NHL Betting Picks and Player Props to Target: Sunday 10/22/23

It's a quiet Sunday (as most are in the NHL during NFL season), but we've got a pair of NHL contests on deck.

Whether it's moneylines, total goals, or player props, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season long. It's a long 82-game season, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Calgary Flames at Detroit Red Wings

Over 6.5 (-122)
Elias Lindholm to Record an Assist (+112)

This total is a peculiar one to buy or sell the hot starts from these goaltenders. I'm selling at least one of them tonight.

Last season, Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames was 51st of 103 qualifying goalies in goals saved above expectation (1.50 GSAx), and Ville Husso of the Detroit Red Wings was 97th (-12.99). This year, the duo are 3rd and 17th, respectively, among 54 qualifiers to this point. Particularly regarding Husso, I just can't buy this start continues.

That's especially true when these defenses aren't performing well. Both of these clubs are bottom 11 in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes to begin the year, ranking 10th and 11th, respectively. That's another odd shift away from their prior-year trends; both were top 12 in that category a year ago and, anecdotally, strong defenses on the ice.

While the defenses could get better, the goaltending has the potential to be much, much worse. I'm inclined to side with this over when Husso is currently a proverbial sitting duck in front of an underperforming defense against a Calgary team that was projected for 95.5 points before the season began.

As for our prop to target for this one, why not turn toward the Flames' generous top-line center? Elias Lindholm has dished out four helpers in five games this season, and he'll continue to see a strong TOI average (21:17) atop Calgary's primary even-strength and power-play lines.

numberFire's model has Lindholm implied a 66% chance to record an assist from its median projections, which is a strong proposition against these plus-money odds.

Boston Bruins at Anaheim Ducks

Bruins -1.5 (+102)
Brad Marchand 4+ Shots on Goal (+162)
Troy Terry 3+ Shots on Goal (-128)

What would Sunday in the NHL be without some late-night Anaheim Ducks action?

This week, Anaheim draws the Boston Bruins on a back-to-back; the B's just won 4-2 against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. However, Anaheim also played (and lost to) the Arizona Coyotes yesterday, so their rest advantage is just a few hours.

There's no doubt the Bruins are the better side here. They're 5th in expected-goals-for rate (54.0%) to begin the season after last year's record-breaking campaign, and Anaheim, projected to be one of the worst teams in the league, is dead last (40.3%). Linus Ullmark (2.20 GSAx) has also outperformed the Ducks' John Gibson (0.32) in goal; both will start after resting yesterday.

I'd go light here just because I feel like I'm stepping into trap betting such a lopsided matchup on paper, and we've seen odd things happen in this Sunday spot with the Ducks before. I just can't -- in good faith -- imagine supporting a Ducks team performing so poorly without a rest or goaltending edge.

This should be a good game if you like to bet shot props, though. Both Anaheim and Boston are bottom-10 clubs in Corsi Against per 60 minutes.

I'm going to take a stand that Brad Marchand's on-ice role continues to flourish. With the offseason retirements in Boston, Marchand's heightened aggression might be needed, and he's taken five shots in back-to-back contests and has a solid TOI average (19:11) for a winger who sees top power-play time. Falling short of his most recent efforts at +162? That will work for a sub-one-unit play.

On the other side, if the Ducks are trailing, Troy Terry is probably leading the charge to change that. Terry battled role issues last year, but now firmly across Anaheim's top even-strength and power-play units, he's increased to 3.5 shots per game this season. There's a discount from normal on his odds here because of Boston's vaunted defensive reputation, but that doesn't match the way things have played out thus far.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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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.