This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
We've got a trio of NHL games to get in on the action this fine Friday evening. Big sports weekend coming up. There is apparently a football game in Vegas on Sunday, and supposedly some good teams and decent players are playing in it. The NHL is rolling out a nice slate of games to feast on before that though, and we'll start with the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Oilers -1.5 PL (-115 on DraftKings)
The Oilers just snapped their 16-game winning streak with their Tuesday loss to the Golden Knights. They've had three days to lick their wounds, and I love the puck line against the Ducks. This is the first game since January 31 for the Ducks, and a lot of teams have been slow to get going post-All-Star break this week. I think the bookmakers are favoring the rested legs in this one, which is why the line has a fair amount of juice on it. The Oilers have beaten the Ducks in five straight matchups and every win came by 2+, including a 7-2 drubbing in Anaheim on December 31.
Rangers, Blackhawks under 5.5 (-105 on FanDuel)
The Blackhawks are 3-9 since Connor Bedard broke his jaw, and the total has been six or lower in 10 of those contests. The Rangers are more than happy to play a low-scoring game. They squeaked out 2-1 and 3-1 wins this week against the Avalanche and Lightning respectively. Igor Shesterkin should start in net for the Rags tonight, and he needs a bounce-back performance since Jonathan Quick is close to stealing the number 1 gig full time. I like a 4-1 Rangers win here.
Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Artemi Panarin over 1.5 points (+130 on DraftKings)
Remember when Panarin played for the Blackhawks, but they let him go? He seems to take that personally as he's potted 2+ points in five straight head-to-head matchups with his former team. I think the Breadman is due to deliver.
Evgeni Malkin over 2.5 shots on goal (-115 on DraftKings)
Malkin loves playing the Wild. He has nine points in his last five games against this club, and he's hit over 2.5 shots in nine of his last 10 matchups with Minnesota. He was pretty quiet in the Pens' 3-0 win over the Jets on Tuesday, so I think he perks up a bit tonight.
