Best NHL Prop Bets Today: Detroit’s Playoff Hopes Hinge on Their Defense

With Detroit’s back line giving their goaltending minimal support with their lackluster coverage, the Carolina Hurricanes offense are in a great position to consistently create high quality scoring opportunities. At the same time as their puck drop, we also target the matchup between Chicago and Washington as the Capitals backup goalie Charlie Lindgren faces off against a Blackhawks offense who ranks dead last in Expected Goals For in All Situations.

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Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings - Prop Bets (7:00 PM, EST)

Carolina Hurricanes Team Total Over 3.5 (+100) at BetMGM Sportsbook

Time is quickly running out for the Detroit Red Wings in their efforts of competing for the Stanley Cup as they are currently four points behind Montreal in the Eastern Conference wildcard standings for the last wildcard spot in the playoffs. With less than ten games remaining in the regular season, the Red Wings room for error is nonexistent as four other teams are all within five points of each other.

Worse yet for Detroit, their back line has struggled to give them the production they need to be a well rounded unit to help limit the amount of variance in their contest as their defense ranks 25th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Their lack of coverage hampers their goalies ability to play at a competitive level as they are forced to wall off a high amount of Shots on Goal on a nightly basis. As of writing, every goalie on Detroit’s roster ranks in the bottom half of the board in average Goals Against per game.

Their lack of coverage will be on full display against Carolina as they face off against a Hurricanes offense who currently leads the league in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 3.62 Expected Goals per game. Especially with the Hurricanes offense excelling at maximizing the quality of their shot attempts as their top four scorers all average over 0.25 Expected Goals and 2.50 Shots on Goal per game. Expect Carolina’s offense to consistently pressure the Red Wings net and light up the scoreboard.

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Seth Jarvis Anytime Goalscorer (+175) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Since being moved to the same line as Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis has generated a higher amount of Expected Goals by consistently exploiting the gaps in coverage his linemate provides. With Aho pulling defensive attention away from him, Jarvis has been able to create higher quality shot attempts which increases his chances of scoring. Against Detroit, expect Jarvis to continue to generate high quality Shots on Goal as their lack of coverage will provide him with wider shooting lanes in front of their net.

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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Washington Capitals - Prop Bets (7:00 PM, EST)

Chicago Blackhawks Team Total Under 2.5 (-175) at BetMGM Sportsbook

Since the start of the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks front line have been the worst unit in the league as they comfortably rank dead last in Expected Goals For in All Situations with an average of 2.46 Expected Goals per game. Their lack of versatility hurts their chances of opening up space for their forwards to create high quality Shots on Goal, leaving them prone to prolonged scoring lulls. Other than Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato, no one on Chicago averages more than 0.25 Expected Goals per game.

Against Washington, Chicago’s struggles on offense are poised to persist as they face off against a Capitals back line who ranks above league average in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. Even with their starting goalie Logan Thompson out with an injury, Charlie Lindgren is more than capable of walling off the Blackhawks low quality shot attempts as the Capitals goalie ranks top-20 in average Goals Against per game. If Chicago’s team total drops down to a flat two, then reduce the size of your wager.

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Alexander Ovechkin Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-148) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Over the past few games, Alexander Ovechkin has seen his average number of Shots on Goal rise as his teammates continue to feed him the puck in an attempt to break Wayne Gretzky’s career goal scoring record. Against Chicago, Ovechkin will have the opportunity to consistently pressure their net as the Blackhawks rank 26th in Expected Goals Against in All Situations. By generating more shot attempts, Ovechkin will be in a great position to clear the over on his Shots on Goal prop.

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