Best NHL player prop bets for today 1/5: All in on Alex Ovechkin

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Capital One Arena.
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Ryan Hodges

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.Born and raised in St. Louis. My sports fandom started with my local teams and has only grown broader and broader since day 1. I love having action all around the sports world, but my primary betting interests and handicapping lie with the NHL and MLB. I combine experience playing and coaching those sports with obsession, fandom, observations, trends and more to bring you the most knowledgeable insight possible for your picks. For Ryan Hodges media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

After a small slate in the middle of the week, Thursday brings the juice with a packed 10-game slate. Highlighting the schedule is Seattle vs Toronto early on, followed by Pittsburgh vs Vegas and Boston vs LA to end the night. With plenty at stake at this point in the season and star players suited up, there is a lot to watch out for on Thursday night. If you are looking to have some action, here are our favorite NHL player props for Thursday. Also, be sure to also check out our NHL picks for each of today’s games.

You can bet on these NHL player props with BetMGM, which has an incredible sign-up offer where you can bet $10 on any team and win $200 if EITHER TEAM scores a goal! Click here to take advantage of this BetMGM new customer offer.

Jack Hughes over 1.5 points (+130)

The Devils took full advantage of a get-right spot with a 5-1 win over the Red Wings on Wednesday. Thursday brings another opportunity to get hot again for New Jersey after a 2-7-2 run entering this week. The Devils are now 2-0-1 in their last 3 games and have points in 4 of their last 6. New Jersey has dropped their last 7 consecutive home games and wants to snap that streak. They will come out with plenty of urgency to break out of this home slump. The Devils’ urgency and favorable matchup against the Blues should have Jack Hughes and company licking their chops to have a stat night.

Hughes leads the Devils in goals with 22 and in points with 44 in 38 games played with a +12 rating. He has 5 goals and 6 points in his last 5 games which have been against the Bruins twice, Penguins, Hurricanes and Red Wings. Those are some very solid opponents against which Hughes continues to produce. Since October 24, there are just 6 games in which Hughes does not have a point. He has been arguably the best player on one of the best teams in the NHL that scores the 8th-most goals per game. The Blues have allowed 5 goals in back-to-back games, and have allowed 4+ goals in 5 of their last 6 games. They have the NHL’s 7th-worst goal prevention, and Hughes should be able to lead the Devils to another high-scoring win.

Don’t miss our NHL mega parlay for tonight’s slate at +956 odds!

Alex Ovechkin over 0.5 goals (-110)

Alex Ovechkin continues to defy the odds as he just keeps lighting it up at age 37. He has 28 goals and 47 points in 40 games this season. Ovechkin has really caught fire recently as he has tallied 8 goals and 9 points in his last 5 games. Obviously, this guy is the heartbeat of the Capitals. He is a stalwart on the top line and top power play, he logs over 21 minutes of ice time per game with other top players on the Caps, and has logged an average of 4.4 shots on goal per game this season. There are not many teams in the NHL that present a better opportunity to generate offense and high-quality scoring chances than the Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets have the 2nd-fewest points in the NHL and 3rd-worst goal differential. They have the 2nd-worst goal prevention at 3.92 goals allowed per game, and they allow the 2nd-most shots on goal per game. Ovechkin has been just buzzing lately on the way to chasing down the attainable all-time goal record. The Capitals have just 1 regulation loss in their last 14 games, and they are starting to get injured players back. There is a very good feeling in that locker room right now led by #8. Washington is playing great hockey and has a great matchup to keep it rolling. Any offense the Caps generate has a very good chance to include the captain.

Get our NHL predictions for each of tonight’s 10 games

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