Best NHL Prop Bets Today: Back the Oilers to Cover the Puck Line

With the Detroit Red Wings back line struggling to defend their net, the Edmonton Oilers star powered offense will have the opportunity to set a scoring pace too fast for them to keep up with. Before that takes place, the Minnesota Wild attempt to chip away at the Winnipeg Jets lead in the Central division standings with a favorable matchup against the lowly Montreal Canadiens.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers - Prop Bets (9:00 PM, EST)

Edmonton Oilers Puck Line -1.5

After winning their last three games in a row, the Edmonton Oilers now possess the highest point percentage in the Pacific division standings while tied for first with the Vegas Golden Knights. On Thursday night, the Oilers will have the opportunity to strengthen their position at the top of the board as they face off against the Detroit Red Wings who struggle to play at a competitive level on both sides of the ice.

Especially on defense as the Red Wings back line enters the contest ranked 24th overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations with an average of 3.22 Expected Goals Against per game. Their lack of coverage has put Cam Talbot in a tough spot as he is tasked with having to wall off an alarming amount of high quality Shots on Goal on a nightly basis. As of writing, the Red Wings starting goalie is ranked 34th in Goals Against per game with an average of 2.86.

On the other side of the ice, the Red Wings offense have recently hit their stride and have started to generate a higher amount of Expected Goals per game. Unfortunately for Detroit, negative regression looms large as they face off against an Oilers back line who ranks second overall in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. With Edmonton possessing clear advantages on both sides of the ice, back the Oilers to secure the win in regulation and cover the puck line in the process.

Connor McDavid Over 2.5 Shots on Goal

In a matchup that favors his fast style of play, McDavid will have the opportunity to relentlessly pressure the Red Wings net while weaving the puck through their underwhelming coverage. McDavid has excelled at creating high quality scoring opportunities this season as he currently averages 0.46 Expected Goals and 3.02 Shots on Goal per game. When alternate markets open up, escalator bet McDavid’s Shots on Goal prop by placing smaller wagers on his alternate overs.

Minnesota Wild vs. Montreal Canadiens - Prop Bets (7:00 PM, EST)

Montreal Canadiens Team Total Under 3

It was a dominant performance from the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night as their back line held the high powered Toronto Maple Leafs offense to just one goal in a 3-1 win. In the second half of a back-to-back, the Wild defense will have the opportunity to sustain their high level of play as they face off against a Montreal Canadiens offense who ranks 27th in Expected Goals For in All Situations.

Even with Filip Gustavsson expected to take the night off, the drop off in production to Marc-Andre Fleury is minimal as he rivals the starting goalie in average Goals Against per game and in Save Percentage. Minnesota’s coverage has helped both goalies play at a competitive level this season as the Wild back line ranks top-10 in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. No matter who gets the start in net, expect either goalie to put together a dominant performance while walling off the Canadiens low quality Shots on Goal.

Matt Boldy Anytime Goalscorer

Against Montreal, the Wild offense will have the opportunity to generate high quality Shots on Goal at a more consistent rate as they face off against a Canadiens defense who ranks near dead last in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. That bodes well for Matt Boldy as he is expected to receive an uptick in shot attempts while Kirill Kaprizov is recovering from surgery. With Boldy already excelling at creating high quality scoring opportunities, his higher volume will also increase his chances of scoring a goal.