After a strong start to the week, my NHL prop bets went 0-2 on Wednesday night.
It turns out that fading Connor McDavid isn’t always the best idea.
Still, a 3-3 record for the week is decent, and we have two more postseason games on the schedule tonight.
Here are my top NHL props for Thursday, April 25.
All NHL odds used in our NHL prop bets are current as of Thursday, April 25, at noon ET and courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook.
NHL Player Prop Bet Odds
NHL Best Prop Bets Today
Bo Horvat: Over 2.5 Shots (-130) vs Hurricanes
bet365 Sportsbook • Wager: 1 Unit
Horvat hit this shot prop for us on Monday despite New York recording 12 shots on goal as a team, so I’m going back to the well at relatively similar odds.
The 29-year-old is tied for the Islanders’ playoff lead in shots on goal (eight) and shot attempts (10). He has also recorded at least three shots on goal in eight of his last 10 games, including four straight.
Horvat continues to play the most minutes of any New York forward, and he should get some better matchups with the series shifting to UBS Arena.
I’ll take the former Vancouver Canuck to continue getting pucks on net as my NHL bet of the day.
Brandon Montour: Over 2.5 Shots (-125) @ Lightning
bet365 Sportsbook • Wager: 1 Unit
Volume is crucial for NHL shot props, and no one in the Panthers-Lightning series has more shot attempts through two games than Brandon Montour.
The problem for the Panthers’ offensive-minded defenseman has been getting them through to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Montour recorded two shots on goal in Games 1 and 2 despite having 16 combined attempts. Seven of those efforts missed the net, and another five were blocked by Tampa Bay, per MoneyPuck.
The 30-year-old is among Florida’s time-on-ice leaders and plays the point on the top power-play unit, so he should continue to get plenty of opportunities.
We’ll cash this prop as long as he gets a few more on target.
How NHL Prop Betting Works
Prop bets are wagers that aren’t tied to the outcome. Prop wagers can be related to an individual team or player’s performance as opposed to betting moneylines, totals, or spreads, which are also available each night for hockey games.
Prop betting is one of the most popular styles of wagering, especially for NHL betting, since it can be challenging to determine who will win on a night-in, night-out basis.
Plus, it is nice to be able to wager on a star player’s performance, especially if he plays for your favorite team.
Best NHL Prop Betting Sites
Caesars
Caesars is an elite option for hockey betting, including prop wagers. Caesars offers many prop options for every NHL game every night, including player props like an individual player to score a goal or go over or under in an individual stat category.
Plus, every wager with Caesars gives bettors Caesars Rewards, the sportsbook’s VIP rewards program, which they can use to reimburse for things like meal and hotel credits at Caesars properties.
BetMGM
BetMGM is one of my favorite sportsbooks, especially for prop betting in hockey, because it makes prop wagers easy to find. Bettors have a slew of great prop options, including player props, and they empower hockey bettors to customize their own one-game parlays.
Plus, BetMGM also has a terrific rewards program where bettors can get points that can be redeemed for bet credits, and hotel stays at MGM’s properties nationwide.
FanDuel
FanDuel is the No. 1 sportsbook in America and is constantly innovating to make playing more fun and exciting for sports fans. FanDuel standardized same-game parlays when they rolled out the feature in 2018 and offers a robust number of game and player props for every NHL game each day.
FanDuel empowers users to create same-game parlays, where they can combine multiple markets from multiple games for a chance at a huge payout.
DraftKings
The DraftKings Online Sportsbook is an official sports-betting partner of the NHL, which makes it a superb option for hockey betting, especially props. DraftKings has a plethora of prop options and a user-friendly interface and lets bettors consult the prop bets via its helpful tabs at the top of the page.
Plus, DraftKings makes same-game-parlay betting a breeze and gives users dozens of betting markets to combine with the simple toggle of an icon.
How to Pick the Best NHL Prop Betting Sites
Variety of Props
The most important factor when betting on sports is that there is the wager you wish to make. From there, you have to pick the NHL betting sites that work for you.
Fortunately, most of the sportsbooks above will give bettors a robust number of prop markets, especially player props for hockey. From there, you can determine what bets you love and which ones you do not want to wager on.
Odds
The best odds will produce the best payout. It is sometimes as simple as that.
Given that sportsbook odds are not always standard — FanDuel will sometimes offer -104 odds when other sportsbooks offer -105 or -110 — it is integral to shop for odds on the betting market you wish to make. Having funds in multiple sportsbooks is the easiest way to ensure that you always get the best odds.
Interface
Finding your preferred betting market is almost as important as getting great odds. Plus, you’ll want to find those prop markets easily too so you can wager them before the odds change.
Logging in should be seamless, too, without too many steps, particularly if you’re a regular bettor, again so you can place your wager fast before the number and odds change.
Welcome Bonuses
Every sportsbook offers a welcome bonus, such as a risk-free bet, bet-and-get, or first-deposit match. Taking advantage of the best sportsbook bonuses is vital since they are one-shot deals that you will lose if you don’t use them.
A prop bet is as good a wager to make on a risk-free bet, especially if it’s one you love.
NHL Prop Betting Promotions
Boosts
Every sportsbook offers odds boosts, especially on player and game props, each night.
Some sportsbooks, like DraftKings, will boost odds on prop bets that are likely to hit in an effort to give users more playable funds. Others will boost odds on more questionable props or on prop-filled NHL parlays for marquee regular-season and playoff games.
Betting boosted props can be enticing, but be sure to be responsible and do your homework when assessing boosted props.
Best NHL Prop Bets
Race to 3 Goals
The winning team in the NHL often is the first to score three goals, and if you can successfully predict which team that will be, you’ll likely get great odds — even better than moneyline odds.
NHL Player Props
Making NHL predictions, like picking which player will score in an individual game each night, is tough. But every sportsbook has other player props like over/under shots, points, power-play points and even goalie saves.
The player props get ratcheted up in the playoffs, but each sportsbook listed above will also offer player-prop options for every game in the regular season too.
NHL Prop Betting Strategy
Do your homework. Seek out trends, like how a player performs against a specific opponent historically or if a star player’s style of play matches his opponent’s deficiencies.
For example, if the Tampa Bay Lightning are facing off against an opponent that allows a lot of shots, taking advantage of Steven Stamkos or Nikita Kucherov’s shot prop is essential.
Keep in mind that trends regress, especially in hockey, which is why there is an inherent risk to sports betting. But if you do your homework and seek out trends, then you’ll win more often than you lose.
Benefits of NHL Prop Betting Online
Betting hockey props online is the best way to wager on NHL props for a variety of reasons. For example, you can shop for the best odds since the best odds produce the best payouts. Or you can seek out the most favorable number that is most likely to hit.
Betting on NHL props online is more convenient than wagering at a brick-and-mortar sportsbook since users can place their bets from their couch, bed, or even the car — though we recommend not betting while driving.
Plus, online sportsbooks boost odds on props, which bettors are not entitled to when wagering in person.
How to Place an NHL Prop Bet Online
To place an NHL prop bet online, please follow these steps:
- Register at your preferred sportsbook or log into your sportsbook account.
- Deposit funds into your account.
- Consult any promotions or odds boosts for prop bets.
- Use any welcome bonus funds or opt-in to take advantage of any promotions like risk-free bets or bet-and-gets.
- Click the NHL tab on each sportsbook and tap the game you are interested in wagering on.
- Consult the odds and prop numbers, then research trends to determine if they are good or bad bets to place.
- Choose your wager.
- Place your wager and root for it to hit.
Where Can I Legally Place NHL Prop Bets Online?
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Choose More Than One NHL Prop Betting Site
As stated above, prop betting odds and numbers vary from site to site. Having funds in multiple sportsbook sites enables odds and number shopping for the most lucrative and conducive wager.
Plus, also as referenced above, odds boosts set sportsbooks apart. Having funds in multiple sportsbook sites lets users take advantage of those lucrative boosts since they vary each day.
