Steven Hall
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There are only 5 games on the NHL slate tonight, but they all look like fairly solid matchups overall. I’ve taken everything into consideration for these contests to come up with my favorite NHL player prop bets for today, which I’ll share below. I’m still on a solid run this season with an 8-2 prop record, so hopefully we can keep the momentum rolling. You can also check out our game analysis for each matchup by visiting our NHL predictions.
Erik Karlsson over 2.5 shots on goal (-130)
To start off our NHL prop picks, we’ll first be targeting the Minnesota Wild vs Pittsburgh Penguins contest. Both squads enter this matchup with a .500 record and will be looking to their stars to lift them to victory in this one. With that being said, we have to highlight Erik Karlsson. He may just be a defenseman with only 3 points this month, but that isn’t for a lack of effort. Karlsson has 3+ shots on goal in each of his last 4 games and 5 of his last 6. His TOI has also eclipsed the 25-minute mark in all but one game in December.
That just goes to show that he should have plenty of chances to put his stamp on this game, which includes shooting the puck. Minnesota is an average-at-best team defensively as well, which aids our case here. They allow an average of 3.2 goals (18th in NHL) and 30.4 shots (16th) per game. I like the Penguins to come out with a victory in this contest, and if they’re to do so, Karlsson should be getting off plenty of shots.
Matt Duchene over 0.5 points (-130)
Elsewhere, the Dallas Stars host the Seattle Kraken in what shapes up to be a one-sided affair tilted towards Dallas. Seattle has struggled mightily as of late, and much of that can be attributed to their lackluster play on defense (3.2 goals allowed per game, 18th in league). In fact, they’ve even given up 4+ goals in 3 of their last 4 games on the road. This opportunity is great for Stars players like Matt Duchene, who’s already had quite the month of December.
Duchene has recorded 7 total points in just 8 games this month, including a point in 3 straight contests and 5 of his last 6. It’s also worth noting that in Dallas’ 13 home games so far in this campaign, Duchene has posted a point in 10 of those. The Stars are rolling on offense right now and look like they’ll be one of the better offensive teams this season. Duchene should continue to be heavily involved, and at this kind of value, it’s a hard prop to pass up.
