Of the 10 NHL games originally scheduled for Tuesday, eight are still on the docket. Assuming there are no additional COVID-related postponements, we’ll get to see multiple marquee players showing off their skills on the ice. That means multiple NHL prop betting opportunities.
Here are our five favorite NHL player props for Jan. 4.
Odds via DraftKings and FanDuel, and updated as 2:15 p.m. ET on Jan. 4.
Tampa Bay Lightning: C Brayden Point
The Prop: Total Shot on Goal (at Columbus Blue Jackets)
The Odds: Over -112/Under -118
Point is one of the league’s most gifted offensive players. And now that he’s returned from an upper-body injury, the dynamic center will be a key cog in Tampa Bay’s powerful offensive machine the rest of the season.
Point has gone Over his shot total in four of his last six games and in five of nine road contests this season. Last year, he tallied 20 shots in eight games against Columbus, his second-most against any opponent.
The Blue Jackets enter this contest with serious goaltending issues. After allowing seven unanswered goals to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, Columbus is up to a league-worst 35.2 shots against per game. Making matters worse, top netminder Elvis Merzlikins left Monday’s practice with an injury; backup Daniil Tarasov departed the Carolina game hurt and has been placed on injured reserve; and fellow backup Joonas Korpisalo just cleared COVID-19 protocols.
Korpisalo likely will get the start tonight, but he’s 3-4 on the season with a ghastly 3.79 goals-against average.
Editor’s Note: New to NHL props? Check out our complete NHL Props Betting Guide to get up to speed!
Boston Bruins: LW Taylor Hall
The Prop: 2.5 Total Shots on Goal (vs. New Jersey Devils)
The Odds: Over +105/Under -130
Hall’s offensive game hasn’t been quite as productive as many projected it would be in his first full season in the Black and Gold. The former Hart Trophy winner is tied for fifth on the team in points with six goals and 10 assists, but he ranks third on the team in shots with 73 in 28 games.
Hall has gone Over 2.5 shots in seven of his last 10 contests, including four of the last five. He’s also starting to score again.
Top shelf Taylor. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3ehYIDj3hz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 1, 2022
Meanwhile, New Jersey will be without star defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who has been a force at both ends of the ice. Also, goaltender Jonathan Bernier — the only one of six Devils netminders to play this season who has a save percentage better than .900 — will be out of the lineup as well with a hip injury.
Expect a motivated Hall to fire the puck at his former team early and often — and maybe even find the back of the net, as well.
Florida Panthers: C Aleksander Barkov
The Prop: Score Anytime Goal (vs. Calgary Flames)
The Odds: +125
A threat to put the puck in the net on every shift, Barkov has goals in two of his last three games since returning from a three-week, injury-related absence.
With fellow forward Sam Bennett (11 goals, six assists in 26 games) beginning a three-game suspension tonight, there will be added pressure on Barkov to score. But he’s no stranger to that type of circumstance. With 12 goals in 19 games this season, Barkov is on pace to set a career high if he can stay healthy the rest of the year.
12 goals in 19 games for Barkov! pic.twitter.com/v6IXDzUd6K
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) January 1, 2022
Calgary will be tough to beat, as they’re allowing a league-best 2.11 goals per game on the road this season. Fortunately for the Panthers, they’re scoring 4.35 goals per game at home, second-best in the league. And that average has gone up lately, as Florida has tallied 18 goals in three games (all at home) since returning from the holiday break/COVID pause.
Big players make big plays in big moments. Bank on Barkov in this one.
Colorado Avalanche: C Nazem Kadri
The Prop: Score Anytime Goal (at Chicago Blackhawks)
The Odds: +190
A virtual lock to go Over on his shot prop, Kadri is also a solid pick to score on Tuesday (and at a nice plus price). In addition to going Over his shot total prop in 12 of 13 road games, Kadri has scored six of his 11 goals.
Chicago is allowing 3.20 goals per game at home this season and 3.38 per game overall. Meanwhile, Colorado is scoring a league-best 4.21 goals per game and is more proficient on the road (3.79 goals per contest) than any other team.
Feeding Kadri figures to pay off for Colorado, which has found the net 39 times during an ongoing eight-game point streak.
Philadelphia Flyers: RW Cam Atkinson
The Prop: 2.5 Total Shots on Goal (at Anaheim Ducks)
The Odds: Over -140/Under +106
While it may seem counterintuitive to bet against a team’s highest-volume shooter, that’s exactly the plan with Atkinson on Tuesday.
Atkinson has been a betting anomaly this season, and there’s no better proof of that than his last seven games. Atkinson has two shots or fewer in four of those contests, but in each of the three games he went this prop number, he had at least five shots (including a high of seven shots against the Devils back on Dec. 14).
Another reason to lean to the Under here: Atkinson has gone Over this number just five times in 18 road games.
