In this article, Canada Sports Betting’s Nick Martin breaks down the two best NHL player prop picks that provide value at online sportsbooks today.
After an 0-2 evening last Friday, these player prop guides enter Friday’s slate at +14.15 units across 153 selections this season. We will look to bounce back with a pair of plus-money props, involving two skaters whose recently improved roles do not seem to be garnering enough compensation from oddsmakers.
Check out today’s best NHL player prop bets below and tail my picks at any of the top NHL betting sites in Canada.
Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 Points: -130 (Bet365, Play to -140)
It’s pretty shocking to see any skater priced at -130 to record over 1.5 points in any matchup, and it’s even more shocking to consider that in Kucherov’s instance entering a matchup versus the Seattle Kraken, the price should seemingly be more juiced to the over.
Kucherov has put up 102 points over the last 50 games. He’s proven to be among the smartest offensive skaters in the history of the league, and his unique offensive skill-set is especially effective given that he plays on a stacked Tampa Bay Lightning side with plenty of other talented forwards with strong hockey sense.
Kucherov’s historic run has taken a momentary pause as he’s recorded just two points over the last two games, but those matchups don’t seem to be worth anything reading into.
Kucherov will remain on what has been one of the league’s absolute best lines alongside Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. The trio has generated 4.42 xGF/60 across 306.9 minutes of play this season, which is the highest mark of any unit to spend over 200 minutes together by a fairly wide margin, and they have scored 5.28 goals per 60 where it counts.
When the Lightning faced off against the Seattle Kraken on March 17th, Kucherov, Hagel and Cirelli combined for 12 points in a convincing 6-2 win.
In 14 games since the Olympic break, the Kraken have allowed 3.71 goals against per game and allowed 3.62 xGA/60. They do not offer a convincing shutdown pairing to try and deploy versus Kucherov’s unit, and awarding Chandler Stephenson’s unit assignments versus opposing stars continues to be a large concern for a second consecutive season.
Kucherov appears to be poised for another excellent showing in Thursday’s matchup, as he looks to better his case for a much-deserved Hart Trophy.
Matthew Savoie Over 0.5 Points: +105 (Bet365, Play to -105)
Savoie has trended into much better form throughout the final third of his rookie campaign, and suddenly Edmonton’s decision to trade away Ryan McLeod, who’s had an incredible season, in order to acquire Savoie looks more reasonable.
Over the last 15 games Savoie has put up 11 points while averaging 15:42 of time on ice. Throughout the first four games of Leon Draisaitl’s absence, Savoie has averaged 17:07 of time on ice. He is now skating on the top line alongside Connor McDavid, as well as on the team’s dominant top power play, which still looks to be a force despite Draisaitl’s absence, and he’s obviously been placed in a tremendous role to flourish offensively.
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to do an excellent job of suppressing opposing scoring chances, but that fact continues to be masked by their abhorrent goaltending, making Thursday’s matchup livable for this prop. The Knights have allowed 3.07 goals against per game since the restart.
This prop helped our same-game parlay get home at +625 in what was arguably a tougher matchup on Tuesday versus the Utah Mammoth, and after seeing a strong showing from Savoie and the new-look top line in that game, the reduced price of +105 still looks livable entering for Thursday’s matchup.