It’s a busy Sunday in the NHL with 16 teams in action, including Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals as he continues pursuing the all-time goals record.
In my NHL picks for Sunday, March 9, I’ll look for goals from Ovechkin and Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, plus an assist from New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller.
NHL player prop bets today
Ovechkin anytime goal (+100 at bet365)
Johnston anytime goal (+230 at FanDuel)
Miller Over 0.5 assists (+102 at Pinnacle)
Best NHL player prop bets for March 9
Alex Ovechkin anytime goal (+100 at bet365)
The Gr8 Chase continues this afternoon for Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin as he’s just 10 goals back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
Despite his age, the Capitals captain continues to produce at an otherworldly rate with 0.68 goals per game this season, second in the NHL to only Leon Draisaitl (0.72).
Ovi has found the back of the net in two of his last four games and eight of his last 13 going back to late January, with 10 total tallies over that span.
The Capitals welcome the Seattle Kraken this afternoon, who sit well outside a playoff position due to their lackluster defense. Seattle is surrendering 3.20 goals per game this season, the 10th-worst mark in the NHL, and has averaged four goals against over its last six contests.
With help from Ovechkin, the Capitals own the NHL’s top offense at 3.60 GPG and should have free rein against a Kraken squad that ranks fourth-last in expected goals at 5-on-5 (44.86%).
Kraken starter Joey Daccord has also given up at least four goals in three of his last four games, which bodes well for Ovi’s chase of the record.
Wyatt Johnston anytime goal (+230 at FanDuel)
The Dallas Stars stole headlines at Friday’s trade deadline when they acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes, but don’t let that distract you from how dominant the team has been over the last month.
Dallas is 7-2-0 since February 8 and trails only the Tampa Bay Lightning (8-2-0) and St. Louis Blues (7-1-2) for the best record in the NHL over that span.
Wyatt Johnston has been one of the key cogs behind the Stars’ recent success with goals in five straight games and I’ll look for the streak to continue tonight vs. the Vancouver Canucks.
Since January 28, Johnston leads the NHL with 13 goals in 14 games. The 21-year-old has recorded two hat tricks over that span — including one last Sunday — and has found the back of the net in nine of those 14 contests.
The Canucks come into Sunday on a two-game winning streak but have not been a great defensive club this season. Vancouver just gave up a combined 11 goals to the lowly Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken last week, while the Canucks rank in the bottom half defensively at 3.00 goals-against per game this season.
J.T. Miller Over 0.5 assists (+102 at Pinnacle)
J.T. Miller has been through a lot of ups and downs this season but he’s certainly fit in well with the New York Rangers since being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks.
Since February 1, Miller ranks second on the Rangers with 15 points, trailing only Mika Zibanejad (16) for the team lead.
Since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, Miller has been particularly effective as a playmaker, picking up six assists in his last eight contests. That trend will continue tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Columbus occupies the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of New York, but the Blue Jackets have been quite porous defensively, allowing 3.29 per game this season — the seventh-worst mark in the league.
Likely starter Elvis Merzlikins has allowed at least four goals in three of his last five starts and 3+ goals in seven of nine. Miller has found the score sheet in seven of eight, so there’s a good chance he plays a role in the Rangers offense tonight.
Live NHL odds
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
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