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Betting Breakdown: Player Props and Popular Teams to Watch Saturday Night in the NHL
Just when it seemed Leon Draisaitl was poised to claim his second Hart Trophy, the injury bug hit Edmonton. Can Nathan MacKinnon improve his case for the Hart tonight in Montreal? We'll explore that and dive into some player props to keep an eye on Saturday night in the NHL.
By Luke Bellus
Just when it seemed Leon Draisaitl was poised to claim his second Hart Trophy, the injury bug hit Edmonton.
Draisaitl suffered an undisclosed injury during the Oilers’ 7-1 victory over Utah on Tuesday and sat out Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, triggering significant shifts in betting odds.
Entering Thursday, the German forward was listed at -163 on FanDuel to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award, an implied probability of 61.9 per cent.
But as Saturday’s packed NHL slate approaches, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has emerged as the new Hart Trophy favourite at -175.
Hellebuyck has all but locked up the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, sitting at -20000 to secure his third career win. He’d be the first netminder since Martin Brodeur to reach that mark, joining an elite group—Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek—as the only goalies with three or more Vezinas since 1981.
The last goaltender to win the Hart Trophy was Carey Price in 2014-15. Since 2000, only one other goalie, Jose Theodore, has achieved the feat.
With Hellebuyck and the Jets idle Saturday, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon has a prime opportunity to bolster his Hart case against the Montreal Canadiens. In 18 career games versus Montreal, MacKinnon has seven goals and 17 points. He’s +124 to score Saturday night and +120 to notch at least two points.
We don’t know who will win the Hart this year, but we do know we have some player props for Saturday night to attack, so let’s do just that and look at the latest in our coin-flipping game show: The Public vs. The Coin.
PLAYER PROPS TO MONITOR
This column has tracked 61 props so far, posting a 36-24-1 record, including a 17-6-1 stretch over the past seven weeks.
PLAYER PROPS TO MONITOR
| Player | Prop | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Schmaltz | U 0.5 Points | +114 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | U 2.5 Shots on Goal | -120 |
| Ross Colton | O 1.5 Shots on Goal | -118 |
Nick Schmaltz has failed to exceed 0.5 points in four of his last five games against top 10 defences for assists allowed. The Tampa Bay Lightning are second in the NHL, allowing 4.1 assists per game.
Carter Verhaeghe has failed to exceed 2.5 shots on goal in five of his last six games against top 10 defences for shots on goal allowed. The Washington Capitals enter Saturday ninth in the NHL, allowing 27.1 shots per game.
Ross Colton has at least two shots on goal in five of his last six games against bottom 10 defences for shots allowed. The Montreal Canadiens rank 23rd in the NHL this season, allowing 28.9 shots per game.
Most Public Sides
Most Public Sides
| Away | Home | Popular Side |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Nashville Predators | Maple Leafs -162 |
| Seattle Kraken | Edmonton Oilers | Oilers -156 |
| Boston Bruins | San Jose Sharks | Bruins -128 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Utah Hockey Club | Lightning -113 |
| Detroit Red Wings | Vegas Golden Knights | Golden Knights -210 |
Public vs. Coin
Time is ticking for the coin to mount a comeback.
The public holds a six-game edge, sitting at 27-25, while the coin lags at 21-32. Both went 2-1 last week, leaving the gap unchanged with just four Saturdays left in the NHL regular season.
The coin needs a hot streak—and some luck—to close the distance. Here’s what it’s picking this week:
Coin Picks: Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, Boston Bruins