There's no shortage of ways to get in on the action with tonight's nine-game slate in the NHL, including heading to PrizePicks. Below I've listed my three favorite player predictions on the site. If all three predictions hit, we'll net a 5x multiplier.
There's no shortage of ways to get in on the action with tonight's nine-game slate in the NHL, including heading to PrizePicks. Below I've listed my three favorite player predictions on the site. If all three predictions hit, we'll net a 5x multiplier.
Thursday’s Best NHL PrizePicks Player Predictions
Roman Josi More Than 0.5 Assists
The Predators (7-13-6) are in the midst of a five-game slide (0-2-3). They'll try to get back in the win column tonight against a Canadiens club (9-13-3) that resides in the cellar of the Atlantic Division. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.
The Predators enter this contest with the league's worst offense, scoring only 2.3 goals per game. However, defenseman Roman Josi certainly hasn't been the problem, as he's logged 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists), contributing to 23 of the team's 60 goals (38.3%). Josi's 16 helpers are the 33rd-most in the NHL. He's registered at least one helper in eight of his last 13 contests (61.5%).
This is an extremely favorable matchup for the Preds, as they'll take on one of the league's worst defenses. The Habs enter tonight's contest ranked 31st in both GAA (3.48) and SV% (.875), as well as sitting 32nd in high-danger shots against (112). The top skaters on Nashville's roster have too much talent not to light up this inept Montreal defense, so I like Josi to pick up another assist tonight.
Kirill Marchenko More Than 0.5 Points
The Blue Jackets (11-10-3) are looking to avoid the two-leg Alberta sweep after losing 3-0 to the Flames on Tuesday night. Up next is the Oilers (13-10-2), who Columbus wrecked 6-1 back on October 28th. This cross-conference clash gets underway at 9:00 p.m. ET from Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB.
Kirill Marchenko picked up a couple of assists in the 6-1 beatdown of the Oilers back in October, and I'm going to lock in the winger to notch another point tonight. The top-line winger has picked up 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games this year, making him a point-per-game guy. Marchenko has been on fire lately, scoring eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last six games. He's cashed this prop in four out of those six games (66.7%).
Edmonton's defense is finding some structure right now, as they've decreased their team GAA down to 2.80 this year (13th). However, you can only put lipstick on a pig for so long until the masses start to notice it's a pig. This is my metaphor for Edmonton's goaltending issue because the Oilers have the sixth-worst SV% (.885) in the NHL. With Marchenko being a sharpshooter (16.1% shooting rate) and leading the team in goals, I think he buries one tonight against the Oil. Give me Marchenko to log a point.
Jonathan Huberdeau Less Than 0.5 Points
Speaking of Alberta, the Flames (13-9-4) host the Blues (12-12-2) tonight in the Great White North. This Western Conference showdown is slated for 9:00 p.m. ET from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB.
Since Coach Jim Montgomery took the reins of the Blues back on November 24, they're 3-0-1. Their defense has looked much better, posting one shutout while allowing only 1.50 goals per game over the four-game sample size. I'm buying what Montgomery is selling and I'm going to back St. Louis' defense to turn in another solid outing tonight.
I think one of the better ways to back the Blues is by fading the Flames' Jonathan Huberdeau. The natural centerman has only 15 points (eight goals, seven assists), which is 130th in the NHL. Huberdeau has only cashed the more than on this line in 11 out of his 26 games (42.3%), meaning the less than is hitting at a 57.7% clip. He's hit the less than in six out of the last 10 games (60%). I think this upward-trending St. Louis defense keeps Huberdeau off the scoresheet tonight.
