There are only three NHL games on the schedule for Halloween night, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of action on DraftKings Sportsbook for bettors looking to make a couple of puck-related prop bets. Settle in on the couch with some candy — we’ve got plenty of treats and no tricks here as a premier matchup between contenders takes center stage with a couple more complementary contests to check out.
Here are three of the top NHL player prop bet picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday, October 31.
Best NHL prop bet picks
Logan Thompson over 23.5 saves (-120)
Few goaltenders are playing at the level of the Capitals’ netminder right now. Logan Thompson is seemingly on pace for a career-best season that would likely earn him the Vezina Trophy if he can keep up anything near his currently level of production. A 1.44 GAA and .939 SV% both rank second among netminders with multiple starts, and he boasts a 5-2 record to go along with those numbers. Washington’s blue line allows the eighth-fewest shot attempts per game at 25.7, but the opposing Islanders are playing fast with 31.1 shots for per contest, fifth-most. New York sits 15th in shooting percentage and Thompson sees the chance to rack up plenty of saves tonight, making the over on this lower line one of my favorites of the day.
Connor McMichael 1+ points (+105)
First-line center Dylan Strome is a game-time decision to play tonight, leaving Connor McMichael with a real shot to take his spot with the starters again. The latter is no star, but the opportunity to play alongside Alex Ovechkin and Ryan Leonard does mean there’s some value potential here. The Islanders allow 3.80 goals per game, sixth-most, and neither of their goalies have posted great numbers thus far with Ilya Sorokin (3.75 GAA/.868 SV%) and David Rittich (3.34 GAA/.901 SV%) in net. That’s something the Capitals can take advantage of tonight, so a top-line goal involvement for McMichael makes some sense.
Cutter Gauthier 4+ shots on goal (-105)
Former fifth-overall pick Cutter Gauthier has served as a bright spot for a surprisingly competitive Ducks squad so far. He notched just 44 points in 82 games last season but is already on a much better pace in his third professional campaign with eight points in nine appearances, but that’s not the most impressive part. The way he’s kept opposing goalies on edge by providing constant pressure looks like a genuinely elite skill, at least thus far. Sure, the sample size is small but Gauthier’s 45 shots tie him with Bruins star David Pastrnak for the fifth-most of any NHL skater. With 5.0 shots on goal per game, few players are hurling pucks at the rate the Anaheim forward is, so he’s an easy selection to log another four shots tonight.
