There is a trio of games on the ice tonight, and our top NHL player props have you covered for all three.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews headlines my top NHL picks in his visit to the Big Apple to face the New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin wraps up the recommendations in the nightcap against the Minnesota Wild on Friday, February 28.
NHL prop picks and best bets for February 28
Auston Matthews anytime goalscorer (+130 at FanDuel)
Kevin Fiala Over 2.5 shots on goal (-120 at DraftKings)
Valeri Nichushkin Over 2.5 shots on goal (+114 at FanDuel)
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Auston Matthews anytime goalscorer (+130 at FanDuel)
It’s been a tough goal-scoring stretch for Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, and he’s only found the back of the net once through his past nine games — and that was an empty-net tally.
Matthews sports an unsustainably low 2.7 shooting percentage during the drought, and he’s been dangerous with a team-high 5.95 individual expected goals and 13 individual high-danger scoring chances.
The New York Rangers check out as a neutral matchup, too. They’ve allowed a healthy 3.1 goals per game and the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes (2.78) at 5-on-5.
Kevin Fiala Over 2.5 shots on goal (-120 at DraftKings)
The Dallas Stars are missing No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee), and they’ve allowed 31.3 shots per game while allowing 65.7 attempts per 60 minutes without him. With the star blueliner, Dallas was allowing just 26.6 shots per game and 55.6 attempts per 60 minutes.
It’s a huge gap, and as a result, I’m backing Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala in the shots market. He’s recorded three or more in six of his past seven games and leads the Kings in both shots and attempts per 60 minutes for the season.
I also value Fiala sporting a tidy 56.5 Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 while pacing the Kings in power-play ice time and attempts per 60 minutes with the man advantage.
Valeri Nichushkin Over 2.5 shots on goal (+114 at FanDuel)
The Colorado Avalanche received a boost with winger Valeri Nichushkin returning to the lineup Wednesday, and he slotted in on the second line and recorded five shots on eight attempts.
Skating with Casey Mittelstadt and Jonathan Drouin should be a good fit for Nichushkin, and he checks out as primary shooter of the three with his 8.97 shots and 16.54 attempts per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, doubling both Mittelstadt and Drouin’s marks.
This is also a cushy matchup with the Minnesota Wild playing their second road game in consecutive nights after losing 6-1 to the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday, and the Wild have allowed the sixth-most attempts per 60 minutes (63.93) on the highway.
NHL odds today
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
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