Getty Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
With a packed 15-game slate on the horizon Saturday, only one NHL matchup will take center stage Friday as the New Jersey Devils visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice in New Jersey’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 26 and leads the Devils with 26 goals this season. He and his brother, Luke, are two of the five skaters featured in our dfsPro model’s favorite player props for March 29.
See also: Heavy’s player props from this week: 6-for-16 (38% accuracy)
Our Model’s Hottest Devils Player Props
Nico Hischier: Anytime Goalscorer (+165, DraftKings)
Our model likes Hischier to score against the Sabres after he scored in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 25, a 7-2 Devils win. Hischier leads all skaters on both teams with a 47% likelihood of scoring at least one goal tonight, and he’s projected to see a 61% uptick over his average of 0.39 goals.
Luke Hughes: Over 0.5 Assists (+150, DraftKings)
Hughes, who has six assists in his last five games, is projected to see a 40% increase in his average assist potential against the Sabres – up from 0.42 to 0.59. He has also dished out three assists in three career games against Buffalo, and our model suggests he is likely to add another one tonight.
Jack Hughes: Under 3.5 Shots on Goal (+130, DraftKings)
Our AI-powered model projects an efficient night for the elder Hughes brother. He is projected to see a 34% increase in goal potential with a 25% decrease in shots. DraftKings has him at +115 odds to score at least one goal against the Sabres, but our model projects him to put just 3.36 shots on goal – 1.15 fewer than his average of 4.51.
Our Model’s Hottest Sabres Player Props
Jeff Skinner: Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+105, DraftKings)
He hasn’t recorded a goal since his hat trick against the Seattle Kraken on March 19, but Skinner is a good bet to put the puck on the net against New Jersey. Skinner’s shot average is set at 2.95; so, even with our model’s projected 8% decrease to 2.72 shots against the Devils, it’s not a bad idea to take the over here.
Bowen Byram: Over 0.5 Points (+154, DraftKings)
Bryam has gotten off to a hot start with Buffalo since being traded from the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline. His point average is 0.36, but our model projects a 41% increase in his point potential tonight against the Devils. This is likely due at least in part to his projected 46% shot increase.
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