Mark Lammey
Show Bio
We only have 5 games going on in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it a profitable day. There’s even afternoon hockey to get things started nice and early. If none of the sides or totals are catching your eye, we have you covered. There may be just 10 teams in action, but that means hundreds of individual skaters. We’ve broken down the matchups and targeted the best spots for specific skaters to shine. Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
Let’s take a closer look at my 2 favorite player props.
John Tavares over 0.5 assists (-120)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a star-studded team, but are off to a very mediocre 4-4-1 start. They’ve been on a west coast road trip and it hasn’t gone well. However, they wrap it up today in what should be an exclamation point of a finish. The Leafs take on the Ducks, who have looked dreadful so far this season. Their 1-6-1 record is the worst in the NHL, and now they get a Toronto team coming off of 3 straight losses.
Even if the Leafs’ goaltending continues to slip up, they’re still not as bad as Anaheim. The Ducks have allowed the 2nd-most goals per game so far this year, which should help Tavares hit this prop. It also doesn’t hurt that last season’s top goalscorer and Hart Trophy winner for MVP in Auston Matthews. Yet it’s Tavares that is Toronto’s captain, and he’s shelled out his fair share of assists to Matthews. While Matthews was inexplicably held pointless last night, Tavares found the back of the net. With such poor goaltending by the Ducks, it should be Matthews doing so tonight with Tavares lending a hand.
Be sure to check out our full Toronto Maple Leafs vs Anaheim Ducks predictions
Kirill Kaprizov over 0.5 assists (-120)
We’re sticking with the same prop for our second play. It’s also one that’s come through for us already this season, which you can check out here. There’s no reason not to go back to the well with Kaprizov, as he continues to be one of the future faces of the NHL. Much like Tavares, he too scored a goal last night and has another great matchup today. He and the Minnesota Wild travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. They haven’t been quite as terrible as last season, but they’re still allowing the 10th-most goals per game this year. The Blackhawks were also on the ice last night, so expect some tired defenseman.
Kaprizov can take advantage of that weakness, much like he always does. His 108 points last season were the 4th-most in the NHL, and he already has 11 through 8 games this year. While he’s an elite goalscorer, we’re sticking with his assist prop. The Wild no longer have Kevin Fiala, which means Mats Zuccarello and Joel Erikkson Ek have been taking more shots. Zuccarello is generally who we target for assists on the Wild, so that should be another play for you as well tonight. Regardless, he and Kaprizov have been interchangeable this season, so we’re going to stick with the skater who has a great chance of recording multiple points.
Be sure to check out our Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks predictions
Pickswise is the home of free NHL Picks and NHL Predictions. Check back for our daily NHL Best Bets, including our favorite NHL Prop Bets.
