Three prop picks from Thursday’s 12-game NHL slate have my attention.
The pregame narrative: Brady Tkachuk is a menace in every area of the ice and I expect another high offensive output against the Boston Bruins tonight. I also have picks on Lane Hutson and Yegor Sharangovich.
Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 23.
NHL prop picks
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Best bet: Tkachuk over 3.5 shots (-112)
On Jan. 18, Tkachuk had eight shots against the Bruins in a 6-5 win for his Ottawa Senators.
Boston isn’t the team it was in past seasons. The red-hot Sens have jumped the Bruins in the standings, claiming the final wild-card position, for now.
Tkachuk ranks second in the NHL in shots per game (4.0) behind only David Pastrnak (4.2), his opponent on Thursday.
The difference is that Pastrnak’s line is set at 4.5 while bettors can still grab Tkachuk at 3.5 at a good price.
And if we look at the stats, the Bruins are more vulnerable to giving up shots. They rank in the bottom half of the NHL, allowing 28.6 per game.
Tkachuk also has a knack for peppering Boston’s goal when these two sides meet.
Key stat: Ottawa’s captain has 20 shots in two games vs. the Bruins this season.
Quick picks
Hutson to score 1+ points (-132): The second overall pick in 2022 is turning into an elite offensive defenceman very quickly.
Hutson has 39 points in 47 games to start his rookie season and is on a major heater right now.
- He recorded at least one point in nine straight games.
- Hutson has 13 points during that stretch.
He may be a rookie but the Montreal Canadiens rely on him like a vet. He averages the second-most ice time (22:36) while quarterbacking the first power-play unit.
The Detroit Red Wings rank bottom 10 in goals allowed (3.2) and shots against (29.1) per game while owning the NHL’s second-worst penalty kill (68.1%).
Sharangovich to score 1+ points (+123): Sharangovich started the season on the injured list and hasn’t been as productive as the Calgary Flames would’ve hoped since returning with 14 points in 38 outings.
But he has found some recent chemistry with his linemates after being moved back to the centre position to deal with an injury to Connor Zary.
Sharangovich has three points in four games since the move, going 2-2 against this line. It’s nothing spectacular but this is a plus-money pick, after all.
Additionally, he was recently promoted to the first line on the power play.
The Buffalo Sabres provide an enticing matchup, allowing the fourth-most goals per game (3.4). They also take the sixth-most penalty minutes (9.9) while killing penalties at a below-average rate (77.1%).
There should be ample opportunity for Calgary’s forward group on Thursday and I like the value on Sharangovich.
Picks made at 9:50 a.m. ET on 01/23/2025.
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.