There are nine games tonight, we’re going to take a deeper dive into two of the matchups and choose two player props we think will provide good value and will have a great chance of hitting. Games are starting at 12:30 pm ET and the final game of the night starts at 10:30 pm ET.
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Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (-105)
One of the main keys to Nathan MacKinnon’s game is that he likes to get the puck on the net, early and often. He will shoot the puck any chance he gets. MacKinnon has been held off the score sheet in his last two games played and has not recorded a goal in his last three. I expect he will come out flying on Saturday looking to put an end to those two streaks. There will be some extra motivation on the line as he is facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his hometown rival Sidney Crosby. One thing about MacKinnon is that he always shows up in big games. Expect a big offensive performance from him. MacKinnon is ranked seventh in the NHL in shots on goal, despite having more than 10 fewer games played than other players ranked inside the top 10. He is averaging 4.67 shots on goal per game, which gives me a lot of confidence in him hitting the 4.5 shot total in this game. For a player of his caliber to have been held off the score sheet in his last two games, I expect a big game out of him that includes a lot of shots on goal. For almost double your money odds, we are getting a shot total that is lower than his season average. This is almost an auto-bet. Take MacKinnon to record over 4.5 shots.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche
Auston Matthews over 0.5 goals (-133)
Auston Matthews is one of, if not the greatest goal-scorer in the NHL right now. In his last game, he reached the 50-goal milestone for the first time in his young career. On top of this, he is right in the thick of the Rocket Richard Trophy race. It is safe to say he will be extra motivated to continue scoring goals in his remaining games this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, and the Flyers are among the worst defensive teams in the NHL. They are allowing an average of 3.48 goals against per game. They also allow the sixth most shots against per game. The Leafs, and Auston himself, will have no shortage of scoring chances in this game. Matthews is riding an extremely hot goal-scoring streak, he has goals in 10 of his last 11 games played and 13 goals over that 11-game span. The Flyers defense will not be able to handle the dynamic duo of Matthews and Mitch Marner, expect them to have a field day in the offensive zone tonight against the Flyers. We have tailed this bet his last two games and both have cashed. Take Matthews to score–again.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Philadelphia Flyers
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