March Madness will get a majority of the attention today, but there's still money to be made on tonight's massive 14-game slate in the NHL. I'm heading the PrizePicks route tonight. Below you'll find my three favorite player predictions on the platform. If all three plays cash, they'll net us a 5x multiplier.
March Madness will get a majority of the attention today, but there's still money to be made on tonight's massive 14-game slate in the NHL. I'm heading the PrizePicks route tonight. Below you'll find my three favorite player predictions on the platform. If all three plays cash, they'll net us a 5x multiplier.
Thursday’s Best NHL PrizePicks Player Predictions
Jonathan Huberdeau Less Than 0.5 Points
Let's pick it up in Newark, where the Devils (37-26-6) are set to host the Flames (31-25-11) in a cross-conference tilt. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The key issue for the Devils last season was their poor defensive play. New Jersey fixed that problem over the offseason, as the front office acquired Jacob Markstrom. The netminder comes into tonight's game 22-13-5, boasting a 2.45 GAA (seventh) and .902 SV% (26th). The Devils have climbed to second in overall defense (2.39 GAA) while sitting third on the penalty kill (82.72%).
New Jersey is tasked with slowing down Calgary's abysmal offense, which is ranked dead last in scoring (2.5 goals per game), 31st in shooting percentage (6.79%) and 19th on the power play (21.47%). I'll lock in second-line winger Jonathan Huberdeau (25 goals, 25 assists) to go pointless tonight. The Flames are averaging only two goals per game across their last six contests. I don't anticipate them having much success in this spot either.
Logan Stankoven More Than 0.5 Points
The Hurricanes (41-22-4) have rattled off seven straight wins. They'll try to keep their streak going tonight when they square off against the lowly Sharks (18-41-9). San Jose enters with the lowest amount of points in the NHL (45). This game is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from the SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, CA.
Logan Stankoven was traded from the Sharks to the Hurricanes at the deadline. The third-line winger has 31 points this season (10 goals, 21 assists). In four games with Carolina, Stankoven has two points (one goal, one assist) and is averaging 2.3 shots on goal per game (SOG/G). Considering he's playing alongside a couple of crafty veterans in Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal, I like Stankoven to log a point tonight.
This third line is challenged with scoring on the league's worst defense, a Sharks side conceding 3.47 goals per game. They're also last in high-danger shots against (289) while sitting 30th in SV% (.884). Let's back Stankoven to score for a second straight game.
Sebastian Aho More Than 0.5 Assists
Keeping it in the same game, I'm also riding with Sebastian Aho to record an assist. The top-line centerman has 39 helpers (38th) this season. He's picked up at least one assist in three out of his last four games.
Aho has racked up 17 power-play assists this year. He'll look to register another one against a San Jose penalty kill ranked just 26th in the NHL (74.16%). The Sharks are allowing 4.2 goals per game during their current 1-4-0 run. I expect the Hurricanes to lay it on them again tonight. Give me Aho to record at least one assist tonight.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
- NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- March Madness Bracket Strategy & Betting Picks
- NCAA Tournament Same Game Parlays: Round 1 (Thursday)
- NCAA Tournament Player Prop Bets: Round 1 (Thursday)
- 2025 NCAA Tournament Best Bets: Round 1 (Thursday)
- NBA Player Prop Bets, Picks & Predictions
- NBA PrizePicks Player Predictions
- NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions
