NHL Best Bets Today, 2/5: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Wednesday
Welcome to NHL Best Bets, where we have a three-game slate to get through the middle of the week.
We'll be back for another massive slate of games tomorrow before we hit a short break.
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/5
It's a smaller slate of games but we have some headline names and teams in action tonight.
Let's pick up some wins over the next few days before the 4 Nations Face-Off starts next week.
Bruins vs. Rangers Prediction: Wednesday, January 22nd
An Original Six matchup is always exciting, and it's set for primetime and national TV. This of course would be the Boston Bruins at the New York Rangers, which we just saw a few days ago where the Bruins won 6-3.
Let's keep it simple for this matchup and turn to David Pastrank for some shots tonight. Pasta leads the league with 222 shots on goal this season, which is nothing new for him. Also, historically, Pasta has routinely put up big performances against the Rangers, as we saw over the weekend where he posted a hat-trick.
Goals are great but they are variable so the shots on goal are where we will look. In the two games this season versus the Rangers, Pastrnak has 13 shots on goal. Last season, Pastrnak had 15 shots on goal in three games, giving us a high level of consistency to trust.
As for the Rangers, they've been struggling on defense this season and that has been shown over the last two weeks when they've allowed 64.37 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-worst in the league.
So, while it's a fun narrative that Pastrnak has historically been great against the Rangers, it's fundamentally a great matchup and he's the highest-volume shooter in the league.
- Expert Bruins vs. Rangers Picks:
- David Pastrnak Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-148 on FanDuel)
Canadiens vs. Kings Prediction: Wednesday, January 22nd
The Los Angeles Kings have hit a bit of a rough patch with seven losses in their last 10 games, they aren't playing “bad”. I know it sounds weird, so I'll explain.
Over the last two weeks, the Kings are scoring 1.77 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 11th lowest in the league. However, they are generating 64.07 Total Shot Attempts in the same situations, which is the seventh-highest in the league.
They're taking a ton of shot attempts but hardly scoring any goals. So, if we glance at their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, they are up at a whopping 3.17, which is the third-highest in the league. That's what you would expect for a team taking the seventh-most shots attempts.
They're doing a lot of the right things, they're just not getting good results. I will buy into that type of team 10 times out of 10. A player leading the way in that area is, Adrian Kempe. Kempe is a proven goal-scorer but hasn't been able to find the back of the net recently. Over the last five games, he has had an awesome 21 shots on goal but no goals.
Considering the matchup versus the Montreal Canadiens, who have allowed 3.02 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last two weeks, which is the third-worst in the league, Kempe and the Kings are due for an offensive breakout.
- Expert Canadiens vs. Kings Picks:
- Adrian Kempe Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+125 on FanDuel)
- Adrian Kempe To Score a Goal (+150 on FanDuel)
Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 1/22
- Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-130 on DraftKings)
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.