NHL Player Prop Bets to Target on Friday 10/20/23

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NHL player props bets that look appealing via the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

Mikael Backlund To Score a Goal (+220)

The Calgary Flames carry a 3.46 implied goal total into tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which is a great matchup for some offense.

A 6.5 over/under with juice on the over is a good indication we are in for some scoring tonight and that should lead us to a few player props.

Another season and another year we will see the Blue Jackets struggle on defense. So far, they are allowing 2.61 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 12th worst in the league. However, if we glance at their Expected Goals Against (xGA), they should be up at 3.28, which would be the third-worst in the league.

That is due to the fact they have a 69.94 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-worst in the league.

Essentially, they are allowing an insane amount of shot attempts, but only a modest amount of goals. That isn't sustainable and will put opposing offenses in a great spot.

This is where we'll turn to Mikael Backlund, who comes in with a very solid 14 shots on goal over his first four games but no goals. The newest captain of the Flames skates on the third forward line and second power-play unit. He's in a prime spot to keep firing the puck against a bad defensive team.

Brock Nelson To Record 3+ Shots on Goal (+102)

For a shot prop tonight, let's look at Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders.

The Islanders are hosting the New Jersey Devils in what is a matchup of opposing team styles. The Devils are a fast and offensive-minded team, while the Islanders are a structured and defensive-minded team.

When the Devils get their offense going, they can put up goals in a hurry, which could have the Islanders playing from behind in this game. If they want to keep pace with the Devils' offense, they need to match their speed and get plenty of chances.

This leads us to Brock Nelson, who is the center on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. He is the primary shooter on his forward line and comes in with seven shots on goal over his first two games this season.

If the Islanders need to turn up their offense to another level tonight, Nelson should play a big part in that.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.