A busy Saturday in the NHL brings us 12 games and 12 straight hours of hockey as I’ve got my eye on a couple of Jacks that could hit the jackpot in some heavy mismatches.
My NHL picks for Saturday, January 4, will bank on multi-point efforts from Jack Hughes and Jack Eichel, while I’ll also be looking for a sneaky hot scorer in Gabriel Vilardi to continue his goal-scoring tear for the Jets.
NHL prop picks and best bets for January 4
Jack Hughes 2+ points (+145 at bet365) 
Gabriel Vilardi anytime goal (+175 at bet365) 
Jack Eichel 2+ points (+135 at bet365)
Picks made on 1-4 at 10:24 a.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: Jack Hughes 2+ points
+145 at bet365
Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils will look to snap a three-game slump, and they’ve got the perfect opponent to do that as they visit the San Jose Sharks this afternoon.
Hughes has not tallied a point in three straight games, though he did co-lead the Devils with 16 points in 13 contests during December while posting five multi-point outings over that span.
I like Hughes’ odds to get back on the scoresheet with a multi-point effort against the lowly Sharks, who have lost eight of their last nine outings while giving up 3.67 goals and an NHL-worst 33.1 shots against per game during that stretch.
Hughes, who is on pace for his second straight 90-point campaign, has scored points in bunches this season. The Devils center has found the scoresheet in 22 of his 41 appearances, with 15 of those being multi-point efforts.
Chances are if he picks up one point against the Sharks, he’ll notch at least two.
Prop bet #2: Gabriel Vilardi anytime goal
+175 at bet365
The Winnipeg Jets enter Saturday with a 9-3-2 record and 20 points since December 5, tied with the Avalanche for the highest point total among all teams in the NHL over that span.
It’s been the usual suspects putting up points for Winnipeg, with Kyle Connor (9 goals, 22 points) and Mark Scheifele (10 goals, 18 points) leading the Jets in scoring through December, but the club has also benefited from another sneaky hot scorer in Gabriel Vilardi.
The center racked up nine goals and 18 points last month and has found the back of the net in eight of his last 18 contests. Vilardi has been particularly dangerous on the power play, where he’s notched each of his last five tallies.
The Jets, who are clicking at a league-best 32% on the power play, line up against the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Detroit has been abysmal on the penalty kill at 69.2% - the second-worst mark among all clubs.
Detroit has allowed a power-play goal in two straight games and five of their last seven outings, so there’s a good chance we see Vilardi strike again on the man advantage.
Prop bet #3: Jack Eichel 2+ points
+135 at bet365
Jack Eichel is off to a torrid pace this season with 50 points in 38 games - one of just nine players in the league to hit the mark so far.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights star will line up against his former team on Saturday and could be poised for another big night on the scoresheet. The Buffalo Sabres have lost 15 of their last 18 games and own the NHL’s sixth-worst defense at 3.41 goals against per game.
Since the start of Buffalo’s 13-game losing skid that spanned from late November to just before Christmas, the Sabres have been even more porous defensively, giving up 3.78 goals per contest.
Vegas has trended in the exact opposite direction as they lead the NHL with a .724-point percentage and rank fourth in goals per game (3.55). The Golden Knights have averaged 3.88 goals per game over their last eight contests (7-1-0), with Eichel tallying four multi-point performances during that span.
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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