Ryan Hodges
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Thursday night’s 11-game slate in the NHL delivered for fans. There were plenty of surprises, some of which were not so pleasant for a few fanbases. There is potential for a little bit more chaos on Friday as there are a few sub-.500 teams looking to repeat some upset performances from Thursday. There is a modest 6-game schedule in the NHL tonight that includes some intriguing matchups and plenty of value on the betting board. You can also find out our NHL predictions for today’s slate, but for now, let’s dive into my NHL prop bets.
Auston Matthews over 0.5 goals (+100)
The Maple Leafs are looking to get back on track as they find themselves in a current 1-3-2 run. Auston Matthews willed Toronto to a solid comeback overtime win on Monday with his third hat-trick of the season. You read that correctly. Through 13 games, Auston Matthews already has three hat-tricks. With that, he leads the NHL in goals with 13 so far. Getting +100 for a superstar with a goal-per-game average to score against a weaker team is solid value.
It looked like the Leafs would build on Monday’s performance and make a run. But they lost a dud on Wednesday. Now with a favorable matchup on Friday, look for Matthews to once again try to will the Leafs to another win to turn around this skid. The Leafs have 4 players who average over a point per game, including Matthews. They will play a 4-7-1 Flames team that has the 8th-worst goal prevention in the NHL. Toronto should be able to run up the score with Matthews being a key contributor.
Read our expert’s NHL mega parlay for tonight at +900 odds
Frank Vatrano over 0.5 points (+100)
The Ducks are a pleasant surprise this year. They were expected to be a bottom feeder once again but are off to a very solid 7-5-0 start. It remains to be seen whether their form is sustainable over 82 games. But for now, they are playing great and get what now looks to be a good matchup for them on Friday against the Flyers. If Anaheim can log another solid win, Frank Vatrano has a good chance to be part of the production.
In 12 games, Frank Vatrano has 9 goals and 3 assists for 12 points. He also has a +6 rating and 40 shots on goal, both of which lead the team. He has been a key driver behind the Ducks’ early-season success, including in the last game played between Philadelphia and Anaheim. The Ducks beat the Flyers a couple of weeks ago by a score of 7-4 in a game which Vatrano had a hat trick. The Ducks and Vatrano specifically have already proven to be a problem for the Flyers. They should be again on Friday.
