There are only three games on tap in the NHL on Wednesday but I found a pick from each that’s worth sharing.
The pregame narrative: The Boston Bruins are on a midseason tear and an uptick in production from Brad Marchand is a big reason why. I’m backing the Bruins captain to get on the score sheet with another pick on Leon Draisaitl.
Check out my NHL prop picks for Feb. 5.
NHL prop picks
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Best bet: Marchand to score 1+ points (-125)
In early December, something switched on for the 16-year NHL veteran.
- Oct. 8 – Dec. 1: 26 games, 17 points
- Dec. 3 – Feb. 4: 29 games, 25 points
Marchand is now on pace to score his fewest points in a decade, but that speaks more to his consistency as a hockey player than a poor season.
A 60-point campaign is far from a bad year and Marchand can achieve that for the 10th straight time if he keeps playing well.
A few months ago, the New York Rangers would’ve been a tough matchup, but things have gone south in the Big Apple.
After starting the season 12-4-1, New York has been 13-19-3 since then and is at risk of missing the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24.
The Bruns took advantage of the spiralling Rangers on Feb. 1, winning 6-3 and furthering the gap in the wild-card race.
Key stat: In that contest, Marchand had two assists.
Quick picks
Draisaitl to score 2+ points (-112): This is quite the juice for anyone to score two-plus points but it needs some context.
Draisaitl is on a monumental tear. Over the past 28 games, he has 47 points to catapult himself into second in the NHL in scoring (79). He’s also the favourite to win the Hart Trophy.
In that 28-game stretch, Draisaitl recorded 16 multi-point games. So he’s a strong threat to cash this prop against anyone, and I haven’t even mentioned the matchup.
The Chicago Blackhawks allow the third-most goals (3.4) and shots (31.5) per game.
Draisaitl has been held scoreless in just nine of 53 games this season. His floor is extremely reliable, and I like his chances of doing extra damage vs. the Blackhawks.
Montreal allows the fifth-most goals (3.3) per game.
Picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET on 02/05/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.