Our list of NHL props from Tuesday saw moderate success, but the big hit was on Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov scoring his first goal of the season, an overtime game-winner against the Ottawa Senators.
We’ve got another big slate of NHL games Thursday, with 18 teams in action across nine games from coast to coast. Here are our five favorite NHL props from what figures to be another thrilling night on the ice.
All odds from FanDuel Sportsbook updated 2:3 p.m. EDT Nov. 4.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Prop: 2.5 Total Team Goals in Regulation (at Toronto)
The Odds: Over -118/Under 2.5 -106
The Lightning have been among the league’s top-scoring clubs for the past five seasons. Even without injured sharpshooter Nikita Kucherov (who has tallied between 29 and 41 goals in each of his six full NHL seasons), Tampa Bay still averages 3.22 goals (10th best in the league) and 31.6 shots per game. The Bolts also have put the puck in the net at least three times in each of their past three contests.
On the other hand, the Maple Leafs’ defense has been porous this season, giving up three goals or more in four of their past six games. While they did shut out the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Vegas was missing four of its top six scoring forwards from last season.
Look for the ‘Ning to light the lamp several times tonight.
Detroit Red Wings
The Prop: 1.5 Total Team Goals in Regulation (at Boston)
The Odds: Over -180/Under +140
The Red Wings will be without center Dylan Larkin (personal reasons) for the second straight game, which is a huge blow considering how much Detroit’s offense flows through the talented 25-year-old.
In eight games, Larkin is tied for second on the team in points with eight (five goals, three assists), while also posting a plus-5. Making things more difficult for the Red Wings is that Boston is solid defensively, holding five of the last six opponents to three goals or fewer.
All that said, taking the Red Wings Over 1.5 goals is the right play here. Jeremy Swayman is confirmed as the Bruins’ starting goal, and he’s been below-average so far with a 2.71 goals-against average and .893 save percentage.
Even though Larkin is out, Detroit has two young guns in Moritz Seider (eight points) and Lucas Raymond (nine points) ready to pick up the scoring slack.
Washington Capitals At Florida Panthers
The Prop: First Period Result
The Odds: Washington Capitals +210/Tie +190/Florida Panthers +146
The Capitals have tallied 11 first-period goals in nine games this season, and they are 6-2-1 in the opening 20 minutes. That record matches Edmonton for best in the league. The Caps are also 3-for-3 in the first period in road games, outscoring their hosts by an impressive 7-1 margin.
Then again, Florida has scored eight first-period goals in its nine games and is 4-1-4 in the first period (including 2-0-3 at home). Might be worth rolling the dice on “tie” in this clash.
Buffalo Sabres
The Prop: 2.5 Total Team Goals in Regulation (at Seattle)
The Odds: Over 2.5 +120/Under 2.5 -154
Sportsbooks have yet to truly buy into what the Sabres are doing this season, but with the Jack Eichel saga finally over in Buffalo, the team is set to move forward with their rebuild.
On Thursday night in Seattle, Buffalo’s shooters will be taking aim at Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. The former Avalanche netminder and Vezina Trophy finalist has been better of late, yielding two goals or fewer in each of his last three starts. However, Grubauer is still sporting a subpar .896 save percentage for this season.
If Buffalo matches its pace of 31 shots per game in this one, it would be on track to score three goals, which is exactly what the Sabres are averaging for the season.
St. Louis Blues At San Jose Sharks
The Prop: First Period Result
The Odds: St. Louis Blues +158/Tie +180/San Jose Sharks +205
In their combined 17 games this season, the Sharks and Blues have 11 total goals in the first period (six for San Jose, five for St. Louis). St. Louis has been better about keeping opponents off the scoreboard early on (just four first-period goals allowed), while San Jose has surrendered eight.
Both teams rank near the bottom in terms of first-period “victories,” each posting only two. The main difference: The Blues (2-1-5) more often than not have headed into the locker room tied after 20 minutes, while the Sharks (2-5-2) are usually trailing.
Like Capitals-Panthers, taking a shot with “tie” at solid plus-money odds makes a lot of sense in this one.
