We begin a fresh week in the NHL with some enticing Monday night matchups. Two games in particular catch our eye if you're a fan of goal-scoring, so we'll combine them together for a parlay.
If you'd prefer to take a different angle, by all means. Whether it's a goal-scorer prop or something of the sort, the two games below stick out on Monday evening.
This +152 alternative total parlay is available on FanDuel at time of writing.
Both of these games have over/unders set at 6.5 goals on the major sportsbooks, and while I like them at that number, we get some insurance here with lowering the total by one for each.
Let's take this on a game-to-game basis.
Montreal-Minnesota in particular is my favorite game of the night from a props perspective, and that logic extends to total goals scored.
I always like to follow shots-allowed numbers; the higher the total, the more opportunities the other team has to put one in the net.
No team allows more shots on the road than Montreal. The Habs' 39.9 average in the past 10 games is the most in the NHL by two, a sizable chunk in a league of 32 teams.
They're not much better at slowing down goals, averaging 4.2 allowed per game in their last 10 on the road.
This suits Minnesota's offense, which is one of the most explosive units in the league. The Wild are averaging 3.7 goals scored per game, the third-highest mark in the NHL.
The Wild see their fair share of shots against as well, allowing the second-most per game at home (34.6).
Minnesota and Montreal also both rank inside the top five of penalties, which could suggest a game with plentiful power-play opportunities for each team.
The over is 9-2 in Minnesota's last 11 games on one day of rest, and the Wild's over record is 22-6 in their past 28 home games.
The Wild have seen 6+ goals in four straight games and six of their past eight.
Montreal's games have gone over 5.5 in three of their last four and six of nine.
With expected volume for both teams and some solid trends on our side, I like this alternative total quite a bit.
This is another game that offers some offensive chances for each team, with both allowing their fair share of shots.
Colorado in particular should be able to carry this alternate total. No team scores more goals per game than the Avalanche (4.15), who are even better at home.
Chicago allows the 11th-most goals per game and should have its hands full containing this team.
Colorado draws the seventh-most penalties per game and sees 31.4 shots per game at home, so the Blackhawks should have scoring chances to aid the cause.
The over is 4-1-1 in the last six games between these two teams, and in two games against each other this season, the total has been 7 and 6, both of which are above the 5.5 we need here.
Chicago has 3+ goals in six of its last nine games, a slight uptick on its season average. Just two here should be enough, as Colorado is well-positioned to get four past the goalie.
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