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Best Bets2026-10-06

Best Bets for Tuesday, October 6: STL 57%, VGK 57% and 4 More Picks Across the MLB and NHL

By Verdexed Analytics

A ball in flight under bright stadium lights before the game
Illustration: Verdexed, AI-generated

6 picks to win on the Model Cards for Tuesday, October 6, across the MLB and NHL, plus 9 props. The firmest call is St. Louis Blues at 57% (-142). Yesterday's cards: NFL 1-0, MLB 0-2, NHL 3-1. Every card is frozen at 11 AM ET at the lines then on offer, logged before the first pitch or puck drop, and graded in public on the Model Cards page; nothing is edited after the fact.

Today's card

GameCallPickOur numberPriceMarketEdgeLeagueWhy
STL at CHILeanSTL57%-14256%+1NHLrecent form +10.3, venue +5.7
VGK at SEALeanVGK57%-18062%-5NHLshot share (Corsi) +6.8, venue +4.5
MIL at SDLeanSD55%-13655%0MLBvenue +2.4, starting pitchers +1.5
NSH at TORLeanTOR54%-15558%-4NHLstreak +5.9, venue +2.4
NYI at NYRLeanNYR53%-15558%-5NHLmotivation +5.0, power play +3.9
LAD at ATLLeanATL51%-10949.9%+2MLBvenue +3.3, power +0.9

Lock is 65% or better on our number, Play 58% or better, Lean anything the card still takes as the most likely winner. Price is the pick's moneyline when the card froze; Market is the vig-free probability that price implies; Edge is our number minus the market's, in points. The leagues are listed together here but never played together: each card, each ticket and each ledger is one league.

The MLB totals model leans OVER on LAD at ATL: it makes the game 7.8 runs against a posted 6.

Why each pick

St. Louis Blues over Chicago Blackhawks, 57%, -142. Lean on the NHL card. What drives it: recent form (+10.3 points), venue (+5.7 points), goal margin (+4.9 points). The case against is streak (-5.8 points). The line STL -1.5, total 5.5. STL starter: Joel Hofer (projected). STL out: Logan Mailloux, Tyler Tucker, Alexey Toropchenko. CHI starter: Spencer Knight (likely). CHI out: Connor Bedard, Andrew Mangiapane.

Vegas Golden Knights over Seattle Kraken, 57%, -180. Lean on the NHL card. What drives it: shot share (Corsi) (+6.8 points), venue (+4.5 points), power play (+2.6 points). The case against is motivation (-4.5 points). The market is 5 points firmer on it than we are; we still have VGK as the more likely winner. The line VGK -1.5, total 6.5. VGK starter: Carter Hart (projected). SEA starter: Joey Daccord (projected). SEA out: Jake O'Brien, Jacob Melanson.

San Diego Padres over Milwaukee Brewers, 55%, -136. Lean on the MLB card. What drives it: venue (+2.4 points), starting pitchers (+1.5 points), run margin (+1.1 points). The case against is clutch hitting (-2.3 points). The line SD -1.5, total 7.5. MIL out: Angel Zerpa, Brandon Woodruff, Brian Fitzpatrick, Grant Anderson, Quinn Priester. SD out: Bryan Hoeing, Casey Mize, Jeremiah Estrada, Lucas Giolito, Luis Rengifo.

Toronto Maple Leafs over Nashville Predators, 54%, -155. Lean on the NHL card. What drives it: streak (+5.9 points), venue (+2.4 points), shot margin (+1.1 points). The case against is shot share (Corsi) (-5.8 points). The market is 4 points firmer on it than we are; we still have TOR as the more likely winner. The line TOR -1.5, total 5.5. NSH starter: Juuse Saros. NSH out: Justus Annunen. TOR starter: Anthony Stolarz. TOR out: Dakota Joshua, Max Domi.

New York Rangers over New York Islanders, 53%, -155. Lean on the NHL card. What drives it: motivation (+5.0 points), power play (+3.9 points), recent form (+2.6 points). The case against is streak (-5.9 points). The market is 5 points firmer on it than we are; we still have NYR as the more likely winner. The line NYR -1.5, total 5.5. NYI starter: Semyon Varlamov. NYI out: Mathew Barzal. NYR starter: Igor Shesterkin (projected). NYR out: Joonas Korpisalo, Adam Sykora, Joe Veleno.

Atlanta Braves over Los Angeles Dodgers, 51%, -109. Lean on the MLB card. What drives it: venue (+3.3 points), power (+0.9 points), bullpen (+0.8 points). The case against is streak (-1.4 points). The line ATL -1.5, total 6.5. LAD out: Ben Casparius, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Eric Lauer, Gavin Stone. ATL out: Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider.

The props card

PlayerCallTeamGamePropOur projectionOur probabilityLeague
Jack EichelLockVGKVGK at SEAOver 1.5 shots on goal3.193%NHL
Nick SchmaltzPlayUTAUTA at NJDOver 2.5 shots on goal3.677%NHL
Nick PivettaPlaySDMIL at SDOver 3.5 strikeouts4.776%MLB
Chris SalePlayATLLAD at ATLOver 5.5 strikeouts7.273%MLB
Steven StamkosPlayNSHNSH at TOROver 2.5 shots on goal3.472%NHL
Sebastian AhoPlayCARCAR at MTLOver 2.5 shots on goal3.472%NHL
Dustin MayPlayMILMIL at SDOver 3.5 strikeouts4.572%MLB
Yoshinobu YamamotoPlayLADLAD at ATLOver 5.5 strikeouts771%MLB
Kirill KaprizovLeanMINMIN at BUFOver 2.5 shots on goal3.267%NHL

Each prop is the half-point line where our distribution for the player gives the over at least 65%; Lock is 80% or better, Play 70% or better. Props carry no market price here, so take a leg at -120 or better. Every one is graded on the box score.

The tickets

LeagueTicketLegsPaysOur probabilityFair
MLBGamesSD; ATL+23328%+255
MLBPropsNick Pivetta over 3.5 strikeouts; Chris Sale over 5.5 strikeouts; Dustin May over 3.5 strikeouts; Yoshinobu Yamamoto over 5.5 strikeouts+256 (fair)28%+256
MLBBest of bothSD; ATL; Nick Pivetta over 3.5 strikeouts; Chris Sale over 5.5 strikeouts; Dustin May over 3.5 strikeouts+74211%+798
NHLGamesSTL; VGK; TOR; NYR+6189%+964
NHLPropsJack Eichel over 1.5 shots on goal; Nick Schmaltz over 2.5 shots on goal; Steven Stamkos over 2.5 shots on goal; Sebastian Aho over 2.5 shots on goal; Kirill Kaprizov over 2.5 shots on goal+298 (fair)25%+298
NHLBest of bothSTL; VGK; TOR; Jack Eichel over 1.5 shots on goal; Nick Schmaltz over 2.5 shots on goal; Steven Stamkos over 2.5 shots on goal+7399%+991

Three tickets per league: the whole game card as one parlay at the frozen lines, the props card at fair odds (props have no posted price), and the best of both (the top three picks with the top three props). Our probability is the product of the legs; Fair is the price that probability deserves. Every ticket is graded as its legs resolve.

Where we differ from the market

The market is more confident than we are on these. We still expect the favourite to win; on our numbers the price is a little rich.

GameLeagueOur sideVerdexedMarketGap
VGK at SEANHLVGK57%62%-5
NYI at NYRNHLNYR53%57%-4
NSH at TORNHLTOR54%58%-4

Injuries that move the number

Who is out is priced, not counted: every absent skater, hitter and skill player is valued by his own production above the next man up, discounted for absences the team has already been playing through. These are the lines that clear 0.4 points on today's slate.

GameLeagueWho is outEffect
FLA at LAKNHLFLA without Barkov0.9 pts against FLA
STL at CHINHLCHI without Bedard, Mangiapane; STL without Mailloux, Tucker0.9 pts toward STL
CAR at MTLNHLMTL without Guhle; CAR without Jarvis, Nikishin0.9 pts against CAR
NYI at NYRNHLNYR without Sykora; NYI without Barzal0.7 pts toward NYR
OTT at DETNHLDET without Larkin, Edvinsson; OTT without Sanderson, Zub0.5 pts against DET

Schedule spots

Back to backs, heavy weeks and long trips are in the model as features, not as hunches. Two seasons of results: NHL teams on the second of a back to back win 43.7% against 51.1% overall.

TeamLeagueSpotGameOur number
NYRNHL4 games in 7 daysNYI at NYRNYR 53% (our pick)
FLANHLroad game 4FLA at LAKFLA 51% (our pick)
OTTNHLsecond of a back to backOTT at DETDET 51% (our pick is the other side)

How yesterday's cards landed (Oct 5)

NFL: 1-0

GamePickOur numberPriceResult
ATL at NOATL50.3%+110Hit
PlayerPropOur probabilityActualResult
Tyler ShoughOver 312.5 passing yards65%286Miss
Bijan RobinsonOver 65.5 rushing yards65%145Hit

Tickets: the props parlay (+136) missed; the best-of-both ticket (+396) missed.

MLB: 0-2

GamePickOur numberPriceResult
CWS at CLECLE59%-163Miss
NYY at TBNYY54%-131Miss
PlayerPropOur probabilityActualResult
Cam SchlittlerOver 5.5 strikeouts77%2Miss
Gavin WilliamsOver 6.5 strikeouts72%11Hit
Freddy PeraltaOver 3.5 strikeouts75%3Miss
Anthony KayOver 1.5 strikeouts94%0Miss

Tickets: the games parlay (+185) missed; the props parlay (+154) missed; the best-of-both ticket (+418) missed.

NHL: 3-1

GamePickOur numberPriceResult
PHI at TBLTBL61%-205Hit
WPG at PITPIT58%-170Miss
SJS at DALDAL58%-175Hit
OTT at BOSOTT51%-115Hit
PlayerPropOur probabilityActualResult
Macklin CelebriniOver 2.5 shots on goal73%-Pending
Kyle ConnorOver 3.5 shots on goal65%6Hit
Evgeni MalkinOver 1.5 shots on goal76%4Hit
Tim StützleOver 1.5 shots on goal86%3Hit
Jason RobertsonOver 1.5 shots on goal89%4Hit

Tickets: the games parlay (+594) missed; the best-of-both ticket (+541) missed.

The record

LeagueCardsLegsUnitsROIPropsGame parlays
NFL3 since Oct 16-3-0.08 u-0.9%6-3 (67%)0-1
MLB5 since Sep 307-6-1.32 u-10.1%13-7 (65%)0-4
NHL5 since Sep 3013-6+1.95 u+10.3%17-8 (68%)2-3

Units are a flat one unit on every game leg at the card's frozen price; the ledgers are per league and are never added together. The live ledgers, every past card and every graded ticket are on the Model Cards page; the model's full pick record by league, with every voided pick and its reason, is on the record page.

Responsible play

This is model output, not betting advice. Verdexed publishes its model's probabilities and edges for informational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here is a recommendation to place a wager, and no outcome is guaranteed, even the model's highest-confidence picks lose regularly.

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Follow the cards live

Every card is frozen at 11 AM ET and graded in public as the games finish; the ledgers run per league.