We have a jam-packed day of NHL action ahead of us with 30 of the league’s 32 teams set to take the ice.
While there is a ton of value on the board, I see the most in backing a pair of elite offensive defensemen against NHL bottom-feeders as well as one of the league's hottest duos up front.
Let’s break things down further with my NHL player props for December 14.
NHL prop picks and best bets for December 14
Werenski Over 0.5 assists (-130 at Pinnacle)
Morrissey Over 0.5 assists (-130 at DraftKings)
Tkachuk + Batherson point parlay (+110 at Bet365)
Picks made on 12-14 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Prop bet #1: Zach Werenski Over 0.5 assists
Zach Werenski doubles as one of the most threatening scorers and playmakers at his position. He's assisted on a goal in 52% of his games this season, a rate that soars to 64% when isolating home outings.
Werenski has picked up an assist in nine of 14 contests in Columbus. His failures came against the Panthers, Wild, Capitals, Flyers, and Islanders.
That’s four teams currently holding onto playoff spots — three of which could be considered elite — and an Islanders squad above average when it comes to limiting goals. It’s easy to understand how Werenski fell short in those matchups.
Werenski is in a mouthwatering spot tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. They rank dead last in shot suppression, dead last in expected goals against, and they can’t kill penalties.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are likely to spend a ton of time on their front foot. Werenski averages more than 26 minutes per night so he’ll be the biggest beneficiary on the entire roster.
Projected Ducks starter John Gibson has allowed at least three goals and/or posted a sub .900 SV% in six of his past eight starts. The two ‘successful’ nights were against Seattle and Chicago, two teams that lack offensive punch.
Werenski and the Blue Jackets should make plenty of noise in this one.
Prop bet #2: Josh Morrissey Over 0.5 assists
Josh Morrissey is another elite puck-moving defenseman who piles up the assists on a nightly basis, especially when playing on home soil.
His splits are even more drastic than Werenski. Morrissey has an assist in 71% of his games in Winnipeg compared to just 41% on the road.
Luckily for Morrissey, he'll be playing on home soil tonight and in an advantageous matchup to boot.
The Montreal Canadiens allow 3.72 goals per game, ranking them 31st in the NHL. They’ve also performed drastically worse on the road, where they own a miserable 3-8-1 record.
The Winnipeg Jets have been dominant at home and will be looking to right the ship after dropping six of their last nine games.
This is a great spot for their offense to ignite. Morrissey should be the one leading the charge when it comes to facilitating for teammates.
Prop bet #3: Brady Tkachuk + Drake Batherson to record a point
Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson were held off the scoresheet Friday night in Carolina. I don’t think it happens again vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This duo has played its best hockey on home soil, where each player has at least one point in 12 of 16 home games. They've really kicked things into high gear since becoming full-time linemates on the flanks of Josh Norris.
That trio has controlled 64% of the expected goal share at 5-on-5 and dominated the run of play. That should continue against a Penguins squad struggling mightily to defend in that game state all season long.
Tkachuk and Batherson also correlate nicely on the power play. They're the two leaders in shots on the man advantage for the Ottawa Senators so it’s clear getting them lots of touches is a priority.
Pittsburgh has gotten better results of late, but it still ranks dead last in goals allowed and 30th in shots allowed on a per-game basis. The Pens are a horrific defensive side that a duo of this calibre should expose.
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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