DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has nine games on the schedule, including five beginning in the 7:00-7:30 p.m. ET slot, two contests starting at 8:00 p.m. ET and two getting underway at 9:00 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Edmonton (vs. Chicago), Dallas (vs. Anaheim), Calgary (vs. Columbus) and Tampa Bay (vs. Arizona) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. Every game has an Over/Under of 6.5 goals except for the Coyotes-Lightning and Predators-Wild matchups, which check in at 6.0 goals.

GOALIES 

Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. CHI ($8,500): Skinner has won 11 straight games, having stopped 297 of 313 shots during that span. He has surrendered two goals or fewer in each of his past 10 outings. Additionally, the red-hot netminder already has two victories over the Blackhawks this season, stopping 47 of 49 shots. 

Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. ANH ($8,400): Oettinger has won three of his past four appearances, supplying a .915 save percentage during that stretch. He has permitted nine goals in his last two starts but stands a good chance of bouncing back on Thursday. In his career, Oettinger has gone 6-0-0 versus the Ducks with one shutout, a 1.64 GAA and a .940 save percentage. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN vs. NSH ($7,300): Eriksson Ek has compiled five goals and five assists over his five-game point spree. He has three power-play points (one goal, two assists) and 20 shots on net during that time. 

Jason Robertson, DAL vs. ANH ($6,900): Robertson has racked up five goals and 13 points over his past 12 contests. He has six power-play points (one goal, five assists) and 36 shots on target in that period. Robertson has also notched one goal and three helpers over a three-game point streak. 

Joel Farabee, PHI at DET ($5,500): Farabee has amassed six goals, 20 points and 41 shots on net in 16 games going into Thursday night's action. He has been held off the scoresheet just three times during that stretch. Farabee also has five goals and five assists during a seven-game point spree. 

Blake Coleman, CGY vs. CLS ($5,400): Coleman has nine points, including one on the power play and one shorthanded, across his past seven outings. He has cooled down a bit recently, but the 32-year-old forward has been a reliable scoring presence this campaign. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS

Oilers vs. Blackhawks 

Connor McDavid (C - $7,300), Zach Hyman (W - $8,500), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,300) 

McDavid has accumulated 13 helpers, 19 points and 49 shots in his last 14 outings. He has failed to pick up a point on just one occasion during that span. Hyman has registered nine goals and 14 points across his past 12 appearances. He has five multi-point efforts during that stretch. Nugent-Hopkins has collected an assist in each of his last three outings to go along with seven shots on goal. 

The top line of the Oilers has combined for three goals and two assists in two previous meetings with Chicago this season. They should get their chances against a team that has allowed the seventh-most shots per game (32.4) and the fourth-most goals against per game (3.53) during the 2023-24 campaign. 

Bruins at Senators 

Charlie Coyle (C - $5,900), David Pastrnak (W - $10,000), Brad Marchand (W - $6,600)

Coyle is riding a six-game point streak (three goals, six assists) and has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) over his past 15 outings. Pastrnak has lit the lamp eight times on 60 shots across 11 games entering Thursday's action. He also has nine assists during that span. Marchand has tallied 10 goals and three assists in his last 11 appearances. He has six multi-point performances in that time. 

The top line of the Bruins has been firing on all cylinders and that should continue Thursday night. The Senators sit 30th in the league with 3.60 goals against per game. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Noah Dobson, NYI at MON ($7,400): Dobson has earned five assists, six shots on goal and six blocked shots during his three-game point spree. He contributed three helpers in a 5-3 loss to the Canadiens on Dec. 16 to give him nine points (one goal, eight assists) in seven career contests versus Montreal. 

Brock Faber, MIN vs. NSH ($5,500): Faber has plenty of bang for the buck upside Thursday. He has accounted for two goals and six assists during a five-game point spree. Faber also has four power-play points (one goal, three assists), seven shots and 11 blocks in that period. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 27
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 27
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 27
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 27
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, December 27
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, December 27
NHL Trade Tips: Ovechkin's Back
NHL Trade Tips: Ovechkin's Back
NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week
NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week