Best NHL prop bets for today, 3/17 - Johnny Gaudreau jacks up the Ducks

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau
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Mark Lammey

NHL

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I've been a capper since my love for sports met my proficiency with numbers and math. The NFL and NCAAF have always been my first loves, followed by the NHL. Although I prefer sports that involve hitting people, I still love capping MLB, soccer, tennis, and even some esports. Living in Florida has its perks like year-round sports of any kind.

As we head into a huge weekend, we have a small Friday night NHL slate of 4 games. The plays we mention as other considerations always seem to work out. So, we’d be remiss not to mention taking Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov to record an assist against a St. Louis Blues team that just allowed 8 goals. We targeted him Wednesday night, but he notched a goal instead. This is another good spot for him, but we made sure to provide you with 2 new, fresh plays in different matchups as well. Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.

You can bet on these NHL player props at DraftKings Sportsbook, and if you sign up right now, then you can bet $5 and instantly secure $200 in bonus bets! Head over to DraftKings now by clicking this link.

Johnny Gaudreau over 0.5 assists (-130)

Ironically enough, this exact play was our honorable mention when the Columbus Blue Jackets played on Tuesday. Gaudreau went on to have not only an assist, but 3 of them to go along with 2 goals for an incredible 5-point night. The Jackets haven’t had much to cheer for this season, but Johnny Hockey has been their bright spot. He has 62 points through 65 games, and 45 of them have been assists. Now he gets to face the incredibly bad defense of the Anaheim Ducks to pad his stats before Columbus’ season abruptly ends.

Gaudreau has feasted on the Ducks in his career as well. He’s had at least 1 assist in 6 straight games against them, with 3 of them being multiple-assist games. Going back even further, he’s had a helper in 9 of 10 matchups against them. As a former member of the Calgary Flames, he’s all too familiar with Anaheim. He voluntarily went to the Jackets in free agency this offseason to be closer to home. While it hasn’t worked out in terms of team wins, he should continue to show why he personally is still a superstar.

You can bet on our Johnny Gaudreau prop pick over at Bet365, where you can get $365 in bonus bets by betting just $1! Click here to sign up for the WORLD’S #1 SPORTSBOOK and take advantage of this can’t-miss offer.

Rasmus Dahlin over 0.5 points (-140)

This play is one that creates quite a bit of intrigue. Up until about a week ago, this was the price for Dahlin’s assist prop, while his overall point prop was either north of -215 or set at 1.5 points. A rough month of March has drastically moved those prices, and we’re here to capitalize. Before we dive further in, our other consideration was taking Buffalo Sabres teammate Jeff Skinner to notch an assist. We’re sticking with Dahlin for several reasons, including the fact that we’re greatly reducing risk with an overall point prop.

Again, there’s no denying he has not had a strong last couple of weeks. However, the fact remains that he has 63 points through 63 games (49 have been assists). Dahlin is also a defenseman, so he has plenty of ice time with the top line, which includes Tage Thompson and his incredible 87-point season thus far. It’s also important to note that Buffalo’s top line just got Alex Tuch back healthy. There’s truly no shortage of opportunities for Dahlin; his 25:41 minutes of ice time per game are the 4th-most in the NHL. Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is no pushover, but the team in front of him is. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Dahlin has had multiple points in 3 of his last 4 games against Philly. We only need 1 tonight, and it can be of any variety.

If you’re looking to get more out of your bets, then Caesars is the sportsbook for you. It’s the only sportsbook with Caesars rewards AND has a great sign-up offer where you can get up to $1,250 back on your first bet! Click here to sign up.

Pickswise is the home of free NHL Picks and NHL Predictions. Check back for our daily NHL Best Bets, including our favorite NHL Prop Bets.

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