Underdog Fantasy NHL Picks December 4th: Jared McCann takes on the Montreal Canadiens
Welcome into NHL player projections central for the season on Underdog Fantasy! Player projections are becoming one of the hottest growing things in hockey over the past few seasons and I have definitely taken notice as it adds yet another layer to a great game experience. Throughout this season you will find picks offered on the Underdog site that I find the most appealing as there are many to choose from so that's why I'm here to help you sift through the options.
For today's slate, we have 14 games on tap around the NHL and plenty of options for player props! I have highlighted a trio of plays that I will be following tonight that includes 3 players around the league for the Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers! Good luck to everyone on the plays tonight, let's win some cheddar!
NHL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks December 4
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights - HIGHER than 3.5 Shots On Goal
Eichel has been up and down when its come to shots on goal this season but when the matchup is right he gets after it! Eichel to his credit as gone higher than 3.5 goals in 60% of games this season and is averaging 4.1 shots per game, I've just been burned but I am ready to forgive him. The St. Louis Blues allow 32.52 shots on goal this season, the 6th most in NHL and they've been slumping overall. Seems like a great spot for Eichel and the Golden Knights this evening.
Jared McCann, Seattle Kraken - HIGHER than 3.0 Shots on Goal
The line is 3.5 on most sportsbooks today but over at Underdog Fantasy you can get McCann to go higher than an even 3 shots which gives a nice safe floor in my opinion. McCann is the best forward the Kraken have and it means he's on the ice all the time, over 20 minutes per game on occasion. He has averaged exactly 3 shots per game this season but has 13 over his last 3 games and the Montreal Canadiens allow 34.17 shots per game the 3rd most in the NHL, he's going take this play higher!
BONUS - Connor McMichael, Washington Capitals - HIGHER than 1.5 Shots on Goal
Player News
Paul Skenes has announced that he will pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic
Skenes has pitched for Team USA in two other tournaments during his career and actually spent two years at the Air Force Academy. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now and will partner with arguably the best hitter in baseball right now, Aaron Judge, to lead Team USA in what figures to be an extremely competitive WBC tournament in 2026.
White Sox LHP prospect Hagen Smith (fatigue) will have his workload managed at Double-A Birmingham.
Hagen Smith’s velocity fluctuated in his last outing, and the White Sox were cautious about him showing some signs of fatigue. They shortened his last outing and will skip his next start to help him manage his workload in his first full professional season. Everything is fine with Smith from a medical perspective, but this is a good reminder that Smith is an immense talent, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a major impact this season as he adjusts to professional baseball.
Paul Blackburn (knee) will make his final rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday
Blackburn has already made four rehab starts, so he will need to be reinstated from the injured list after his start on Friday. As of now, there is no room in the Mets’ rotation, so the most likely outcome is that Blackburn would serve as a multi-inning reliever, which could bump Dedniel Nunez back to the minors.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted the team will “take a look at” whether or not to remove Tanner Houck from the starting rotation.
After his brutal start on Monday, Houck admitted this is “probably the most lost [he’s] ever been.” The struggles really began in the second half of last season, but Houck now has an 8.04 ERA and has allowed double-digit runs in less than three innings twice this season already. Houck does have minor league options remaining, so the Red Sox could simply send him to Triple-A and give him time to figure out what’s going out. If they were to do so, that would allow Hunter Dobbins to stay in the rotation even after Walker Buehler returns next week.
MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy suggests that the Brewers could call up Logan Henderson to start on Wednesday against the Guardians.
Milwaukee has pushed Jose Quintana’s start back to Saturday against the Twins, which means they currently don’t have a starter for Wednesday’s game. Henderson is already on the 40-man roster, so he would make some sense and be an intriguing streamer in deeper formats.
Austin Slater (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.
SLater had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee back on April 16th. He was given a four-to-six week timeline at the time, so he remains on track in his recovery. He could need multiple weeks of rehab games before returning to the White Sox lineup.