Stanley Cup Final: Prop Bets for Oilers-Panthers Game 1

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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 hockey on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- 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 our projections may change throughout the day after this article is published.

NHL Prop Bets

Matthew Tkachuk To Score a Goal (+190)

The Stanley Cup Final gets underway on Saturday between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.

The season started all the way back in October and we're down to the final few games of what's been an amazing year of hockey. The Panthers will host the first two games before the series heads to Edmonton for the next two. I'm expecting one or two of the first few games to have a good amount of scoring, then shift to lower-scoring games.

This leads me to Matthew Tkachuk for a goal in Game 1. As I explained, on Covering the Spread, there's a bit of narrative with this pick and a bit of stats to back it up.

In last year's Stanley Cup Final, Tkachuk wasn't able to play in the final game due to a fractured sternum. I see this as a bit of redemption for Tkachuk but he's also a proven goal-scorer with a great role.

Tkachuk has five goals in 17 games in the playoffs this season but no goal over his last five games. During that time, Tkachuk has taken a very solid 21 shots on goal, due to his primary offensive position on the second forward line and the first power-play unit.

Is it a bit of a 'feel good' story for him to get a chance at redemption? Sure, I'm on board with that but he's also one of the league's best offensive players and shooting a high volume right now.

Stuart Skinner Over 26.5 Saves (-130)

The Panthers are an elite offensive team and bring the pressure early and often.

Piling up shot attempts and shots on goal has been the calling card for the Panthers over the last few seasons and it won't be stopping in the Stanley Cup Final.

Of the four teams that made the Conference finals, the Panthers led the way with 69.13 Tota Shot Attempts created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which was 10 higher than the next closest team. Essentially, they keep their foot on the gas whether it's the first period or the third, whether winning or losing. It simply doesn't matter to them.

This leads to opposing goalies being under pressure for the majority of the game, just as we saw in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers.

Rangers' goalie, Igor Shesterkin, finished with 25 saves or more in all six games and had at least 30 saves in the final four games.

That's all a round-a-bout way of saying I like Stuart Skinner over 26.5 saves in Game 1.

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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.