3 Best-of-the-Board NHL Props to Back on October 16: Crosby, Gauthier and Karlsson

Friday’s NHL board is a two-game late-night special, and that is exactly the kind of slate where player props shine. With only Penguins at Avalanche and Bruins at Ducks on tap, there is no wading through a 12-game menu. We can zero in on three bets, pour a drink, and let the puck drop in Denver at 9:00 PM ET and Anaheim at 10:00 PM ET.

Today’s card is a bit of everything: a legend hunting a goal, a sniper who lives on shot volume, and a defenseman quietly running the Pittsburgh offense from the blue line. Lines move fast, so check your book before you fire.

Sidney Crosby Anytime Goal Scorer: The Captain Is Heating Up

Sidney Crosby waited until Tuesday to light the lamp this season, and when he finally did, he did it twice, both in a 5-3 loss at Chicago. Those were his first two goals of 2026-27, and they pushed his career total to 656, tying Brendan Shanahan for 14th on the all-time list. Players who just broke through tend to keep shooting, and Crosby is a threat every time he is on the ice.

The matchup is friendlier than the Colorado name suggests. Avalanche goalie Blackwood enters at 3-2-0 with a 3.04 GAA and an .885 save percentage on the year, hardly the wall you would expect behind a team that is 4-2-1. Pittsburgh is also scoring 3.43 goals per game, and the game total sits at 6.5, which signals plenty of goals on the board.

The price is where this gets fun. ESPN has Crosby anytime at roughly +245, while Dimers puts his goal probability at 27.5%. Convert +245 and you get an implied chance in the high 20s, so the number is right around fair with a little room to grow if you can find a better line. A superstar, a hot stick, and a plus-money ticket is a good way to start a Friday night. If you want a refresher on how those prices translate to payouts, our guide to how betting odds work breaks it down.

Cutter Gauthier Over 3.5 Shots on Goal: Volume Is the Whole Game

Cutter Gauthier is the type of winger who fires from everywhere. Covers lists his shots on goal average at 3.4 per game, and his recent log tells the story: 7 shots against one opponent on Oct. 7, 4 on Oct. 4, and 5 on Oct. 2. He finished last season with 41 goals on 285 shots, so the shot-heavy profile is not a fluke. He is also skating alongside Nikita Nesterenko and Beckett Sennecke on the expected Ducks lines.

The line sits at 3.5 with the over around -113 on StatMuse, with the under at -127. That is a near coin-flip price on a player whose ceiling nights are enormous. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman is excellent in goal (5-1-0, 1.99 GAA, .930 save percentage), but a great goalie does not stop a shooter from letting it fly. It only makes each shot harder to cash as a goal, and this bet does not need a goal.

Now the caveat, and it is a big one. Gauthier has been dealing with an upper-body injury, missed Tuesday’s game against Calgary, and was listed as day-to-day heading into Friday. He has also gone three games without a point. If he is not in the lineup, this prop gets voided or dead at most books, so confirm he is in the lineup before puck drop. Do not bet this one early.

Erik Karlsson Over 0.5 Assists: The Quarterback Keeps Dealing

Erik Karlsson has seven assists and zero goals through seven games, and he leads Pittsburgh in both assists and points. He has two multi-assist games already, including two helpers on Tuesday against Chicago, one on each of the first two Penguins goals, scored by Crosby and Nicholas Robertson. He is averaging 22:58 of ice time per game and has two of his assists on the power play.

That is a nearly one-assist-per-game pace from a defenseman who touches the puck on every Pittsburgh possession. If Crosby is the one cashing the goal ticket, there is a good chance Karlsson is part of the sequence. The pairing of these two plays gives you a natural hedge: when one hits, the other has a strong shot at being involved.

Colorado’s Blackwood has struggled, and a team that is chasing goals against one of the league’s most dangerous offenses will let Karlsson walk the line and make plays. Assist props can be unpredictable on any given night, so keep the stake sensible, and check your book for the current price on the over 0.5.

Lock These In

Two games, three bets, and one important lineup check. Here is the card for Friday night:

• Sidney Crosby anytime goal scorer (about +245 at ESPN)
• Cutter Gauthier OVER 3.5 shots on goal (about -113, confirm he is in the lineup first)
• Erik Karlsson OVER 0.5 assists (check your book for the price)

Pittsburgh is a plus-money underdog in Denver at roughly +190, and Boston and Anaheim are close to a pick-em, so the props are where the value lives on this short slate. Bet responsibly, shop around for the best number, and enjoy the late-night hockey.