NHL PrizePicks Predictions Today: Play Connor McDavid, Jake Oettinger, More
Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Jake Oettinger.
Today's NHL schedule features three tremendous matchups, which means there are plenty of entries to sift through on PrizePicks.
But first, a quick refresher if you aren’t familiar with PrizePicks: You can combine up to five different player squares to pay out up to 10x your entry.
You can do a Flex Play or a Power Play. A Flex Play gives you lesser odds, but you can win money if you do not nail every pick. A Power Play is all-or-nothing.
Here's how I would approach Tuesday's NHL slate.
What is PrizePicks? A daily fantasy operator — meaning they’re available in more states (30) than sports betting is! — PrizePicks offers a unique opportunity for action on player picks in which you combine two or more entries together.
Connor McDavid Less Than 0.5 Goals
Game 5 of this Western Conference series is set to get underway with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Los Angeles Kings. While Edmonton swung momentum in its favor with a dramatic comeback victory in Game 4, I am still looking to fade superstar Connor McDavid's goal prop in this contest.
More than anything, this play is backing Los Angeles center Phillip Danault. Shadowing McDavid on every shift, Danault has limited one of the all-time greats in a way that no one else in the league has done this season.
While McDavid scored twice in Game 3, he has failed to register a goal in any of the other three contests. In fact, he does not even crack the top-six skaters on the Oilers in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5 in this series, which is a testament to how much of a blanket Danault has been on him.
Look for McDavid to just keep feeding Leon Draisaitl while Danault continues to keep No. 97 out of the goal column.
Jake Oettinger More Than 25.5 Saves
Another Western Conference Game 5 is set to get underway on Tuesday night with the Dallas Stars hosting the MinnesotaWild. Slated to take the crease for Dallas is Jake Oettinger, who put together another dominant campaign in 2022-23.
Through 62 appearances in the crease, Oettinger posted a 37-11-11 record with a .919 save percentage (SV%) and 2.37 goals against average (GAA). This success is likely to continue against Minnesota, a team he has fared well against over the past couple of seasons.
Over his past seven starts against the Wild, Oettinger is 4-2-1 with a commanding .934 SV% and 1.99 GAA. While Minnesota struggles to find those high-danger scoring areas at even strength, it is still a team that fires at will, averaging 30.9 shots on goal per game this year.
Filip Gustavsson Less Than 28.5 Saves
In a play with some solid correlation, we are going to fade Filip Gustavsson's saves entry as he is taking the crease for Minnesota in this matchup. How are these two plays slightly correlated?
Well, if the Wild are firing pucks at Oettinger on the other side of the ice, that means time is ticking away on the clock while Gustavsson is just standing on the other end. Unless this game goes to overtime, the more saves Oettinger makes, the more likely it is that Gustavsson does not eclipse this number.
Perhaps the most underrated netminder in hockey, Gustavsson put together a brilliant campaign in his first season with Minnesota. However, if there was a time to fade Gustavsson, it could be in this matchup.
While the Wild have typically been defensively competent under head coach Dean Evason, they have taken a step back in the second half of this season. Since the Christmas Break, Minnesota ranks in the bottom half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5.
Wyatt Johnson More Than 2 Shots on Goal
The final play to make in this Wild vs. Stars game is backing rookie forward Wyatt Johnston to record at least two shots on goal for Dallas. Centerman Joe Pavelski remains sidelined due to the concussion he suffered in Game 1, which means other forwards need to step up in his absence.
One of these forwards is Johnston, who is finding the high-danger scoring chances at will in this series. Due to a combination of some bad puck luck and stellar goaltending, Johnston has yet to find the back of the net in this opening round.
However, the looks are there, which means Johnston will keep firing. At 5-on-5, he leads all Dallas skaters in xGF/60.
Johnston has recorded at least two shots on goal in three of the first four games of this series and is averaging 3.75 per game, and with Pavelski's continued absence and his ability to find the high-danger scoring areas, there is no reason to believe Johnston will not keep firing the puck.
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