Best NHL Prop Bets Today: Stars Defense in a Position to Thrive

With the Vancouver Canucks front line struggling to generate high quality Shots on Goal, their offense may underwhelm on Friday night as they face off against a Dallas Stars defense who ranks top-3 in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Shortly after their puck drop, the Colorado Avalanche and their star studded offense look to get back in the win column with a favorable matchup against the St. Louis Blues.

Take a look at the latest live updated odds below. Click on any of the odds in the tables to head to your favorite sportsbook and place your bets.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars - Prop Bets (8:00 PM EST)

Vancouver Canucks Team Total Under 2.5

With the Colorado Avalanche hot on their tails, the Dallas Stars are in desperate need of sustaining their hot stretch of play to help hold them off in the Central division standings. Finishing in the top three in the division is vital as it secures you an auto berth in the playoffs while the bottom five have to compete with the rest of the Western Conference for one of the two wildcard spots.

Against Vancouver, the Dallas Stars defense will have the opportunity to keep a clean sheet as the Canucks front line struggles with generating high quality Shots on Goal. As of writing, the Canucks offense ranks 31st overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 2.64 Expected Goals per game. A majority of their offensive production stems from just four players, leaving the Canucks prone to prolonged scoring lulls when their playmakers fail to break through opposing back lines.

To make matters worse for Vancouver, Jake Oettinger has played at a very high level this season as the Stars goalie enters the contest averaging just 2.30 Goals Against per game and a .912 Save Percentage. With his back line smothering Vancouver’s shot attempts, Oettinger will be in a great position to sustain his high marks in net by consistently walling off their low quality Shots on Goal.

Roope Hintz Over 1.5 Shots on Goal

Even though the Canucks rank above league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations, their defense will be stretched out thin by the Stars versatile offense which creates shooting lanes for their forwards to exploit. That bodes well for Roope Hintz as he has excelled at creating high quality scoring opportunities this season as he averages 0.40 Expected Goals and 2.33 Shots on Goal per game. Should the market for this prop settle at 2.5 before you place a bet, then reduce the size of your wager.

St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche - Prop Bets (9:00 PM, EST)

Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5

Like the Canucks, the St. Louis Blues front line have also struggled with generating high quality Shots on Goal as their offense ranks 29th overall in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 2.72 Expected Goals per game. Their inability to pressure the net leaves them vulnerable to falling behind on the scoreboard while opposing offenses set a scoring pace too fast for them to keep up with.

That spells disaster against the Avs star studded front line as Colorado currently ranks in the top half of the board in Expected Goals For in All Situations. With seven players averaging over 0.25 Expected Goals per game, the Avs can stretch out their coverage and create high quality scoring opportunities for the full duration of the contest. Factor in Colorado’s defense grading out well in Expected Goals Against in All Situations and the Avs are in a great position to secure the win and cover the puck line.

Artturi Lehkonen Anytime Goalscorer

Since making his return from injury, Artturi Lehkonen has wasted no time in his efforts of rounding back into form as he averages 0.43 Expected Goals per game. Lehkonen benefits from playing in the same line as Nathan MacKinnon as the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner creates high quality shooting lanes for him to exploit while he blitzes through their coverage. For some Friday night fun, sprinkle a small wager on Lehkonen to be the first goal scorer as well.