As the two-week break approaches and illnesses plague the league, Unders are cashing at alarming rates over the last week.
There's not much sense in placing a heavy Over card regarding team and player props, so I’m adhering to that on today’s four-game slate.
These are my three favorite NHL player props for Friday, January 31.
NHL prop picks and best bets for January 31
Forsberg u0.5 points (+185 at bet365)
Blue Jackets TT u2.5 (-115 at bet365)
Drouin u0.5 points (+132 at bet365)
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Filip Forsberg Under 0.5 points (+185 at bet365)
While Filip Forsberg has recorded 34 points in 24 home games for the Nashville Predators, the star winger has registered just 15 points in 25 road matches — including hitting the Under 0.5 points in 11 of his last 20 road contests.
Why the difference in splits? A big factor is the last change. On the road, teams have to make the first line change after a stoppage, which allows the home side to counter with a matchup of their choosing.
As a result, the Forsberg line faces much tougher defensive matchups on the road than at home. Steven Stamkos has only 15 points in 25 road games, while Jonathan Marchessault has just 13 points.
Additionally, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been great of late in net for the Sabres, sporting a 2.35 GAA and a .918 SV% over his last three games while allowing two goals or fewer in seven of his last 13 starts.
It’s a big price for a prop that has been profitable on the road all season.
Blue Jackets team total Under 2.5 (-115 at bet365)
Speaking of splits, the Columbus Blue Jackets might have the biggest offensive splits in hockey. At home, they boast the No.1 offense at 4.04 goals per game. However, on the road, that number slips to 2.56 goals per game, which ranks 25th in the league.
The difference is that the BJs are a top-loaded team that struggles to score when their top line is matched up against the better defensive players of the opposing team. The Blue Jackets are also coming off a 2-1 overtime win in Vegas last night and have played five of their last six games on the road, with Dallas and Buffalo still looming.
When playing team totals, it’s tough to win an Under on a winning team as empty-net goals are killers, but the BJs are a perfect 0-6 SU this season on the second of a back-to-back and have been outscored 32-10 in those six losses.
Daniil Tarasov will likely start, and the netminder has won just one game since November — going 1-7 SU over that stretch with a GAA north of 4.00.
Jonathan Drouin Under 0.5 points (+132 at bet365)
The Colorado Avalanche are 1-4 SU in their last five, and the morale can't be high after a drastic trade that sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen.
Jonathan Drouin is currently playing on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Jusso Parssinen, which isn't an ideal situation for point production. Although he's currently on the PP1, Drouin is not a main contributor to a struggling special teams unit that ranks 31st in January (10%).
Drouin might have 13 points over his last 14 games since returning to the lineup, but he has gone pointless in half of those.
NHL odds today
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
