This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
Thanksgiving weekend is always such a fun time for sports fans. Like football? This weekend is up there with kickoff weekend and the New Year's Six. We're hockey fans first here though obviously, and there are a whopping 14 games on tonight to sink our teeth into. With so much meat on the bone, here are the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Rangers ML (+102 on FanDuel)
The Rags were knocked off a 4-game heater in their loss to the Stars the other night. They head into Pittsburgh 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and are looking to get back to their winning ways. The Pens will be without Bryan Rust and Rickard Rackell up front tonight. I just like the Rangers' game, and I think it's a mismatch for Sidney Crosby and company.
Predators ML (-105 on FanDuel)
The Preds potted 2 late goals to surprise the visiting Avalanche on Monday. They've waffled around mediocrity so far this season, but have notched 5 of their 7 wins on home ice where they'll welcome the Flames tonight. You never really know which Flames team you're going to get these days. Some nights they look great, some they look awful, some nights Jonathan Huberdeau rides the pine despite being one of the NHL's highest-paid players. I'm favoring the home team with near-even odds in this one.
Oilers, Hurricanes under 6.5 (+104 on FanDuel)
You might be enticed to bet the over whenever the Oilers are on the slate. That was one of my philosophies last season and it panned out nicely. But that was then. This is now. Sure, 7 of their last 10 have hit this over. Sure, they've looked a little better since Jay Woodcroft was fired. But the Canes are a different beast. 8 of their last 10 have been under 6.5, including 4 straight home games. This looks like a line where the books think they're going to cash in, so let's go against the grain.
Blackhawks, Blue Jackets over 6.5 (-110 on FanDuel)
Connor Bedard versus Adam Fantilli, a battle of 2023's 2 top picks. This also a battle of 2 of the NHL's worst teams. The Blackhawks have lost 4 straight and 7 of their last 10. The Blue Jackets have dropped 9 in a row, and are benching stars like Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. This could go either way, which is why the over/under line is set at -110 on either side. I'm leaning over.
Blues, Coyotes over 6.5 (-104 on FanDuel)
5 of the last 10 matchups between these Central Division foes have hit this over. The Yotes are a much better team when playing at Mullett Arena, and the Blues are only 3-5-1 on the road this season. Could I see this game being a 3-2 stinker? Yes. But could I also see it being a back-and-forth 5-4 shootout? Absolutely.
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NHL Best Player Props Tonight
Alex DeBrincat over 0.5 points (-166 on DraftKings)
The Cat's got points in 7 of his 10 home games so far this season, and the Devils have been giving up a ton of shots of late as they try to find their identity. The 6.5 over has hit in 7 of the last 10 games for the Devils too, which indicates there should be some goals scored tonight and I love DeBrincat to get on the scoresheet in that flurry.
Mathew Barzal over 2.5 shots on goal (-135 on DraftKings)
Barzie's hit this in every single home game this season. Enough said.
Filip Forsberg over 3.5 shots on goal (-130 on DraftKings)
When you watch the Predators play, it's impossible not to notice this guy. He plays hard every night, and is Top 20 in scoring league-wide. He's averaging over 4 shots on goal per game, and has hit in 8 of 9 at home this year.
Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots on goal (-160 on DraftKings)
He's hit in 10 straight. Next question.
Brad Marchand over 2.5 shots on goal (-145 on DraftKings)
Marchy's hit this in 8 of his last 10 overall, and 10 of 14 against the Panthers. There will be some heat in this matchup given the playoff meeting between these clubs from last year. You can count on Marchand to be in the mix.
