The final four “Game 1’s” of the Stanley Cup playoffs first round takes place Tuesday night with some great angles to attack in the prop bets market. Below, I give my three best NHL player prop bets for Tuesday.
As a reminder, I am playing all player props for a half-unit each during the playoffs. Follow me on Twitter to get all of my plays on days without full write-ups.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Bet $10, Win $200 if Either Team Scores a Goal >>
Mikael Granlund Over 0.5 Points (-110)
After securing the first wild card seed in the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators get the honor of playing the star-studded Colorado Avalanche in the first round. While many are counting out Nashville before the series even starts, I believe they will put up a fight.
Centering a line between two 80-point scorers, Mikael Granlund has been on a tear recently. Over his final four games of the regular season, Granlund accumulated nine points.
Granlund should be able to keep it going as the Predators will depend on this first line for the majority of their scoring all series. Recording a point in all three games against Colorado this season, these odds are just too short for Granlund to notch at least one point.
Adam Fox Over 0.5 Assists (+100)
This Metropolitan Division playoffs series is set to get underway as the two-seed New York Rangers host the three-seed Pittsburgh Penguins. With starting goaltender Tristan Jarry out for the Penguins, this game should be a good opportunity for the Rangers to rack up some points.
Due to Jarry’s injury, backup goaltender Casey DeSmith will get the start between the pipes for Pittsburgh and should be a good fade candidate in this game. This season, DeSmith would rank just 19th amongst starting goaltenders in five-on-five goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx).
The Rangers’ second-leading assist leader, Adam Fox, should be able to collect at least one apple in this matchup as he enters this game in terrific form. Fox has recorded six assists over his last six games, boasting a +6 rating over that stretch.
Matthew Tkachuk Over 0.5 Assists (+120)
As the Western Conference Champions, the Calgary Flames will host the Dallas Stars in the first round as they were the last team in. Calgary is a heavy favorite not only in Game 1 but also for the series, as Dallas will most likely not be able to keep up with the Flames’ firepower.
While Calgary boasts one of the deeper lineups in the league, their first line has been unstoppable this year as Johnny Gaudreau/Elias Lindholm/Matthew Tkachuk have combined for an astonishing 301 points during the regular season. All three of these guys have reached at least 40 goals this year, and the line should be able to generate at least one goal in this matchup.
If this line is to score, I like Tkachuk to grab an assist at plus money. Tkachuk has racked up seven assists over his final eight games of the regular season and has 34 assists over 41 home games this year.
Best of luck!
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section - including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners - or head to more advanced strategy - like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread - to learn more.
Tony Sartori is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tony, check out his archive and follow him @tony_sartori.