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Valeri Nichushkin (13) of the Colorado Avalanche. Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images

NHL best bets: Two anytime goal scorer picks for 3/22

Originally posted on Action Network | By Tony Sartori | Last updated 3/22/24

Check out Tony Sartori's NHL picks tonight for Friday, March 22 – his expert anytime goalscorer predictions.

For tonight's four-game NHL slate, which includes games on the NHL Network on ESPN+, I'm targetting two players for my NHL anytime goalscorer picks.

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 games below.

(NHL bettors: Use our BetMGM promo code to get the most out of your hockey betting!)

Penguins vs. Stars

Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Sidney Crosby (+190, BetMGM)

By Tony Sartori

The Dallas Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early window of Friday's four-game NHL slate. Oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring outing, and the total is set at 6.5 across the board.

One variable contributing to that total is that goaltender Jake Oettinger enters this contest in poor form. He's slated to start once again for Dallas on Friday evening.

Oettinger has now allowed four or more goals in four of his past eight starts. Over that stretch, he possesses a fade-worthy .862 SV% and 3.49 GAA.

Goaltending has been an issue all year for the Stars, which bodes well for guys such as Sidney Crosby. Continuing to dominate the league at 36 years old, Crosby has notched 33 goals this season, which leads the team.

Impressively, 25 of those 33 goals have come at even-strength, which is important against the Stars, who are one of the best teams at preventing power-play goals. March has not been a great month for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but that just gives us a good opportunity to buy low on him.

Pick: Sidney Crosby (+190 at BetMGM)

Blue Jackets vs. Avalanche

Friday, March 22, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
Valeri Nichushkin (+130, FanDuel)

By Tony Sartori

An hour later, the puck will drop between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche. The total is also set at 6.5, and if we are going to see multiple goal scorers from Colorado, I would be shocked if one of them is not Valeri Nichushkin.

First, he has been awesome since returning from injury and has now scored five goals over his past six games. Second, Nichushkin is a power-play specialist, leading the team in goals scored on the man-advantage with 15.

That is bad news for Columbus, considering the team ranks 23rd in the league in penalty-kill percentage. However, Nichushkin could also score at even-strength considering how much the Jackets bleed high-danger scoring chances.

At 5-on-5, they rank 30th in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). Not only is this blue line tasked with going against the league's highest-scoring offense, but they are likely going to do so without defensemen Adam Boqvist and Zach Werenski as both missed Thursday's practice with injuries.

Backing up this short-handed group is goaltender Daniil Tarasov, who has been generally underwhelming once again this season with a 7-9-3 record, .903 SV% and 3.20 GAA.