Yesterday’s article went 2-1 straight up for 2.8 units and I’m looking to go even bigger today with another three-pack of line stacks.
The Avs have a great slump-busting matchup vs. the Sharks tonight, the Blackhawks are winning and Connor Bedard and Ryan Donato are the best pair to bet on, and the Devils’ top line can stack a couple of times tonight vs. the Blue Jackets and their awful goaltending situation.
These are my three favorite NHL player props for Thursday, December 19.
NHL prop picks and best bets for December 19
Colton + Nichushkin o0.5 points (+170 at bet365)
Bedard + Donato o0.5 points (+210 at bet365)
Hughes + Bratt o1.5 points each (+425 at bet365)
Picks made on 12-19 at 12:19 p.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: Ross Colton + Val Nichushkin Over 0.5 points each
The Colorado Avalanche get a chance to get the offense going tonight vs. the San Jose Sharks who just lost Vitek Vanecek in net. They are massive -260 road favorites in the nightcap but there is plenty of value in a second-line stack that is also playing on the first power play. The Avs could see their former goaltender in Alex Georgiev who has allowed 27 goals over his last nine games for a 3.51 GAA or recently recalled rookie Yaroslav Askarov.
Ross Colton is a great bet for a point on his own at -115 but the stack with his linemate Val Nichushkin is a very reasonable +170. Since Colton returned to the lineup, the pair combined for five goals over six games.
The Avs have dominated the head-to-head having won 10 straight meetings with the Sharks so bettors should expect more than one goal from Colorado tonight which is something the elite offense has not done in two of its last three games.
Prop bet #2: Connor Bedard + Ryan Donato Over 0.5 points each
The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to win three in a row for the first time all year tonight when they host a struggling Seattle Kraken club as a +120 home dog. The Chicago offense has put up eight goals over the last two games vs. the Islanders and Capitals and since the Hawks are coming off a win, the lines should not be changing.
That’s great news for a Connor Bedard and Ryan Donato stack. The pair are playing together on the first line with offensive-less Nick Foligno and on the top power play. Over the last 10 games, Bedard is finally heating up with a point-per-game average while Donato has a point in three of his last four since moving beside Bedard.
The pair are paying +210 for a point each tonight and Chicago is live on the moneyline vs. a Seattle team that hasn’t scored in five straight periods. If you can't stack this line for a price better than +165, Donato for a point is +120 and the best route.
Prop bet #3: Jack Hughes + Jesper Bratt Over 1.5 points each
This is getting a little heavy but I’m hitting a two-point stack tonight vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets and the pair is Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The New Jersey Devils could score six goals tonight with the goalie situation in Columbus. They just sent Jet Greaves to the farm team as he had been starting thanks to the play of Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov. Since the start of December, that duo has combined to go 1-5 SU with a 0.854 save percentage. It’s likely Merzlikins tonight who has a 3.55 GAA over his last seven starts spanning 30 days.
Another angle I like the Hughes/Bratt combo to continue to point is the Devils will be going with Jake Allen in net which could actually create a high-scoring game. He is not near the goalie Jacob Markstrom is and Columbus has had success scoring at home.
The Over 1.5 stack is +425 at bet365. Jack Hughes has recorded two or more points in 50% of his last 16 games while Bratt has hit 2+ points in seven of his last 16 games. If you can't get them at o1.5 points each, I like them each to get a point and Devils ML for +125.
NHL odds today
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
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