NHL Best Bets & Player Props (2/21/23): Tage Thompson, Brayden Point & More!
It is so hard to believe we are within two weeks of the NHL trade deadline and already some of the biggest names on the free agent market have been moved. This is definitely the time of year when teams are flipping over their hand at the table, showing us where they really stand for the current season and to some extent, the future as well. One very cool unprecedented thing I’m seeing on Twitter I like a lot right now is how teams are being more honest about players being scratched for possible trade reasons. In the past, they’d avoid coming out and saying it, but for now, we can thank the Coyotes for starting this trend with their tweets about Chychrun, a big trade deadline target on the blue line. I argue I like this, because, the NHL has stated they want to make it an excellent betting product, and this is certainly one way to help with that.
As far as tonight goes, we have nine games with only two back-to-backs as the Ducks will head on to Tampa from Sunrise and an overtime loss to the Panthers and the Flyers will move on to Edmonton after a 4-3 win yesterday in Calgary.
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NHL Game Lines To Target
Edmonton Oilers -1.5 Versus Philadelphia Flyers -115
I’ll preface this by saying I don’t normally take teams on the puck line at minus-money, but this spot certainly warrants it. This is a bad schedule spot for Philadelphia, as they’ll also end their road trip tonight in Edmonton. On the other hand, the Oilers return home after another very tough loss after building an early lead, this time to Colorado. To make matters even worse here for the Flyers, leading scorer Travis Konecny’s status figures to be in doubt as he sustained an injury during the second period yesterday and did not return. I’d argue despite a disturbing pattern recently of building leads only to letting teams come from behind, the Oilers have been playing very well, so I was completely fine taking this puck line.
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators Over 6.5 Total Goals -120
Back to one of my favorite and most profitable wells of this season. I anticipate this will have some juice and may hit a seven, so the sooner the better to lock this one in if you do agree with me. The Canucks’ last five games all have gone over this mark, and the Predators have gone over the total in three of their last five. In addition, the Predators have allowed three or more goals in four of the last five. The Canucks have scored two or more goals in all but one of their last five games, including 10 in the last two games. I am fine laying the juice with this one even If it goes to -135 or so as I fully expect it to. If you find yourself late to getting this wager, I’d then look at a first period over total possibly or a sprinkle over seven, but it is hard to predict which may offer you more value at this moment writing this.
Buffalo Sabres Money line +145 Versus Toronto
Sure, the Leafs have all the shiny pieces already before we inch closer to the trade deadline, namely acquiring Ryan O’Reilly. However, in the most recent stretch of games, Toronto has not been tested as they’ve played the Blackhawks and Bluejackets twice along with Montreal. The Sabres are trying to make a push to make the playoffs for the first time in a very long time, and their top line is absolutely on fire right now. As a team, they’ve put in 11 goals in their last two games. I’m seeing this line opened at +136 and is now sitting around +145 at most books. I’m fine taking the Sabres tonight at these odds, or monitoring this line and seeing if you can get even better odds closer to puck drop, closer to +150 or better.
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NHL Player Props To Target
Tage Thompson Over 3.5 Shots on Goal Versus Toronto +105
Although the Leafs have been slowly and steadily improving defensively over the last two seasons as I would argue for them, Tage continues to smash these overs with his shooting prowess. The other reason I’m taking him here is the matchup is not as bad as Toronto has trended downward over the last 10-20 games defensively and we are finding this at plus money, so I am in.
Brayden Point Over 3.5 Shots on Goal Versus Anaheim +128
I will preface this by saying I wish we had a 2.5, but I certainly understand it against these Ducks, who allow a league-worst number of shots to centers, both for the season and in the last recent stretch of games as well. Although it is the first game back home off the loss at Vegas, I like how this sets up for Point to register four or more shots tonight, with his usual top line and power play role plus I’m sure that last one against Vegas left a bad taste in their mouths they’d surely like to get washed out. There is not really a better team to do that against than Anaheim, so I’m locking this one in. I also can certainly advocate for locking in Stamkos, Kucherov, and perhaps even a Hedman as Anaheim is woefully bad in allowing shots against all positions. For that reason, Point and most of his teammates who correlate with him are firmly in play here.
Jack Eichel Over 3.5 Shots on Goal at Chicago +105
This one is very straightforward. Up against one of the worst teams in the league who concedes among the most shots per game to all positions, I really like this spot for Eichel tonight. He projects for four shots in our free daily projections tool also. Although Chicago has played a little bit better as of late, coming off a big unexpected win against the Leafs, I’d expect this to be more of an obvious back-to-earth spot for them and Eichel to have a hand in it as well.
You can find me on Twitter @DanH720. Follows are very appreciated and DM’s are welcome. Good luck tonight!
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