NHL best bets: Anytime goalscorer picks and predictions for Friday 4/26

Oilers vs. Kings

Friday, April 26, 10:30 p.m. ET, TBS
Zach Hyman (+140, FanDuel)

Friday's NHL nightcap features Game 3 between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, and all three of my props will target this matchup.

This series is tied with Colorado vs. Winnipeg for the highest-scoring first two games of the opening round, and oddsmakers are expecting another similarly high-scoring affair on Friday with the total set at 6.5.

Forgive me for this "sky is blue" comment, but a high-scoring game obviously bodes well for targeting goalscorer props, and we will begin with Edmonton forward Zach Hyman.

Hyman put together the best year of his career as he led the team in goals with an astounding 54.

Yes, almost all of them were tap-ins around the crease as Connor McDavid carved up defenses before finding Hyman in the back door. However, 54 goals is 54 goals, and we have seen this exact story play out similarly over the first two games with Hyman scoring in each of them, including a hat trick in Game 1.

All four goals were assisted by McDavid, and as Hyman continues to skate alongside the world's best player, then I will continue to expect him to find the back of the net.

Pick: Zach Hyman (+140 at FanDuel)

Oilers vs. Kings

Leon Draisaitl (+160, FanDuel)

I'm risking a half-unit on Hyman to score along with another half-unit on his teammate Leon Draisaitl.

I am fairly confident that at least one of these two guys will find the back of the net, which would guarantee a profit. And, if both score – all the better.

We hit this exact stack in my goal scorers preview for Game 1 of this series, and they both found the back of the net. I'm not patting myself on the back, but I am saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

While Draisaitl did not follow up Game 1's goal with another in Game 2, he did showcase offensive dominance with eight shots on net and made goaltender Cam Talbot work for it, and I am not convinced that Talbot will go perfect against Draisaitl in back-to-back games.

Los Angeles' netminder has now allowed three or more goals in eight of his past 10 starts dating back to the regular season. Talbot possesses a .883 SV% and 3.36 GAA over that stretch.

Finally, Draisaitl has torched the Kings over the past couple of seasons, scoring 11 goals over the past 13 meetings.

Pick: Leon Draisaitl (+160 at FanDuel)

Oilers vs. Kings

Adrian Kempe (+200, FanDuel)

We are also going to target a member of the Kings in this contest. The Kings are slated to go against goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Like Talbot, Skinner has struggled recently. He has allowed four or more goals in three consecutive starts, posting a fade-worthy .829 SV% and 5.49 GAA in the process.

A majority of these woes have been caused by Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe, who has scored three goals over the first two games of this series. He is averaging six shots on goal between those two outings as he continues to put pressure on Skinner, something the latter has struggled to deal with.

Kempe has now scored nine goals over his past 12 meetings against Edmonton, and I expect more of the same on Friday.

Pick: Adrian Kempe (+200 at FanDuel)