We have 7 games on today’s NHL slate to start off the week. In this article, we are taking a closer look at 2 matchups and picking a pair of player props for tonight’s action. Along with these props, don’t forget to check out our full game previews for each NHL matchup.
Now let’s get to it.
Chris Kreider over 0.5 goals (+140)
Line available at FanDuel at time of publishing
Chris Kreider is putting together a phenomenal season in New York. The longtime Ranger now has a career-high 29 goals this season, and has reached that mark through just 42 games. He enters tonight’s contest against the Kings with a 5-game goalscoring streak, and has found the back of the net 8 times in that stretch. In his last game, Kreider recorded a hat-trick against the Coyotes on Saturday. Needless to say, he is playing with a ton of confidence.
It’s hard to see Kreider slowing down against the Kings tonight. The Kings are playing on the second half of a road back-to-back, so they could be dealing with some fatigue. Los Angeles played last night against New Jersey in a hard-fought game that resulted in a 3-2 Kings victory. Prior to last night’s win, the Kings had lost 3 straight games and given up 6, 6, and 4 goals in them. The Rangers are great at applying pressure, and Kreider has made a career off of wreaking havoc in front of the net. He doesn’t need much room to operate and is great at collecting rebounds for put-back goals. With the way he is rolling, look for Kreider to extend his goal streak to 6 games.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers.
Jacob Markstrom under 25.5 saves (-110)
Line available at FanDuel at time of publishing
The second prop that I like for tonight’s slate is Jacob Markstrom under 25.5 saves. Markstrom is putting together a strong season in Calgary, and he has the 7th-best save percentage in the league at .924. However, his opponent tonight, the St. Louis Blues, may not have a ton of offensive juice going into this matchup. The Blues played last night in Vancouver against the Canucks, and while they won 3-1, they put only 17 shots on goal. On the season, St. Louis is fairly middle-of-the-pack when it comes to shots per game (16th, 31.3), but it’s tough to see them pushing the pace offensively if they are dealing with some tired legs after last night’s game. In addition, Calgary is one of the stingiest defensive teams in the league. The Flames are giving up the 4th-fewest goals per game (2.58), and the 8th-fewest shots per game (30.1). St. Louis could have a lower shot total tonight against Calgary’s tough defensive unit, which makes the under on Markstrom’s save total the play.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for St. Louis Blues vs Calgary Flames.
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