Getty Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
A six-game NHL slate on Friday will feature a matchup between two of the league’s top scorers as Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche face off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model also projects a number of additional individual performances worth keeping an eye on during tonight’s games. Let’s dive into some of our favorite player props for April 5!
See also: Heavy’s NHL player props from April 3: 2-for-6 (33% accuracy)
Hottest Player Props: East
Dylan Larkin: Over 0.5 Assists (+120, DraftKings)
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin has three assists in his last five games – including two in his most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 1 – and our model likes his potential to dish out another one tonight when the Red Wings take on the New York Rangers. Larkin averages just over 0.5 assists per game, and our model projects an 18% uptick in his assist potential tonight against the Rangers.
Vincent Trocheck: Over 0.5 Assists (+114, DraftKings)
Though he hasn’t found the scoresheet in either of the Rangers’ two most recent contests, Vincent Trocheck previously posted a six-game point streak from March 19-30. He dished out eight assists over that span, including back-to-back multi-assist performances on March 23 and 26. Trocheck is averaging 0.66 helpers per game this season, and even though our model projects a 12% downturn in his assist potential tonight against Detroit, he still sits just over the betting line at 0.58.
Artemi Panarin: Anytime Goalscorer (+125, DraftKings)
Our model actually projects a modest 5% decline in Artemi Panarin’s goal potential tonight, but he has the third-best odds among all Rangers skaters (42%) to find the back of the net against the Red Wings, behind Trocheck (47%) and Chris Kreider (43%). Panarin leads the Rangers with 45 goals on the season, and he is averaging 0.54 per game. He also recorded a goal in each of New York’s games against the Red Wings earlier this season.
Hottest Player Props: West
Cale Makar: Anytime Goalscorer (+285, DraftKings)
With +285 odds to score a goal tonight against Edmonton, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is our boldest bet for today’s slate. More of a playmaker than a finisher, he averages just 0.27 per game; however, our AI-powered model projects Makar’s goal potential to more than double (102%) tonight against the Oilers.
Vince Dunn: Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+130, DraftKings)
Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn averages just over two shots per game and hasn’t exceeded his average in a single game since Feb. 12. However, our model projects a 34% increase in his shot potential tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, putting him at 2.73. The last time he faced the Ducks on Dec. 23, McCann put three shots on goal in a 3-2 Kraken loss.
Alex Pietrangelo: Over 0.5 Points (+120, DraftKings)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is averaging just over 0.5 points per game this season, and our model projects a 41% uptick in his point potential tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. He hasn’t found the scoresheet against the Coyotes yet this season, but our model likes his goal potential in particular to increase by more than 400%.
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