Ryan Hodges
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The dust settles from an excellent night in the NHL in which there were 14 games played. There are just 2 games on Friday before getting right back to a loaded 13-game slate on Saturday. Tonight, the Senators visit the Blue Jackets and the Sharks visit the Devils. While there are just 2 games on tap, there are multiple star players suited up and plenty of betting value on the board. Your team may not be in action tonight, but this small slate still gives you some entertaining hockey and something to root for if you choose to make a play or two. You can also find out our NHL predictions for both games today, but now let’s dive into my best NHL prop bets.
Brady Tkachuk over 0.5 goals (+105)
The Senators have not had the season fans hoped for while the Blue Jackets have been a basement dweller once again. The Senators are the better team on paper and realistically should not have many issues beating the Blue Jackets. But it has been a bit ugly for Ottawa this week as they have lost 2 straight by a combined score of 10-2. All of this to say that this game may be closer than expected.
In a game script where things are tight late in the game, coaches will typically shorten the bench and top players will get even more ice time. In that case, look for Brady Tkachuk to be a contributor in this one. He leads the Senators with 10 goals and has 15 points. By odds, he is the most likely player to score in this game in what should be a favorable matchup for Tkachuk and his star teammates. With things not going great for the Senators, look for their captain to step up.
Jack Hughes over 1.5 points (-145)
The Devils are another team that has not quite lived up to preseason expectations a quarter of the way through the season. They have been dealing with an injury bug but nonetheless, the Devils find themselves on the outside looking in among a stacked Eastern Conference. Even though there is plenty of hockey left this season, they will have their foot firmly on the gas to collect every point possible moving forward. That means in this lopsided matchup against the Sharks, the Devils have a great chance to really run up the score.
Jack Hughes can light up the scoresheet on any given night, let alone in a game against a far worse team. Since returning from a 5-game hiatus due to injury, Hughes has 3 goals and 9 points in 6 games. He enters this game with 2 goals and 6 points in his last 2 games, which came against much better teams than the Sharks. Hughes and the Devils will likely play with urgency to collect these 2 points, and Hughes should have a stat-padding game as a result.
Read our full San Jose Sharks vs New Jersey Devils predictions
