Best NHL player prop for Friday's slate: Matthews lights the lamp

Jan 13, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena.

Friday night gives us a small slate of 4 NHL games, but we are still locked and loaded with a quality player prop. Games start at 6:00 p.m. ET, with the final game beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET. Along with this article, be sure to check out our full game previews for each matchup tonight. Also, head on over to Twitter and follow our main Twitter account, as well as my personal account for more daily free picks and betting content covering all sports.

Auston Matthews anytime goal scorer (-138)

Line available at FanDuel at time of publishing 

After missing the first 3 games of the season, Auston Matthews made his season debut on Monday. It was apparent he was eager to get off to a strong start. Matthews fired 8 shots on net but was unable to light the lamp. If he keeps that same aggressive mentality in tonight’s matchup, he could have a better result.

The Maple Leafs welcome the Sharks to town, and Matthews has 8 goals in 7 career games against San Jose. Adin Hill is slated to get the start in net, and he has only faced the Maple Leafs once in his career. The San Jose defense is not what it was once, and it’s worth noting that the Sharks are playing the back end of a back-to-back, while the Leafs have not played since Monday. After managing just a single goal on Monday against the Rangers, the Maple Leafs should be able to have a better day offensively.  Matthews figures to be a big part of that.

Be sure to check out our full game preview for San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs.

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