NHL Picks: Anytime Goalscorer Best Bets & Expert Predictions (Friday, May 17)
Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars
Check out Tony Sartori's NHL best bets with anytime goalscorer picks for Friday, May 17.
NHL games tonight include two important matchups as the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs rolls on. I have two NHL anytime goalscorer picks for today's doubleheader with Panthers vs. Bruins Game 6 (7 p.m. ET) and Stars vs. Avalanche Game 6 (10 p.m. ET).
Betting on NHL anytime goalscorers is simple enough: If your player scores a goal at any point in the game, your bet is a winner. MLB has its dingers; the NHL has its anytime goalscorers. And with both types of player props, the bets usually come with plus-money odds attached to them, so they're a favorite among all types of sports bettors.
Check out all of the analysis with my favorite anytime goalscorer predictions for tonight's NHL postseason action below.
(NHL fans: Get the most out of your Stanley Cup Playoffs action with our FanDuel promo code tonight!)
NHL Expert Picks – Anytime Goalscorers Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | ||
| 10 p.m. | ||
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Panthers vs. Bruins
Game 6 of this second-round series between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins kicks off Friday's NHL doubleheader.
It's time to buy low on the best pure goalscorer on the ice between these two teams in David Pastrnak. Despite failing to score in Game 5, "Pasta" finished with four shots on goal and led Boston in expected goals.
He has now scored just one goal over his past 13 shots in this series, and for a guy of Pastrnak's pedigree, that is just simply unsustainable, regardless of the opposition. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been good once again this series, which is why we are catching a generous price on Pasta to score at +140 via FanDuel.
With that said, it's not like Bobrovsky hasn't been beatable. He's allowed two or more goals in four of the five games this round, posting a mere .896 SV% over that stretch.
The Bruins' season is on the line on home ice on Friday, and I would be surprised if Pastrnak doesn't leave his mark in a must-win game, just like he did in Game 7 of the first-round series against Toronto.
Pick: David Pastrnak (+140 at FanDuel)
Stars vs. Avalanche
The second contest of Friday's doubleheader features the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of this Western Conference series.
Dallas forward Joe Pavelski finally got the monkey off of his back in Game 5, finding the back of the net for the first time this series. With the first goal finally lighting the lamp, I think we will see more from the veteran forward now that the lid is off the jar.
It's not like he hasn't been producing scoring chances: Pavelski has fired 11 shots on net over the past four games while skating for at least 14 minutes in each contest. He is getting the time and he is getting the looks, so, at worst, Pavelski is going to get some chances once again in Game 6.
That idea makes me really like his price to score at +290 via FanDuel and BetMGM. Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev hasn't been anything special in this series.
Through the first five games, Georgiev is 2-3 with a fade-worthy .880 SV% and 3.14 GAA.
Pick: Joe Pavelskin (+360 at FanDuel)
How would you rate this article?