Category: NHL

Two of the NHL’s top goalscorers are featured in today’s prop picks.

The pregame narrative: Alex Ovechkin is leading the league in scoring after potting a hat trick yesterday and I expect him to fire at will against the Utah Hockey Club tonight. Also, bet on David Pastrnak to score against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Find my NHL prop picks for Nov. 18 below.

NHL prop picks

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Best Bet: Ovechkin over 3.5 shots (-106)

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If Wayne Gretzky looked in the rear-view mirror he would see a 39-year-old Ovi barreling toward him at full speed.

Ovechkin has 13 goals through 17 games and is just 29 away from breaking the all-time scoring record.

If he were to sustain this pace he would finish with 62 goals, which would be the second-best mark of his career outside of his Hart-winning 2007-08 season.

Do I think that will happen? No, but I do think he’s going to keep putting pucks on the net.

Go to full Capitals vs. Hockey Club betting markets.

Ovechkin logged five SOG in just 14:53 of ice time last night. He’s gone over this mark in seven of his last eight games and is leading the Washington Capitals in shots (60) and chances for (122), per Natural Stat Trick.

Utah has been a much-improved defensive team this year but still gives up the 14th-most shots per game.

Everyone on Washington is looking to feed its red-hot captain, so don’t expect an off night after his hat trick.

Key stat: Ovechkin is averaging 4.12 shots per game this month.

Quick picks

Pastrnak anytime goalscorer (-117): Pastrnak is only five goals behind Ovechkin for the league lead and is heating up after a lengthy goalless drought.

The Czech winger has found the net in two of his last three games and has a stunning 18 shots in that span.

Tonight, his Boston Bruins host a Blue Jackets team allowing the fourth-most goals per game.

Elvis Merzlikins is between the pipes for Columbus and his 2.92 GAA and .898 SV% both rank outside of the top 30.

Pastrnak’s 156 goals since the start of the 2022-23 season are third only to Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl. I like his chances of getting on the board tonight.

NHL picks made at 11:18 a.m. on 11/18/2024.

Monday’s NHL slate consists of six games, including an all-Canadian matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens.

The latest: Edmonton has recorded a point in four straight games and is a heavy favourite on the road. Elsewhere, the Boston Bruins look to snap out of a funk when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Dallas Stars are massive favourites in hopes of building on a 7-1-0 home record.

Check out the latest NHL schedule for Monday, Nov. 18.

NHL schedule: Nov. 18

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Boston Bruins

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Colorado Avalanche vs. Philadelphia Flyers

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Edmonton Oilers vs. Montreal Canadiens

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Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars

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Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks

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Betting insights

• The Oilers are 3-1-1 since Connor McDavid returned to the lineup, averaging 3.8 goals per game. Montreal has won two of its last three games but is 2-6-1 in its last nine, allowing the second-highest number of goals per game (3.89).

• The Bruins are 4-4-2 in their last 10 and haven’t had good goaltending. Jeremy Swayman owns a 3.35 GAA and .888 SV% through 13 starts after holding out for a new contract. Boston hosts a Columbus team allowing the fourth-most goals per game.

• Dallas won all three matchups against Anaheim last season, but two of those were decided by one goal. The Ducks are on the wrong end of a rare, reasonably-priced +2.5 puck line tonight. They’ve covered that number in 12 of 16 games this year.

• The San Jose Sharks have found some form after losing nine straight to start the season. They’re 5-3-2 since then and have covered a +1.5 puck line in nine of those games. Detroit has lost four of its past five games.

Two Washington Capitals and one New York Rangers star find their way onto today’s NHL prop picks.

The pregame narrative: Washington has been excellent offensively this season. Two players — Tom Wilson and John Carlson — have my attention today. Elsewhere, I’m backing talented Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere to find the score sheet.

Find my NHL prop picks for Nov. 17 below.

NHL prop picks

Go to full NHL betting markets.

Best Bet: Wilson to score 1+ points (+100)

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I’ll be the first to admit that I thought Washington’s best days were behind it.

But I, like many other hockey prognosticators, have been sadly mistaken. The Capitals are proving that they can still pack an offensive punch.

They lead the NHL in goals per game (4.19) and have scored 16 goals in their last three contests.

Go to full Capitals vs. Golden Knights betting markets.

This steady stream of offence requires a full team effort and Wilson has been chipping in.

The Caps winger has four points in his last four games and has produced 13 shots in that stretch.

There’s certainly shootout potential between Washington and its opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is second in the league in goals per game (4.12), which suggests both teams should fill the net in this contest.

Wilson skates on Washington’s second line and top power play unit. If this one turns into an offensive affair, he’ll be in prime position to find the score sheet.

Key stat: Wilson has 13 points in 16 games this season.

Quick picks

Carlson to score 1+ points (+100): There’s good value on Washington’s top scorers to perform in what should be a high-scoring game.

Carlson is sixth on the Caps with 12 points in 16 games. He’s a proven horse, pacing the team in time on ice (24:58 per game) this season.

That heavy usage, which includes time on Washington’s top power play, should put him in some offensively friendly situations.

Carlson has three points in his last three games and should remain hot in this contest.

Lafreniere to score 1+ points (-127): Everybody chips in offensively for New York, but Lafreniere has been a key contributor.

The winger is tied for second on the squad with 13 points in 15 outings and is in an offensive groove ahead of this contest. He has a point in three consecutive games.

One drawback for Lafreniere is that he’s currently skating on New York’s second power play. What’s working in his favour, however, is that he plays alongside Artemi Panarin on the team’s second line.

Panarin is having a fantastic season, ranking 13th in the league in points (23).

A major plus for New York’s offensive prospects is that this is the Seattle Kraken’s second game in as many days. Seattle started Joey Daccord on Saturday, which means Philipp Grubauer likely starts on Sunday.

Grubauer owns a rough 3.27 goals-against average and .877 save percentage this season.

NHL picks made at 11:18 a.m. on 11/17/2024.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers square off in a star-studded Saturday night showdown.

The pregame narrative: Auston Matthews is out of the lineup, but there is still plenty of elite talent in this contest. Connor McDavid, who’s back and firing on all cylinders for Edmonton, should produce a multi-point performance. I’m fading two Maple Leafs, Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies, on their shot props.

Check out our Maple Leafs props vs. Oilers for the game on Nov. 16.

Maple Leafs props vs. Oilers

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Best Bet: McDavid to score 2+ points (+100)

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I’m jumping on the McDavid bandwagon as the NHL’s premier player visits his home province on Saturday night.

McDavid has been his usual, otherworldly self since returning from injury. After scoring zero points in his first contest back, McDavid has compiled nine points in his last three games while registering two-plus points in each contest.

His return has galvanized the Oilers’ offence, which has notched 14 goals across its last three contests.

Edmonton is also ceding a fair amount of goals, which could lead to a high-scoring game. The Oilers have surrendered three-plus goals in four of their last five outings.

Toronto’s defence and goaltending haven’t been sharp this week. The team allowed six combined goals against the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals.

Bet on a solid night from McDavid as he aims to stay hot.

Key stat: McDavid has scored two-plus points in five of his last eight contests.

Quick picks

Rielly under 1.5 shots on goal (+130): Rielly isn’t putting much rubber on goal this season and is a nice plus-money pick to go below this total.

Rielly is averaging fewer than two shots per game with 35 shots across 18 contests. It’s worth mentioning that he’s coming off his best shooting performance of the season (five shots vs. WSH), but that type of effort has been infrequent.

Rielly has fallen short of this total in five of his last eight games.

Edmonton doesn’t give up many shots, either. It’s ceding the third-fewest shots per game this year (25.5).

Knies under 1.5 shots on goal (+115): Knies is another player who should struggle to generate shots in a difficult matchup.

Like Rielly, the young Maple Leafs forward has 35 shots in 18 games.

His recent results point toward the under cashing, too. Knies has gone under this mark in three of his last four games with just three total shots during that stretch.

Knies is 11th among all Leafs forwards in shots per 60 (6.39), according to Natural Stat Trick.

Picks made at 12:30 p.m. ET on 11/16/24.

I’m targeting two players from Friday’s five-game NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Dylan Larkin is leading the Detroit Red Wings in shots and should continue to pile them up tonight. Elsewhere, Ivan Barbashev is a good bet to find the stat sheet.

Find my NHL prop picks for Nov. 15 below.

NHL prop picks

Go to full NHL betting markets.

Best Bet: Larkin over 3.5 shots (+125)

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Detroit finds itself near the bottom of the Atlantic Division once again after a mediocre start to the year.

Picking up points against bad teams like the Anaheim Ducks will be crucial, and I expect the Red Wings’ captain to lead the charge tonight.

Anaheim allows the most shots per game (35.5) and the most chances per 60 (78.0), according to Natural Stat Trick.

The gap between the Ducks and the second-worst team in chances allowed per 60 (San Jose Sharks, 69.07) is the same as the gap between the Sharks and the 19th-ranked Washington Capitals.

Yeah, they just don’t play defence over there.

Larkin started this season off by going under this number in seven consecutive games. But he’s cleared it in five of eight games since and paces the Red Wings with 42 shots on goal.

Key stat: Larkin had five SOG the last time he played the Ducks.

Quick pick

Barbashev to record a point (-125): Barbashev is having a breakout season with the Vegas Golden Knights, logging eight goals and 17 points in 16 games.

He’s skating on the top line alongside Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev while getting power play time with the second unit.

The Russian has a point in three of his last four games with five total in that span.

Tonight, he’s going up against the Utah Hockey Club, a team allowing the 12th-most shots (29.5) and goals (3.25) per game.

Connor Ingram seems to be the likely candidate in goal and he ranks outside the top 45 in GAA and SV%.

NHL picks made at 11:49 a.m. on 11/15/2024.

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