There are four games on the ice Friday, October 11, and my trio of NHL player props are the perfect start to the weekend.
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy rising to the occasion against the Carolina Hurricanes headlines my top NHL picks, while quiet nights from Philipp Kurashev and Brayden Schenn round out the card.
NHL prop picks and best bets for October 11
- Andrei Vasilevskiy Over 29.5 saves (-115 at DraftKings)
- Philipp Kurashev Under 0.5 points (-110 at BetMGM)
- Brayden Schenn Under 0.5 points (-145 at BetMGM)
Picks made on 10-11 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: Andrei Vasilevskiy Over 29.5 saves
The Carolina Hurricanes ranked third in shots (33.78) and second in attempts (72.22) per 60 minutes on home ice last season, and I anticipate more of the same to start the year.
Carolina was also a possession hog with a top-ranked 61.1 Corsi For percentage at the Lenovo Center in 2023-24, and the Tampa Bay Lightning posted a 49.7% mark on the highway. It positions Andrei Vasilevskiy to see a lot of rubber tonight.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion is also set for statistical correction this year. Vasilevskiy missed nearly two months of action to start last season following back surgery, so expect a traditional offseason to pave the way to improved numbers.
Vasilevskiy dropped to a .900 SV% with 0.11 goals saved above average last year after posting respective .918 and 0.20 marks across 165 games over the prior three seasons, after all.
Prop bet #2: Philipp Kurashev Under 0.5 points
The Chicago Blackhawks have Philipp Kurashev centering the second line and skating with the No. 2 power-play unit to start the season. It means he isn’t jumping the boards with superstar Connor Bedard, and Kurashev’s numbers nosedived without Bedard as a linemate last year.
Kurashev and Bedard were on the ice for 2.2 goals per 60 at 5-on-5 and 9.56 per 60 with the man advantage, and Kurashev dropped to respective 1.09 and 2.07 marks without the prodigy.
Of course, the Winnipeg Jets are also a nightmare opponent. The Jets allowed the fewest goals per 60 at 5-on-5 last year, and they just put on a clinic during their 6-0 drubbing of the Stanley Cup favorite Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Prop bet #3: Brayden Schenn Under 0.5 points
There were seven St. Louis Blues forwards with more minutes than third-line center Brayden Schenn at 5-on-5 during Thursday’s 5-4 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks.
The eighth-year Blue did bury the game-winning goal and racked up seven shots, but I’m expecting him and the rest of the St. Louis roster to have a little more trouble against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight.
Vegas held the high-powered Colorado Avalanche to just 2.49 expected goals in its season opener, and the Golden Knights draw the Blues on the second leg of a back-to-back road set tonight.
Additionally, Schenn’s numbers dropped considerably last season when he wasn’t playing with either Robert Thomas or Jordan Kyrou, and that projects to be the case again Friday.
Thomas and Schenn were on the ice for 4.93 goals per 60 minutes across 121:48 of shared ice time at 5-on-5, while Schenn and Kyrou were good for 3.61 across 249:37. It was a different story without them as Schenn was on the ice for a replacement-level 1.75 goals per 60.
Today’s NHL games
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