After going 2-0 last night, we’re 3-1 so far this weekend. Our 6-game NHL slate today gets started with a premier matchup on ESPN and wraps up with the best in the east versus the best in the west. Everything is shaping up for a great Sunday on the ice, and we're here to help you profit off the action. If you aren't loving many of the sides or totals, we also have you covered. We've broken down the matchups and found the best spots for player props. We're even getting started with the first game of the day, so let's dive in.'
Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today's action.
Valeri Nichushkin over 0.5 points (-170)
We've got afternoon hockey, so it's only fitting that our first player prop takes place in that first game. The Colorado Avalanche are taking on the St. Louis Blues in a rematch of the 2nd round of the Western Conference playoffs last season. There's no denying that the Avs are banged up right now, but their one piece of good news is that Valeri Nichushkin returned on Friday. Not only did he begin the season with a point in all 7 games he played in, he recorded multiple points in 4 of them.'
His return over the weekend was the only game in which he didn't notch a point, and we expect him to start a new streak today. Colorado is going to need him to perform with Nathan MacKinnon now out for a month. That also puts Nichushkin on the top line with Mikko Rantanen, who scored a goal for the Avs in their last game. He'll also be on the first power-play unit and most importantly, has a great matchup against the Blues. St. Louis is allowing the 4th-most goals per game overall and are even worse at home. They're allowing 3.92 goals per game in their own arena, the 2nd-most in the NHL. Colorado may not be at full strength, but they can still exploit such weak goaltending.''