NHL Friday bets: Plus-money props power the night

Where the Canadiens seriously struggled last season was against the center position, allowing the most shots per game to the position. Auston Matthews and John Tavares both took advantage on Wednesday, finishing with five and three SOG respectively.

Now it's Larkin's turn, and I like that he'll be skating alongside Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond once again on the Red Wings' top line. That pre-existing chemistry is extremely important. Larkin was over this 2.5 SOG line in both games against Montreal last year.

Victor Hedman is my preferred shots target against the Blue Jackets today after watching defensemen Brent Burns pile up six shots on goal against them the other day. Columbus is a great shot target who saw 43 against them Wednesday and allowed 35.2 per game last season. They allowed the second-most shots per game to defensemen a season ago, so that is why Hedman is here.

Hedman piled up nine shots on goal in three games against Columbus last season, went over this line on Tuesday and has finished with 3+ SOG in 22 of his last 30 games.

Nikita Kucherov goal (+160 CZR)

Nikita Kucherov has absolutely loved to face off against Columbus in his career. He has a goal in each of his last eight games against the Blue Jackets, tallying 10 total.

With Patrik Laine out, Columbus is going to have a hard time controlling the flow of this game. They allowed 43 shots and four goals on Wednesday, and Tampa Bay should have similar success tonight.

Kucherov finished with four shots on goal on Tuesday, and should bring us the volume that will yield a goal tonight. Columbus allowed 3.62 goals per game last season.

Seth Jarvis point (-116 FD)

I love these reasonable odds for Jarvis, who skates on Carolina's top line and is on the top power-play line. Jarvis had a point Wednesday and now has 21 points in his last 26 games, plus he was more productive on the road last season. 

San Jose allowed 3.2 goals per game last season while Carolina scored 3.4, so it's a nice overlap here. The Canes had four goals on Wednesday and Sharks have allowed seven goals in two games.

Nick Suzuki over 2.5 SOG (+145 DK)

Shared this play this morning on Twitter, but in case you missed it or don't follow me, I'll re-share my analysis on this spot. I had Suzuki circled as an option today, and seeing these odds make him a must play.

Montreal will face Detroit tonight, a team that allowed plenty of shots last season. While they made some exciting additions, it’s their first game, so I expect Montreal to get 30+ shots on net

Detroit allowed the third-most shots to centers last season, so enter Suzuki as top-line center. He had 3 SOG on Wednesday, had a better hit-rate on the road last year, and in his last two games against Detroit he’s finished with 5 & 4 SOG.

Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 SOG (-110 DK)

Centers shooting against the Rangers has been an early-season trend, and New York allowed the seventh-most shots per game to the position last season. Brayden Point went over in Game 1. Joel Eriksson Ek flew over his shots last night. Now it's Winnipeg's turn, and I like Pierre-Luc Dubois, who centers the second line.

Dubois was over this number in 57% of home games last season, which includes a seven SOG performance against these very Rangers. With New York on their third game in four days and a backup in net, I think Winnipeg should be able to pummel the net, especially in their first game of the year at home. Good ladder candidate today when that market opens up.

Timo Meier over 3.5 SOG (+105 DK)

I'm quite surprised to see this open at plus-money, especially considering Timo Meier opened the year with shot on goal totals of five and six last week in Prague. In his last six meetings against Carolina, Meier is over this number five times, including 10 shots on goal in two games last year.

The Hurricanes were one of the most penalized teams in the league last season, and Meier makes his money shooting on the power play. Even just three chances tonight should help us get to this number.