It's a fairly short NHL slate this Friday night with just three games to be played, but my NHL player props for October 18 believe there's a prime betting opportunity in each contest, starting with Hurricanes-Penguins throwdown and wrapping up with the Ducks-Avalanche clash out West.
Don't miss my NHL picks for tonight, starting with a Shayne Gostisbehere shots prop.
NHL prop picks and best bets for October 18
- Shayne Gostisbehere 3+ shots on goal (+170 at DraftKings)
- Mikael Granlund Under 0.5 points (+160 at bet365)
- Ross Colton Over 0.5 points (-130 at DraftKings)
Picks made on 10-18 at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: Shayne Gostisbehere 3+ shots on goal
The Carolina Hurricanes are jumping out on their first road trip of the season — a six-game endeavor that heads to the West Coast. This is a great spot for new players to settle in with their new teams, and Shayne Gostisbehere fits that narrative.
He is playing big minutes and on PP1 as well as driving a ton of the offense ranking second in ice-time share and second in shot attempts/60. Gostisbehere has put up three shots and six shots, respectively, over his first two games with the new club yet is still being priced as the player he was last season. The Hurricanes get a ton of offense from their blue line, and Gostisbehere is in a great spot with a great price to keep getting pucks on net.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off an emotional OT win on Wednesday where Evgeni Malkin scored his 500th goal and Sidney Crosby recorded point No. 1,600. This is a massive letdown spot for the Pens and a game I could see Carolina winning big with the help of Gostisbehere.
Prop bet #2: Mikael Granlund Under 0.5 points
The Winnipeg Jets have been off since Sunday and have given up just two goals over three games to start the season. The San Jose Sharks are on the second game of a back-to-back after losing in Chicago yesterday, and my NHL picks believe this traveling offense is going to be throttled tonight in Winnipeg.
The Sharks' implied team total today is around 1.7 with their team total of 1.5 paying +120 to the Under. It's also Connor Hellebuyck's 500th career NHL start, and he will be honored tonight in the building with the first 5,000 fans receiving a Hellebuyck pennant. He hasn't been announced as the starter at the time of writing, but it sure looks like a Helly start.
Mikael Granlund is a big part of the San Jose offense, centering the top line and PP1, but his Under 0.5 points at +160 is the best way to fade the Sharks' offense on Friday night. His Under 0.5 assists is +115 for those looking for a little less risk.
If you're really greedy, and you likely are, hitting the Toffoli/Granlund/Eklund line — all three Under 0.5 points — pays +450 at bet365.
Prop bet #3: Ross Colton Over 0.5 points
After a pair of decent plus-money plays, it's time to lay a little juice, but it will be well worth it. Ross Colton is going to be involved tonight in a Colorado Avalanche offense that is trying to make up for its issues in net. The Avs are 0-4 SU and 4-0 O/U with a 6.50 GAA to open the season. They need to score points tonight as the goaltending has been horrific.
Colton is riding shotgun with the big dogs in Colorado and has points in two of his last three, including a power-play play goal on Wednesday with four SOG. The Anaheim Ducks are rolling into town coming off a 5-4 OT win, and this is a spot where I could see the home team putting up five or six goals. There is such a lack of depth on the wing in Colorado because of injuries, and Colton will continue to see 19 to 20 minutes of ice time with elite linemates. I'd buy this to -145.
Today’s NHL games
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