NHL Player Props & Best Bets Today: Makar to be Assist Machine

The NHL has a 13-game slate spread throughout Saturday, so read on for our top NHL prop picks and best bets based on the top NHL odds.

It’s a Saturday full of hockey with 13 NHL games on the docket.

The night slate features a few big matchups, including the Boston Bruins visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers playing an in-state road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Here are our top NHL prop picks and best bets for Saturday (odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Saturday’s NHL schedule and odds

(Odds via DraftKings)

• Tampa Bay Lightning (+130) vs. Dallas Stars (-155)
• Chicago Blackhawks (+225) vs. Winnipeg Jets (-285)
• New York Rangers (-142) vs. Nashville Predators (+120)
• New York Islanders (+154) vs. Florida Panthers (-185)
• Philadelphia Flyers (+145) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-175)
• Buffalo Sabres (+195) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-238)
• Detroit Red Wings (-155) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+130)
• Boston Bruins (-110) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (-110)
• Seattle Kraken (-102) vs. Ottawa Senators (-118)
• St. Louis Blues (+105) vs. Arizona Coyotes (-125)
• Washington Capitals (+180) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-218)
• Colorado Avalanche (-230) vs. Anaheim Ducks (+190)
• Vancouver Canucks (+105) vs. Calgary Flames (-125)

Saturday’s NHL best bets

• Scott Laughton Over 1.5 shots on goal vs. Penguins (-140 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Cale Makar to record an assist vs. Ducks (-165 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Panthers ML vs. Islanders (-178 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Flyers vs. Penguins Under 6.5 (-118 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Saturday’s NHL prop picks

Scott Laughton Over 1.5 shots on goal vs. Penguins (-140 via DraftKings)  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oddsmakers continue to set Scott Laughton’s shots total at 1.5 and I’m going to continue to hammer the Over.

Laughton plays in all situations for the Flyers and has been shooting the puck pretty consistently as of late. The veteran forward had three shots on goal in each of the last two games and has at least two shots in nine of his last 10 contests.

The Penguins are one of the worst teams in the league in allowing shots. They averaged over 31 shots against per game and just allowed 41 against Tampa Bay. They've allowed at least 33 shots in six of their last seven games.

We can bank on Laughton to get the puck on net in a rivalry game for the Flyers.

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Cale Makar to record an assist vs. Ducks (-165 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cale Makar may soon surpass Quinn Hughes as the favorite for the Norris Trophy at this rate. He has 34 points (27 assists) in 22 games. The defenseman has done a lot of that damage over his last two point streaks.

Makar has recorded a point in 11 of his last 12 games; first, he had 18 points (16 assists) during an eight-game point streak and now has five points (three assists) on a three-game point streak. He’s had an assist in all of those games.

Colorado beat Anaheim 8-2 in the last meeting, with Makar picking up three assists on Nov. 15. The Avalanche are huge favorites again and Makar is going to be making things happen.

Saturday’s NHL game picks

Panthers ML vs. Islanders (-178 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Panthers return home on Saturday night after a successful Canadian road trip. The Cats won 5-0 in Ottawa, got a point in a shootout loss in Toronto, and put up another five goals in a 5-1 win in Montreal on Thursday night.

Florida improved its road record to 7-4-2 and is still dominant at home at 7-3-0. On the other side, the Islanders are 5-4-2 on the road and haven't been playing great recently.

The Panthers have been shooting up the standings thanks in part to having the ninth-best xGF% in the league. Meanwhile, the Islanders' 47.40% xGF ranks ninth-lowest. Even if Ilya Sorokin keeps the Isles in the game, the Cats should be able to pounce on a chance or two to win this one.

Flyers vs. Penguins Under 6.5 (-118 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The first Battle of Pennsylvania of the season is bound to be a good one. John Tortorella has his Flyers playing well above expectations this season. These teams are separated by just one point - an extra overtime loss for the Flyers.

The Flyers have been stingy defensively with the seventh-best xGA/60 (2.38) in the league. In terms of actual goals, the Flyers are still doing pretty well with 2.87 goals against per game.

Both the Flyers and Penguins have trended heavily to the Under this season. Philadelphia is 14-7 to the Under with Pittsburgh right there at 14-6.

Pittsburgh has gone Under in seven straight games and that should continue with Tristan Jarry (2.45 GAA, .919 SV%) projected to face off against Carter Hart (2.68 GAA, .909 SV%) in an intense matchup.

NHL best bets made 12/2/2023 at 1:20 a.m. ET

NHL betting odds pages

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

• Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
• BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
• bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
• BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
• DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

• Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)