We have a full day of NHL playoffs ahead of us Sunday as the puck is set to drop on the opener for three series, including a highly anticipated Battle of Ontario.
Let’s break down a few plays that pop off the page with my NHL picks for April 20.
NHL player prop bets today
Nylander Over 2.5 shots (-128 at SportsInteraction)
Eichel Over 2.5 shots (-139 at SportsInteraction)- Theodore Over 0.5 points (+100 at SportsInteraction)
Best NHL player prop bets for April 20
William Nylander Over 2.5 shots (-128 at SportsInteraction)
William Nylander is a much more productive shot-generator on home soil. He averaged 3.7 shots per game in Toronto and cleared his line at an impressive 73% clip. Those outputs are a stark contrast to what he managed on the road, averaging 2.4 shots and managing a 44% hit rate.
His regular-season success carried over to his games against the Ottawa Senators, as he recorded 12 shots on target over three matchups, with at least three in each game. The Senators allowed the seventh-most shots to wingers over their final 10 games of the regular season and conceded 29+ shots in eight of those games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should test Linus Ullmark quite frequently in the series opener, and several of them should come off the stick of Nylander.
Jack Eichel Over 2.5 shots (-139 at SportsInteraction)
We saw a big uptick in Jack Eichel’s shot volume during the playoffs last season. He averaged 5.7 shot attempts in the regular season and saw that number soar to 7.4 in the first round against Dallas. He played an extra couple of minutes per night and had more shooting opportunities with the spike in usage.
I’m expecting a similar outcome again this year. The Vegas Golden Knights rested Eichel in multiple games down the stretch, giving him time to heal bumps/bruises and recharge the batteries so he’s ready for a hefty workload when the games matter most.
Eichel has a great track record against the Minnesota Wild as well, clearing 2.5 shots in six of the past eight meetings while averaging 3.6 shots on target along the way. The Wild were a Bottom-10 team at limiting shots to centers this year, so the positional matchup is strong.
Shea Theodore Over 0.5 points (+100 at SportsInteraction)
Shea Theodore had a career season for the Golden Knights. He set a new high with 57 points in just 67 games, good for a near 70-point pace over a full 82-game schedule.
He hit the scoresheet in 52% of his games on the season and 65% of Vegas’ winning efforts. That's worth mentioning as the Golden Knights were dominant at home during the regular season (29-9-3) and are flirting with being -200 favorites in the series opener.
The Wild gave up a ton of offense to defensemen all year long, and Theodore was able to take advantage, recording five points over three head-to-head meetings. Expect another productive offensive showing from the star blueliner this time around.
Live NHL odds
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
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