Best NHL Prop Bets Today | NHL Player Props March 17

Carolina Hurricanes vs Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews O 4.5 Shots on Goal +115 (DraftKings)

There are only four games on today’s slate, so I do not have many choices of games to choose from. Our first prop bet involves Toronto Maple Leafs’ superstar Auston Matthews. Matthews is having another tremendous year and has been highly efficient this season. He has only been shooting the puck with ease and leads the Maple Leafs with shots on goal. Matthews will shoot at least five times today. Bet on the over.

Matthews has missed seven games this season with an injury but still has managed to lead the Maple Leafs in shots with 254. His average of 4.23 shots is extremely high and not many players in the NHL shoot more than that. 

Matthews has been shooting even more than usual lately. He shot five times in his previous game against the Colorado Avalanche and is averaging six shots per game over his last three matchups. He will face a tough Carolina Hurricanes team in this matchup, but it will not matter. Matthews shooting momentum from his previous three games will be enough for him to shoot five or six times today. Bet on the over.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Anaheim Ducks

Adam Boqvist U 0.5 Points -145 (DraftKings)

Our second prop bet of the day take us to Anaheim, CA, for a game between the Blue Jackets and Ducks. Both of these teams are rebuilding, so this will not be the most exciting game. However, there are some interesting prop bets for this matchup. This prop bet pertains to Columbus’ Adam Boqvist. Boqvist is a defenseman and having a quiet season for the Blue Jackets. He will not make such a large impact today and finish with zero points. Bet on the under.

There are a few reasons Boqvist will not get a point today. The main reason is he only has 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) on the season. He does not regularly produce on the offensive end and has gone without a point in his previous five games. The other reason is he does not play enough. The 32-year-old plays on Columbus’ third line and is on the ice for less than 18 minutes a game. That may sound like a lot to some, but it is not that much for a defenseman.  Columbus has a handful of defensemen averaging over 20 minutes a game on the ice. Simply put, Boqvist will not get a point because he is not offensively-minded and does not play enough. Bet on the under.

St. Louis Blues vs Washington Capitals

Dylan Strome U 1.5 Shots on Goal -110 (DraftKings)

We will travel across the country to Washington for our third prop bet of the day. This bet involves Washington’s Dylan Strome. Strome is having another solid season but is not shooting with great efficiency. He is more a passer and does not look to shoot every chance he gets. Strome will have one shot or less today. Bet on the under.

Strome is averaging 1.81 shots per game this season. That number may convince you to bet on the over, but I will explain why you should not. Strome has only shot the puck once in two of his previous three games. His average may be above 1.5, but he is not consistently shooting over 1.5 times per game. I will give you an example. The center shot twice in his previous game but once in his two games before that. That means he is due to shoot only once this game. Bet on the under.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Toronto Maple Leafs

Ilya Samsonov O 28.5 Saves -112 (FanDuel)

We have moved on to our goalie props section of the article. Our first goalie prop involves Maple Leafs’ star netminder Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov did not have a great season last year with the Washington Capitals but has rebounded this year with the Maple Leafs. He did not make the All-Star game but has cemented himself as a top ten netminder. Samsonov will have 29 or more saves today. Bet on the over.

Samsonov is tied for the tenth-highest save percentage in the NHL (.916). More importantly, he is coming off an excellent game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 26-year-old got the loss in a shootout but saved 28 of 29 shots in the process. Samsonov has proven he can rack up saves. The only question is, will the Hurricanes shoot enough?

The Hurricanes average 34.9 shots per game. Very few teams shoot more than Carolina. Even in losses, the Hurricanes easily put up 30 or more shots. They are facing a Maple Leafs team that allows almost 32 shots per game, so I expect them to shoot 32-34 times today. That will give Samsonov enough opportunities to have 29 saves. Bet on the over.

Buffalo Sabres vs Philadelphia Flyers

Carter Hart U 27.5 Saves -110 (DraftKings)

Our final prop bet involves a lesser known player named Carter Hart. Hart is the Flyers’ starting goaltender but is lesser known because he is younger and plays for a worse team. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance this season but must improve his overall game this offseason. He will finish with 27 saves or less. Bet on the under.

Hart comes into this game with a .906 save percentage and a 2.97 goal against average. Neither of those numbers are horrible, but they could also be much better. Hart will be facing a Buffalo Sabres team that usually shoots quite a bit. The Sabres average 32.2 shots per game, but their output has decreased lately. Buffalo only shot 27 times in their previous game and 29 times in their game before that. For a multitude of reasons, the Sabres are not shooting as much. I say this to illustrate why Hart will not have enough chances to get 28 or more saves. Bet on the under.