Mark Lammey
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It’s another beautiful Saturday in the NHL with a full 13-game slate. We’ve got early afternoon hockey and games all throughout the night. That also means plenty of matchups to break down, which can seem overwhelming. It can seem like even more when trying to analyze the matchups for each individual skater. Not to worry, as that’s what we’re here for. We’ve gone over the entire slate and found the best sports for you to target in the player prop market.
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.
Jesper Bratt Over 0.5 assists (-130)
Whether you want to believe they’re for real or not, the New Jersey Devils are on an absolute tear. After their overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, they’ve now won 8 straight games. That has them at 11-3-0 on the year and atop the Metro Division. They’re behind only the Boston Bruins in terms of the best record in the entire Eastern Conference. Now they get to play their third straight home game against a weak Arizona Coyotes team. NHL schedule-makers did them no favors, as they’re in the midst of a 14-game road trip.
The Coyotes have been a prime target for shots on goal props for us, as they’re allowing the 2nd-most shots per game. While Jack Hughes should be great in that respect, we’re going to target Jesper Bratt’s assist prop. It’s only a slight pivot, as Arizona has also allowed the 7th-most goals per game. That rank was much worse prior to their very rare shutout on Thursday, but Bratt can still take advantage. It also helps that the Devils are the 6th-highest scoring team in the NHL, which means more scoring opportunities for Bratt to dish out his apple. It’s also something he did in each game against the Coyotes last season. Arizona still has the same goaltender in Karel Vejmelka, so expect Bratt to keep things rolling for the Devils at home.
Be sure to check out our Arizona Coyotes vs New Jersey Devils predictions
Matthew Tkachuk Over 0.5 assists (-155)
Yes, this is likely a name you’re familiar with at this point. Matthew Tkachuk has come through for us several times already this season. We’ve been targeting his shots on goal prop, and he again should have success in that regard. He and the Florida Panthers are playing the Edmonton Oilers, who have allowed the 5th-most shots per game. However, we’re going to get at least some variety and swap to his assist prop. The Oilers may be known for Connor McDavid, but it’s also important to recognize their weak goaltending. They are also allowing the 5th-most goals per game.
Edmonton just allowed a whopping 7 goals to the Carolina Hurricanes, a team the Panthers completely shut out the last time they were on the ice. Unfortunately, Tkachuk was not a part of that game. He recently had to serve a 2-game suspension, and we’re expecting him to come out with a vengeance. Prior to those 2 games, he was just heating up. The Panthers were out west playing the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. Tkachuk recorded 3 assists and 10 shots on goal against the Sharks and another assist against the Kings. Now he’s back at home with a prime matchup. He played the Oilers 4 times as a member of the Calgary Flames last season, and recorded an assist in all 4 matchups. The most recent was a 2-assist game, and we should get at least 1 tonight.
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