Best NHL player prop bets (Dec. 2): Value in this Devils duo vs. Rangers
Join Daily Faceoff’s Nick Martin as he handicaps the best NHL props available on Monday night.
Jesper Bratt Plus/Minus Over 0.5: +135 Sports Interaction
The Rangers have been struggling mightily at even strength of late, and a matchup versus a dynamic Devils offense does not look like a good get-right spot by any means. Over the last seven games, the Rangers rank last in the league with a 39.83% expected goal share, and have looked visibly awful defensively.
New York allowed 34 high-danger chances against in its weekend matchups versus the Flyers and Canadiens, and it’s becoming harder to imagine its defensive play trending upwards in the near future. The Rangers rank 31st in rush chances allowed, which is highly favorable to the Devils’ dynamic duo of Bratt and Hughes.
Parlaying each of Bratt and Hughes each to get a point at +100 is certainly one solid option in this matchup, as they should have a great chance to do damage in this matchup. But getting Bratt at +135 to hold a positive rating looks pretty enticing when you dive into it though. They should be able to create plenty of offence, and the fact that coach Sheldon Keefe will likely look to stick Nico Hischier’s line against Artemi Panarin’s unit as much as possible also bodes well. That matchup should give the Hughes/Bratt line an excellent chance of not conceding a goal as the rest of the Rangers’ current units are generating very little at even strength.
Nick Schmaltz Anytime Goalscorer: +330 Sports Interaction
It took until game 24 for Schmaltz to finally break through with two goals, but the amount of chances he is getting suggests +330 is actually is still a good price to back him scoring again Monday.
Over the last three games, Schmaltz has racked up 13 shots on goal from 21 attempts, and leads the Hockey Club with 1.70 xG in that span.
23 games, 0 goals, 17 assists later, Schmaltz gets his first goal of the season. 🚨. Not for a lack of chances – came into the game 23rd in scoring chances, 7th in cycle chances and 6.8 expected goals. https://t.co/HbFVDB8Ufm
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) December 1, 2024Over the last three seasons Schmaltz holds a 0.33 goal-per-game average, and is a career 13.6% shooter. Arguably the most important note here is that he has proven to be a good finisher at the NHL level historically, and perhaps could feel more comfortable now that he’s finally broken through this season. He remains in a great role at even strength alongside Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton, and plays the bumper on a Utah power play which has looked great since adding Logan Cooley to the mix.
The Stars are a great defensive team which does play into the number, but Utah is catching them in a fairly good spot here. They played an important divisional matchup versus the Jets yesterday and started Jake Oettinger in that matchup. Backup Casey DeSmith holds an .891 save % this season and 2.81 GAA, and should get the start in this matchup.
Follow all of Nick’s betting plays on the Action Network App!