Nobody’s confusing the players in my NHL prop picks for superstars, but I’m looking for a trio of unsung heroes to deliver a very manageable task.
The pregame narrative: Jason Zucker remains an excellent value to register a point and he has a plus matchup on deck. Aaron Ekblad isn’t a flashy defenceman, but his offensive production is picking up. Thirdly, Nick Schmaltz remains an underrated option.
Find my NHL prop picks for Nov. 23 below.
NHL prop picks
Best Bet: Zucker to score 1+ points (-112)
Zucker checks all of the boxes I look for when selecting players to score a point.
The Buffalo Sabres forward is seeing excellent offensive opportunities. Zucker is playing on the team’s first line and top power play.
He’s skating alongside Buffalo’s leading point scorer on both units, Alex Tuch (20 points).
Zucker’s production is worth highlighting, too. The winger is sixth on the squad with 14 points across 20 games. Six of his points have come on Buffalo’s man advantage, a special teams unit that ranks a respectable 18th (18.0%) this season.
The matchup is juicy, as Buffalo battles the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are 27th in goals against per game (3.41) and have allowed three-plus goals in six consecutive games.
Bet on Zucker to continue delivering for the Sabres and bettors.
Key stat: Zucker has scored a point in three consecutive games.
Quick picks
Ekblad to score 1+ points (+140): Betting on Ekblad hasn’t been a great proposition for prop bettors.
The Florida Panthers rearguard only has eight points in 20 games this season but his point production is trending upward. He has a point in two of his last three games and finds himself in some offensively friendly positions.
Ekblad is quarterbacking Florida’s top power play. That puts him on the ice with elite talents like Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk in a prime offensive setting.
The matchup is really what makes Ekblad an intriguing wager at this price. The Cats battle the Colorado Avalanche, who have been struggling all season long in their own zone.
Colorado ranks:
- 29th in goals against per game (3.55)
- 28th in penalty kill percentage (74.5%)
Ekblad should be able to factor in on the scoring if Florida’s offence is true to form in this contest.
Schmaltz to score 1+ points (-130): Schmaltz has 13 points in 19 games this season, but there’s a funny wrinkle to his stat line.
The Utah Hockey Club forward has zero goals on 38 shots.
His 13 points are still good for third on his team, however, as he skates on the team’s first line alongside points leader Clayton Keller (16 points).
The matchup doesn’t get any better as Utah battles the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh is ceding the most goals per game (3.86) in the NHL this season.
NHL picks made at 12:49 p.m. on 11/23/2024.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.