Top Expert NHL Prop Picks for Saturday

Looking for Saturday's top NHL prop picks? Our experts weigh in with their best bets for the evening slate.

Here's a look at the top NHL team and player props for Saturday night's 11-game schedule from our team of betting experts (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

NHL Team Prop Picks

New Jersey Devils to score first goal (-160) - Esten McLaren

Devils Over 3.5 goals (+115) - Swinging Johnson

NHL Player Prop Picks

Jonathan Huberdeau to score (+190) - McLaren

Pavel Zacha to score (+235) - Johnson

SEE ALSO: Avalanche vs. Lightning picks

Top Expert Team Prop Picks

Devils to score first goal (-160) - McLaren

The Buffalo Sabres’ surprising 3-1-0 record is well-supported by a league-best 59.25 percent Corsi For rating at 5-on-5. Despite the strong possession play and record, Buffalo hasn’t opened the scoring since its season opener against the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils have a quality 52.16 Corsi For percentage at full strength, and they scored first in their first two games of the season before Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. The home and rest advantages favor the Devils with the Sabres coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday.

Devils Over 3.5 goals (+120) - Johnson

The Devils welcome the Sabres to the Prudential Center on Saturday night. The Devils may still be stinging from their 4-1 loss to the Capitals on Thursday. It was their first loss of the season, and they get a golden opportunity to get back on track against a Sabres team smarting from their own 4-1 loss to the Bruins.

Expect the Devils to fully exploit this situation as they face what should be a gassed Buffalo group playing in the second leg of a back-to-back. I expect New Jersey to get its fair share of goals against Buffalo backup netminder Dustin Tokarski.

Top Expert Player Prop Picks

Huberdeau to score (+190) - McLaren

Huberdeau has three assists but no goals on five shots through four games. He has been rather unlucky in that regard with 11 total shot attempts while averaging 18:13 of ice time per game. The Philadelphia Flyers have a 26th-ranked 46.82 Corsi For percentage at full strength. The Panthers are undefeated and have an expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5 of 52.31 to go with a sixth-ranked 54.47 percent Corsi percentage. Florida should control possession and a higher shot count will allow Huberdeau to get his first goal of the season with a 12.4 percent career shooting percentage.

Zacha to score (+235) - Johnson

Zacha led the team in points last season. He has produced two points through three games to start the 2021-22 campaign, with an assist in the team’s 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks and a goal in their 4-2 win against the Seattle Kraken. However, he was blanked in Thursday’s 4-1 setback to the Capitals. Saturday's game should be the Devils' for the taking. Expect Zacha to be prominently featured on the score sheet against a winded Buffalo squad.