{"id":320038,"date":"2025-01-08T11:56:04","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/?p=320038"},"modified":"2025-01-08T11:56:04","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T16:56:04","slug":"nhl-prop-picks-and-predictions-january-8-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/nhl-prop-picks-and-predictions-january-8-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL prop picks Jan. 8: Back Ovechkin, fade MacKinnon and Bedard on Wednesday night"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are just four games on Wednesday&#8217;s NHL slate, but I have three props worth taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The pregame narrative:<\/strong> The Chicago Blackhawks have been an offensive mess this season. I&#8217;m fading Connor Bedard to find the scoresheet and Nathan MacKinnon&#8217;s shot prop. Elsewhere, I&#8217;m picking Alex Ovechkin to score a goal against the Vancouver Canucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NHL prop picks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"insights\"><strong>Go to<\/strong> <strong>full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northstarbets.com\/sportsbook\/sports\/ice_hockey\/competitions\/10011\">NHL betting markets.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"cacheembed:105612\">Embed: #105612<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.northstarbets.ca%2Fpage%3Fkey%3Dej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNTcxMDU0JnA9MjMxODU%253D&amp;data=05%7C02%7CChris.Toman%40northstargaming.ca%7C437c6a18f24140f74cdf08dc13a6efbb%7Ca474078ecda74c118881901a044d2bef%7C0%7C0%7C638406854905769044%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=zMR4Ev5sJQRjc8cc29FfeBAJpClpcwnXwG2L4Z24cPA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Best bet<\/a>: Ovechkin to score 1+ goal (+114)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been wonderful to have The Great 8 back on the ice after missing 16 games with a fractured fibula he sustained in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone knows he&#8217;s chasing Wayne Gretzky&#8217;s all-time goal record, but I don&#8217;t think people realized how quickly it might come after last year&#8217;s lack of production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Last season: 31 goals in 79 games (0.39 goals\/gm)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This season: 19 goals in 24 games (0.79 goals\/gm)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Since returning from injury, Ovi has four goals in six games and hasn&#8217;t been shy shooting, with 30 shots on goal over that stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ovechkin&#8217;s turnaround couldn&#8217;t come at a more opportune time as he trails Gretzky by just 22 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like him to get at least one goal closer in a plus matchup tonight against the Canucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Vancouver is 25th in goals allowed\/game (3.21)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>15th in penalty kill percentage (80.2%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>25th in penalty minutes\/game (9.5)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Canucks also rank 24th in high-danger save percentage (78.8%), according to Natural Stat Trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the Capitals haven&#8217;t struggled to find the back of the net, even in Ovechkin&#8217;s absence. Washington scores the most goals\/game in the NHL (3.7) and owns a top-10 power play (23.9%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.northstarbets.ca%2Fpage%3Fkey%3Dej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNTcxMDU0JnA9MjMxODU%253D&amp;data=05%7C02%7CChris.Toman%40northstargaming.ca%7C437c6a18f24140f74cdf08dc13a6efbb%7Ca474078ecda74c118881901a044d2bef%7C0%7C0%7C638406854905769044%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=zMR4Ev5sJQRjc8cc29FfeBAJpClpcwnXwG2L4Z24cPA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Key stat<\/a>:<\/strong> Ovechkin has five goals in his last three games against Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick picks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.northstarbets.ca%2Fpage%3Fkey%3Dej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNTcxMDU0JnA9MjMxODU%253D&amp;data=05%7C02%7CChris.Toman%40northstargaming.ca%7C437c6a18f24140f74cdf08dc13a6efbb%7Ca474078ecda74c118881901a044d2bef%7C0%7C0%7C638406854905769044%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=zMR4Ev5sJQRjc8cc29FfeBAJpClpcwnXwG2L4Z24cPA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Bedard under 0.5 points (+133)<\/a>:<\/strong> It really is a shame the way Bedard is positioned early in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A potential once-in-a-generation talent who has little possibility of thriving with the team he&#8217;s playing on. Chicago sits in the basement in nearly every major offensive category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>T30th in goals (2.53)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29th in shots (25.6)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>24th in shooting percentage (9.9%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>31st in faceoff percentage (43.9%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The former first-overall selection has shown promise of late. He&#8217;s currently holding a seven-game point streak, however, I have reason to believe that ends tonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a sluggish start, Colorado has found its stride in the past two months, winning 18 of 26 contests. The main difference maker is its goaltending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Dec. 14, the Avalanche have only allowed more than two goals in a game once. Mackenzie Blackwood has been their knight in shining armour since coming over from the San Jose Sharks, posting a 7-1-1 record with a 1.69 GAA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.northstarbets.ca%2Fpage%3Fkey%3Dej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNTcxMDU0JnA9MjMxODU%253D&amp;data=05%7C02%7CChris.Toman%40northstargaming.ca%7C437c6a18f24140f74cdf08dc13a6efbb%7Ca474078ecda74c118881901a044d2bef%7C0%7C0%7C638406854905769044%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=zMR4Ev5sJQRjc8cc29FfeBAJpClpcwnXwG2L4Z24cPA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">MacKinnon under 3.5 shots (+110)<\/a>:<\/strong> It&#8217;s no secret Mackinnon&#8217;s goal production has dipped severely after his 51-goal output last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Halifax native has just 14 goals this year in 41 games (0.34 goals\/game). This is the lowest average since the 2016-17 season (0.19 goals\/game).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He leads the league in points (66) and assists (52), and Colorado is winning, so I don&#8217;t think finding the back of the net is high on his priority list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MacKinnon has cashed this wager in six of his last eight games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t anticipate a close game in this one so there shouldn&#8217;t be any sense of desperation for MacKinnon or the Avalanche to be pressing for pucks on net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Picks made at 11:29 a.m. ET on 01\/08\/2025.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"thestar\">Looking to get started? <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNTcxMDU0JnA9MjMxODU%3D\">Click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are just four games on Wednesday&#8217;s NHL slate, but I have three props worth taking. The pregame narrative: The Chicago Blackhawks have been an offensive mess this season. I&#8217;m fading Connor Bedard to find the scoresheet and Nathan MacKinnon&#8217;s shot prop. Elsewhere, I&#8217;m picking Alex Ovechkin to score a goal against the Vancouver Canucks. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":320090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sidebar_plugin_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[49,8,206],"class_list":["post-320038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl","tag-nhl","tag-nhl-betting","tag-nhl-props"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NHL prop picks Jan. 8: Best bets, predictions &amp; odds | NSB<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out our best NHL prop picks for Jan. 8. 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