The Stanley Cup Final has arrived and it has brought plenty of star power along with it. That means there is plenty of value out there for bettors who enjoy player prop bets. This betting guide will deliver some of the best value prop bets based on these players’ performances throughout these playoffs.
Andrei Vasilevskiy: Over 32.5 Saves (-115)
Andrei Vasilievskiy might be the most important player on the Tampa Bay roster heading into this series. Not just because he’s arguably the best goaltender in the world, but because he’s the last line of defense against a sizzling Avalanche offense. Colorado is averaging 4.64 goals per game in the playoffs, but Vasilevskiy has given up just five goals in his last four games combined.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Colorado has registered more than 32 shots on goal in all but two of their 14 playoff games this season, and they’ve racked up north of 40 in each of their last four games. The Avs are averaging 40.7 shots on goal per game in this postseason, meaning Vasilevskiy should get a pretty good workout in each of these games. Take the Tampa netminder to stop at least 32 shots in Game 1 (-115).
Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 Shots (-145)
Nathan MacKinnon has been on an absolute mission during the postseason, and he’s not holding anything back. The Colorado superstar is unleashing a barrage of shots that no one is even close to matching. MacKinnon has 82 shots on goal in the playoffs. That’s an average of 5.86 shots per game and is 15 more than the next closest player – Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman.
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MacKinnon cracked of 27 shots on goal in the four-game sweep of the Oilers and has at least five shots in nine of Colorado’s 14 postseason games. He’s also been active against the Lightning throughout his career. In 15 career games, he has 10 goals and 23 points, so expect a heavy dose of MacKinnon throughout the series. Take him to get at least five shots (-145) in Game 1.
Nikita Kucherov: Over 0.5 Assists (-120)
Unsurprisingly, Nikita Kucherov has had his fingerprints all over Tampa Bay’s success throughout the postseason. He leads the team in assists with 16, which also puts him fifth overall in the postseason. Kucherov had at least one assist in four of the last five games against the New York Rangers and scored a goal in the game that he didn’t have a helper.
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Kucherov is no stranger to piling up assists in the playoffs. He led the NHL in playoff assists each of the last two seasons with 24 in 2021, and 27 in 2020. The former Hart Trophy winner has at least one assist in 10 of the 17 playoff games this season and has five games with two or more. Expect him to be dishing out scoring chances again for Tampa in Game 1, and play him to get at least one helper (-120).
Odds via BetMGM
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