With the NHL rolling out a 12-game slate, there are many different ways to get in on the action. After going 3-0 with my best bets last night, I'm heading the PrizePicks route tonight. Below I've listed my three favorite player props at the site, and this trio provides a 5/1 payout if you opt for the Power Play.
With the NHL rolling out a 12-game slate, there are many different ways to get in on the action. After going 3-0 with my best bets last night, I'm heading the PrizePicks route tonight. Below I've listed my three favorite player props at the site, and this trio provides a 5/1 payout if you opt for the Power Play.
Best NHL PrizePicks Player Projections
(Props courtesy of PrizePicks)
Adam Fox (D – NYR): More Than 0.5 Assists
Let's start in the Big Apple, where we have an intrastate showdown between the Sabres and the Rangers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from MSG in New York, NY.
I'm riding with New York's top defenseman, Adam Fox, to log an assist tonight on home ice. The D-man has nine points this year, each of which has been a helper. The analysis is pretty straightforward with this one in that we're attacking Buffalo's penalty-killing unit. The Sabres are just 24th on the PK, sitting at 73.81%. That's not a great recipe when you're tasked with slowing down the red-hot Rangers, who are sixth in the NHL on the man advantage (28.12%).
Five of Fox's nine points have come on the power play, and it's likely that this will be the case if he makes his way onto the scoresheet tonight. Fox played in two games against the Sabres last year and logged one assist in each contest. I think he'll keep that streak alive tonight.
JJ Peterka (RW – BUF): Less Than 0.5 Points
Keeping it in the same game, I'm also looking to fade Buffalo's JJ Peterka. Peterka is slotting in on the top line, playing alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. He's been productive to start the year, logging 11 points (6G, 5A) in 11 games. He's failed to make it on the scoresheet in four of those 11 contests, and I'll say he makes it 5/12 tonight.
This is nothing against Peterka, and all because of New York's stout defense and goaltending. The Rangers are undoubtedly the top defense in the NHL right now, leading the league in GAA (2.09) and SV% (.934), while sitting second on the penalty kill (92.31%). It will be tough sledding for Buffalo's offense, which is already ranked just 14th in scoring (3.2), so I'll fade Peterka in this spot.
Kirill Kaprizov (LW – MIN): More Than 3.5 SOG
The NHL action wraps up out west tonight as the Sharks go for their fifth win in six tries. They'll host the Wild in a Western Conference tilt, which gets underway at 10:30 p.m. ET from the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.
The Sharks are on a bit of a heater, as they're 4-1-0 over their last five games. However, they've been getting bombarded with shots this year, absorbing the league’s second-most of them (461). Only the Penguins (465) have faced more shots on goal. To put this into perspective, the third-highest team is the Ducks at 425 SOG/A, so there's a pretty large gap.
So, while this number for Kirill Kaprizov's SOG total is a bit lofty, I think it's worth a flier on the over. The star winger has eclipsed this total in four out of his 12 games this year. One of those games was against the Penguins, where he amassed seven SOG.
I really like this spot because San Jose has been getting great goaltending. If they can hold up and not let in too many easy ones, it should force Minnesota's offense to keep applying offensive pressure. We saw this in the Sharks last game, where they were peppered for 50 SOG in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Blue Jackets. Kaprizov is the top scorer in Minnesota's organization, and I expect him to rip pucks on the net all night tonight.
