3 NHL Player Prop Bets to Target on Wednesday 12/13/23

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NHL player props bets that look appealing via the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

Valeri Nichushkin

To Score a Goal (+150)

The Colorado Avalanche have a slate-high 3.76 implied goal total and a strong matchup versus the Buffalo Sabres.

This is a rather straightforward matchup for the Avalanche and it should see them net a few goals tonight. This season, the Avs are scoring 2.97 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-best in the league, along with generating 64.42 Total Shot Attempts in the same situations, which is the seventh-best in the league.

For the Sabres, they are allowing the 12th most (2.74) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, and are allowing the eighth-most (12.21) High-Danger Scoring Chances.

High Danger Scoring Chances are the attempts that come very close to the net, this is an important note.

This leads me to Valeri Nichushkin, who not only has good odds, but plays a good role to take advantage of this matchup. Nichushkin plays on the first power-play unit and plays the role directly in front of the net.

This has allowed Nichushkin to rack up 20 High Danger Unblocked Shot Attempts, which leads the Avalanche this season. So, the role that he plays is exactly where the Sabres struggle this season, making him a clear option for a goal tonight.

Jack Hughes

To Score a Goal (+140)

With a 6.5 over/under, there should be plenty of offense between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils.

Both teams having implied goal totals over 3.00 is a great place to look for some goal scorers and tonight, it leads me to Jack Hughes. His odds are fantastic and he has plenty of skill to back it up.

Over the last two weeks, the Devils are scoring 3.11 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-best in the league. They also top the league with a 32.6% power-play percentage, a spot where we often see Hughes produce.

While the Bruins are a solid defensive team, they are going to be without their top defenseman, Charlie McAvoy tonight. While one player doesn't change the entire dynamic of their defense, it's still a positive for Hughes.

Speaking of Hughes, he comes in with 10 goals, 23 assists, and 103 shots on goal through 21 games this season. He's the primary shooter for the Devils but comes in goalless over his last three games despite having 16 shots on goal.

Considering his role and shot volume, these are great odds for a goal tonight.

Cole Caufield

Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-120)

Finally, let's look at over 3.5 shots on goal for Cole Caufield tonight.

With 105 shots on goal through 28 games, Caufield has the 10th most shots on goal in the entire NHL. An average of 3.75 shots per game is as consistent as you can find, making him a reliable option in the prop market.

Tonight, the Montreal Canadiens are hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on the second night of a back-to-back. This is the first time they've played this season but last year Caufield had good showings with 11 shots in the two games against the Penguins.

Over the last two weeks, the Canadiens have 60 Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is an increase from their season-long rate of 56.36. They're trending up in terms of offensive pressure and Caufield should continue to be a driving force in that area.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.