NHL prop picks April 9: Bet on Avalanche’s Rantanen

There are only two NHL games on Sunday but three prop picks we’re looking to make.

The pregame narrative: Mikko Rantanen is two points away from 100 on the season and we’re betting he gets there. David Pastrnak continues to fire pucks on goal, making him an excellent choice to usurp his shot prop. Lastly, we’re fading Travis Konecny in a tough matchup.

Find all our best NHL props picks for April 9 below.

NHL odds as of 11:12 a.m. ET on 04/09/2023.

NHL prop picks

Best Bet: Rantanen to score 2+ points (-121)

It was an uncharacteristically quiet night for Rantanen on Saturday, but we’re expecting a bounce-back performance on Sunday.

The Big Finn was pointless with zero shots in a tight-checking contest against the Los Angeles Kings. A repeat performance seems highly unlikely in a date with the Anaheim Ducks.

Unlike the Kings, Anaheim is a mess in the defensive zone. The Ducks are surrendering the most goals per game (4.08) this season and have allowed four-plus goals in six of their last seven contests.

They’ll also likely be rolling with Lukas Dostal between the pipes, and his .901 save percentage isn’t overly encouraging.

Rantanen’s recent form is worth mentioning, too. Prior to his scoreless effort against the Kings, he had 10 points in his previous three contests.

With the Colorado Avalanche star being two points away from 100, we’re expecting him to reach the mark for the first time in his career against Anaheim.

Key stat: Rantanen has two-plus points in three of his last four games.

Quick picks

Pastrnak over 4.5 shots (-125): Pastrnak is matchup-proof at this point. Squaring off against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, who are tied for allowing the fourth-fewest shots on goal, the Boston Bruins sniper ripped off seven shots.

The effort marked the 12th time in 13 games that he topped this shot total. The matchup isn’t nearly as tough on Sunday, either. Boston faces off against the Philadelphia Flyers, and they’re tied for ceding the 13th-most shots per contest (31.4) this year.

Konecny to not score 1+ point (+114): There’s good reason to fade Konecny. For starters, he’s in a slump ahead of this contest. The Flyers winger is pointless in three consecutive games with just three shots on goal during this stretch.

He and his team also stare down a matchup with the Bruins. Boston is allowing the fewest goals per game (2.09) by a wide margin and likely starter Jeremy Swayman owns a .952 save percentage across his last six appearances.