NHL Playoff Prop Bet Picks: Tuesday the 18th
The NHL Playoffs have begun, which means every game matters on the way to winning the Stanley Cup.
This past month has not been great for prop bets, or daily fantasy, as it seems many NHL teams were on autopilot after clinching a post-season ticket. But last night, the first night of the hockey postseason is a great example of why this is an excellent time of year to play Underdog Fantasy or DFS.
Two of the four games on opening night went to overtime, allowing a lot of players additional time to hit their prop totals. Here is one that I won last night.
Overtime in hockey is a great way to win prop bets, however, you don’t need OT to get the job done. The first game between the New York Islanders and Carolina Panthers had a combined 63 shots. Which is well above the average for both of these teams. However, there were some surprises on opening night, in the Bruins / Panthers game, a matchup that had a lot of offensive talent, many of the big stars didn’t reach their prop bet overs. Pastrnak, Tkachuk, and a few other snipers did not hit their totals. It was a tight game, let’s hope it opens up for game two.
Tuesday Night Prop Bets
- Mika Zibanejad Over 2.5 Shots
- Chris Kreider Over 2 Shots
- Vincent Trocheck Over 2 Shots
The Rangers are an interesting team. Before the trade deadline, I thought the Rangers were the only team in the East that had a chance to compete with the Bruins. They added Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the trade deadline and seemed like an offensive juggernaut. However, they haven’t played like that. The team has struggled to gel and my concern heading into the postseason is they have too many cooks in the kitchen. That being said, their point totals for shots tonight are surprisingly low, to the point I have to take a chance on them.
- Jack Hughes Over 4 Shots
- Nico Hischier Over 2.5 Shots
As for the Devils, their offense revolves around a handful of players, namely Jack Hughes. 4 shots seem like a lot, but this guy is always shooting the puck and should end the night with at least 4 shots on the net.
- Steven Stamkos Over 2.5 Shots
- Brayden Point Over 2.5 Shots
The Lightning are in a similar situation as the Rangers, however, their lack of offensive production seems more to do with burnout. After three years of going to the Stanley Cup Finals you get the sense this team could use a vacation. The fight is still there, but March and April seemed long for them. The Bolts have been here before and I feel their patience was running thin during the final 20 games of the regular season.
Both Stamkos and Point’s shot totals are too low despite their struggles as of late. I think the Lightning kick things up a notch versus the Leafs in game one.
- Avoiding Leaf Players
The shot totals for Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares seem high. I’m not interested in taking their unders, I’m just going to avoid them altogether.
- Jared McCann Over 3 Shots
The Seattle Kraken are a very balanced team. They find offensive production from all four lines, however, Jared McCann had 40 goals in the regular season and will be asked to take lead as best he can. I expect he’ll be shooting a lot tonight.
- Nathan MacKinnon Over 0.5 Goals
- Mikko Rantanen Over 3.5 Shots
The Stanley Cup champions didn’t have the season they had planned for. With a number of nagging injuries the season had its highs and lows. But that’s all in the past. The Playoffs for the Avalanche start tonight and they are motivated to silence the doubters and prove they’re the best in the West.
I’m avoiding the Golden Knights and Jets for game one, I’m not sure what to expect. I want to watch them first.
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