I’ve picked out two props from Monday’s NHL slate.
The pregame narrative: Bo Horvat has good value to score in a plus matchup with the Buffalo Sabres. Elsewhere, I’m backing Matvei Michkov in an intrastate battle between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Check out my NHL prop picks for Dec. 23.
NHL prop picks
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Best bet: Horvat to score 1+ point (-150)
Horvat has 25 points in 33 games this season and he’s on a bit of a tear.
The centreman has points in five of his last seven games and is coming off a three-point performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Buffalo is as bad as it gets right now, losing 13 straight games and allowing 4.2 goals per game over the skid.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start for the Sabres and he’s allowed 10 goals on 33 shots across his last two starts.
If there’s any team that you should be finding a way to fade right now, it’s Buffalo. And Horvat is a talented forward who bettors can get behind at a fair price.
Key stat: Horvat has two points in two games against Buffalo this season.
Quick pick
Michkov to score 1+ point (-120): There’s a fairly large disclaimer attached to this bet and it’s that Michkov hasn’t scored in five games.
I’ll try and spin it into a positive by saying it’s all the more impressive that he is second on the Flyers with 27 points in 32 outings.
And there isn’t a better defence to break a slump against.
- Pittsburgh allows the most goals against per game (3.7).
- The Penguins also give up the fourth-most shots against (31.7).
Opposing forwards have been lighting up the Penguins all season and this is a buy-low opportunity.
Before his current slump, Michkov had 10 points in the previous five games.
The rookie can be a streaky player and this pick is about predicting the start of a hot streak against a weak defensive side.
Picks made at 1:03 p.m. 12/23/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.