after a brief four-game road trip. As we’ve seen, the Panthers are a different team in their friendly confines. In their lone home game to open the season, the champs dropped 16 high-danger chances on the Boston Bruins, out-chancing them by a substantive 16-7 margin. Defensive fortitude has been a hallmark of their 3-2-0 start, with the Panthers holding all but one opponent to nine or fewer high-danger chances.

The Canucks are a different team on the road. This team relies on line-matching at home to give their stars the best opportunity to succeed, often needing special-teams scoring to set them apart. The Panthers can neutralize that attack at home and have been effective at limiting opponents all season. Only one of the five teams they’ve faced has recorded more than nine high-danger chances for an early-season average of 7.6 per game.

Florida can use its home-ice advantage to swallow up the Canucks' attack, and we know what the Panthers' offense can do. The Panthers are the right side to be on.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Nashville Predators

Oilers Moneyline -115

Who would have thought that Troy Stecher would be the player to galvanize the Edmonton Oilers? On the verge of their fourth straight loss to open the season, Stecher answered the bell when Sean Couturier took an unwarranted run at Stuart Skinner, springing the Oilers into action. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime, carrying that momentum into Thursday’s tilt against the Nashville Predators.

Of course, there are more tangible metrics validating expected success. Despite starting the season with just one win through four games, the Oilers have outplayed their opponents in all but one of those contests. The resulting 57.0% expected goals-for rating is almost double their actual rating of 33.3%, implying further progression is on the horizon. Much of that could come against the Preds.

Nashville’s offseason moves have yet to pay dividends on the ice. The Predators have been outplayed in two of three games to start the year, losing all three contests. As is typically the case, offense has been in short supply for the Preds. They’ve fallen below nine high-danger chances in all three outings, failing to eclipse 16 scoring opportunities in two of three.

We’re not expecting the Predators to succeed in breaking through Edmonton’s defense, nor should they want to get into a run-and-gun game with the high-octane Oilers. Any way you cut it, the Oilers have an advantage today.

Gear up for the NHL season! All customers get a 25% Profit Boost Token for a 3+ leg SGP on any game taking place October 15th through 17th! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!