Devils cashing at +240. Columbus at +360. Nashville at +235. Ottawa at +200. Columbus again at +210. Montreal at +330. Forget about NHL props for a moment, this has been a ridiculous week on the league’s scoreboard — one that either made your bankroll bulletproof or ground you into dust, depending on the fervor with which you tend to jump on huge ‘dogs.
Small frozen puck bouncing violently over ice and off bodies. The havoc is a feature, not a bug. If you just decided to dartboard your way through today’s props trying to catch a big one, we couldn’t blame you.
But let’s see if maybe we can grab a night where things move a little more orderly, at least on the NHL props front.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook, and updated as of 10:30 a.m. ET.
Arizona Coyotes: RW Clayton Keller
The prop: 0.5 points (vs. Vegas)
The odds: Over -170/Under +140
Keller has recorded points in 13 of his last 15 games, but that’s not what’s interesting here. He had an assist on Arizona’s lone goal in the 7-1 beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Knights on Dec. 3, but that’s not what’s interesting either.
The Golden Knights have given up the third-most high-danger chances in the league, according to Natural Stat Trick, and are at No. 23 in high-danger goals allowed (tied with the Coyotes, incidentally). Backup Laurent Brossoit, forced into starter minutes with Robin Lehner’s injury, performed admirably against Colorado and Edmonton, but he’s given up 5, 4, and 4 since the calendar turned to 2022.
Keller’s line has generated 128 high-danger chances, second on the team. Individually, he ranks third with 34. The Over on this NHL prop pairs like a peaty Scotch after a giant ribeye with Keller anytime goalscorer (+200) and center Travis Boyd anytime goalscorer (+300, second on the team with 36 high-danger chances).
Columbus Blue Jackets Vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The prop: Time Of First Goal
The odds: Before 10 minutes -215/Minutes 10-60 +140/No goal +3500
You want to talk about the unsung heroes of Twitter? User PsuOtto keeps a running spreadsheet of goal totals, including a goal in the first 10 minutes.
The Blue Jackets are already scoring (or letting in) first-10 goals at a 68.6 percent clip, and that’s before they confirmed they’re starting Jean-Francois Berube (back in the league after a three-year absence and making his 27th career start).
Against Carolina.
It’s a juiced-up play, but it’s tilted to the “yes” for a reason.
Editor’s Note: New to NHL props? Check out our complete NHL Props Betting Guide to get up to speed!
St. Louis Blues: LW David Perron
The prop: 2.5 Shots On Goal
The odds: Over +140/Under -170
David Perron is a Blues legend. He has 251 career goals among 632 career points. But what he ain’t got this year is shots. Perron’s shooting percentage is at 10.8 percent, and if that holds it would be the 4th-lowest percentage of his career – and two of those years were when he got traded and had to deal with new systems; the third was as a 20-year-old still breaking in.
Perron has only eclipsed 2.5 shots twice in his last 10, seven of his last 20, and 15 times total this season. When it comes to Friday NHL props, there’s value on the Under. But before you hit up your most gullible friends for a loan, there’s a catch.
The Sabres are second to Columbus in shots against. Both those teams give up well more shots than even the Habs, and the Habs can get scored on while they’re still riding the team bus on the way to the rink. Against Detroit, Philly, Arizona, and Montreal – teams 3 through 6 in the shots-against Hall of Shame – Perron has registered five shots in five games, beating this prop just once.
Chicago Blackhawks: G Kevin Lankinen
The prop: 27.5 saves
The odds: Over -125/Under -105
It’s been a month since we’ve last seen Kevin Lankinen on ice for the Blackhawks, and Chicago is easing him into his return (injury to his blocker hand) by giving him a start against a Devils squad so woeful they just … buried the Pens with a six-goal outburst? Oh. Right. This is what we’re doing this week.
This year has been rough on the second-year netminder, who dealt with long COVID in December and January. The Devils aren’t anyone’s idea of the ‘90s Penguins teams, but they’ll put up enough pressure on a goalie who was only playing to an .889 save percentage before the injury.
Los Angeles Kings At Anaheim Ducks
The prop: Anaheim Team Total 2.5 Goals
The odds: Over -130/Under +110
The Kings have been sneaky-good at suppressing shots. Their Fenwick against in regulation (a measure of any unblocked shot attempts) is a league-leading 37.5 shots per game. But In the lone battle between the greater Los Angeles area’s two afterthought teams, the Ducks potted 5, and that was in the part of the year when netminder Jonathan Quick was playing well.
Since Thanksgiving, Quick has allowed fewer than three goals just seven times. Since Dec. 28, he’s faced fewer than 30 shots eight times and held opponents under three in only two of them.
