NHL Best Bets Today, 1/23: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Thursday

We have a loaded 11-game slate tonight and there are options abound for NHL best bets today!
This is an awesome slate with so much scoring potential and some very clear player props to target.
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/23
The NHL season rolls on with some massive slates and we're getting incredible action every night.
The scoring was on display last night with 5+ goals from multiple teams.
Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes Prediction: Thursday, January 23rd
The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming off a big 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, but they face another tough test tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The calling card for the Hurricanes over the last few seasons has been tons and tons of shots or shot attempts. Since the start of January, the Hurricanes come in with 75.08 Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the best in the NHL.
On the other side, the Blue Jackets have allowed 64.18 Total Shot Attempts in the same situations since the start of January, which is the sixth-most in the league. We have a matchup of two teams at the opposite ends of the shot creation and shot prevention spectrum, and it's all about the Canes tonight.
Let's turn to Andrei Svechnikov, who leads the Hurricanes with 133 shots on goal this season, or 2.7 per game. Over his last eight games, Svechnikov has hit three shots on goal five times, due to his role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit.
This is a very clear spot for Svechnikov to continue piling up the shots against a weaker defensive team.
- Expert Picks Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes
- Andrei Svechnikov Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-114 on FanDuel)
Golden Knights vs. Blues Prediction: Thursday, January 23rd
It's been a weird stretch of games for the Vegas Golden Knights but they're still a team worth trusting in the prop market. Vegas has the third-most points in the NHL and yet they come in as losers of six of their last seven, including four straight.
Hockey can be a weird sport sometimes, but the best teams generally rise to the top and it can present a buy-low opportunity. Despite these losses, Vegas is still playing “well”, at least by my definition. Since the start of January, they come in with 64.46 Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-best in the league.
They're doing the right things on offense, they just aren't scoring goals and getting rewarded for their efforts. This is something I can buy into – doing things the right way, but variance not falling in their favor.
This brings me to Pavel Dorofeyev, who has the second-most (138) shots on goal for Vegas this season. Over his last 10 games, he has at least two shots on goal in nine of those games, and over 2.5 in seven of them. He's a consistent option on offense for them and that's what they continue to need in this little slump.
- Expert Picks Golden Knights vs. Blues
- Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-106 on FanDuel)
Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/23
- Kirill Kaprizov Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+100 on FanDuel)
Player News
Andrés Giménez had a three-run homer, an RBI single and a walk in the Jays’ 11-7 takedown of the Phillies on Friday.
José Berríos limited the Phillies to one run over 5 1/3 innings in a win Friday.
Jeff Hoffman retired both batters he faced after replacing José Berríos in the sixth inning Friday against the Phillies.
Joe Ross pitched two scoreless innings Friday in a start against the Blue Jays.
Just as he did Thursday, Alan Roden went without an at-bat Friday after entering as a late-game replacement for the Blue Jays.,
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is not on the injury report against the Wizards on Saturday.