Ryan Hodges
Show Bio
The middle of the week is quiet in the NHL in terms of the schedule, but there is plenty of buzz with the trade deadline fast approaching. There are just 3 games on tap tonight ahead of a massive 12-game slate on Thursday, which will be very telling ahead of Friday’s deadline. Tonight, there are 2 games on TNT and MAX. First is Sabres vs Maple Leafs followed by Red Wings vs Avalanche. We have a pick from each of those games as part of our best NHL player prop bets for today, and you can also find our NHL predictions for each of today’s games.
Auston Matthews, TOR, Over 0.5 goals (-120)
The Maple Leafs rank 2nd in the NHL in goals scored per game and they also have the 2nd-best power play in the NHL. Considering there are several great Toronto players on this team Auston Matthews is still the leader of this stellar offense and makes it what it is. Matthews’ 53 goals leads the NHL by 8 from the next-best scorer. This is the best scoring season of his now 8-year career. On any given night it feels like he can break a game open.
Against a remarkably high bar, Matthews has hit a bit of a slump considering he has 1 goal in his last 5 games. To put it into perspective, in the 5 games prior, he tallied 10 goals. Although this recent stretch is nothing to be concerned about, Matthews will want to break out again and get back on the board. Toronto and Buffalo have played twice this season in games that averaged 11.0 goals per game. In what could be another high-scoring game, look for Matthews to produce.
Read our full Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs predictions
Nathan MacKinnon, COL, Over 1.5 points (+105)
This game could have a playoff-style feel as both the Red Wings and Avalanche look very good lately. After winning 6 straight, Detroit has dropped their last 2 and will be pushing to get back in the win column. Colorado is in a battle for the Central Division and would very much like these 2 points. All of that goes to illustrate that this has the makings of a contentious, intense game that could go down to the wire. In games like that, Nathan MacKinnon thrives.
Nathan MacKinnon is tied for the league lead in points with 105 in 63 games played. He has been on an especially torrid pace in the last few weeks, as he has 20 points in his last 10 games played. Getting plus-money odds for him to continue that streak is decent value considering the ice time he will get, the players he plays with, and the potential script of this game being high-scoring.
