Underdog Fantasy NHL Picks November 27th: David Pastrnak takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets
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 6 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, Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals! Good luck to everyone on the plays tonight, let's win some cheddar!
NHL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks November 27
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins - HIGHER than 4.5 Shots On Goal
Been quite some time since I payed a visit to the Pasta man over on Underdog but there's finally a matchup to justify his high totals! Pastrnak has gone higher than 4.5 shots on goal in 7 of his last 10 games averaging 5.1 pucks on net per night. I don't see how the Blue Jackets of all teams slow him down tonight either as they allow 32.91 shots per game, the 4th most in the NHL.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche - HIGHER than 2.5 Shots on Goal
Makar continues to be one of the best offensive blue liners in the NHL and his 2023 season has been fantastic. He has collected 30 points on the season and is also putting the puck on net plenty. For the season he has been up and down some nights with shots but over the past 10 games he has been putting together some great games and the Lighting who he plays tonight allow 31.67 shots per game and are just not great on defense overall. Lifetime against the Bolts, Makar is higher than 2.5 in 5 of 8 games as well.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals - HIGHER than 3.5 Shots on Goal
I will be straight up honest Ovechkin looks like he lost a step this season but there are still games of greatness and tonight against the Sharks seems like it could be huge for #8. The Sharks allow the most shots on goal per game in the NHL this season at 37.1 and figure to continue getting peppered even against a defensive minded Caps team. Ovechkin has topped 3.5 shots in just 41% of games this season but I feel a big game in my gut tonight that he goes higher than his shots line.
Player News
Robbie Ray allowed three runs over six innings and struck out nine in the Giants’ 10-6 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Ray joined Max Fried as the only pitchers off to 6-0 starts thus far this season, and the Giants have gone 9-0 in his outings. His peripherals are significantly worse than his 3.04 ERA, but he’s definitely performed better in his last four starts than he did in his first five, when he seemed more lucky than good. He’ll pitch at home against the Royals next time out.
Brandon Pfaadt fell to 6-3 after giving up four runs in four innings Tuesday against the Giants.
All of the runs came on a Christian Koss homer in the second, though Pfaadt was still shaky over the rest of the outing. There is some mixed-league value here, but it’s a fine idea to bench him with a road start against the Dodgers coming up next.
Jung Hoo Lee went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer versus the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
The homer off Joe Mantiply, which pretty much put away the game in the eighth, was Lee’s fifth of the year. He had come into this one hitting .250/.279/.327 over this previous 27 games.
Christian Koss’s first major leaguer homer was a grand slam off Brandon Pfaadt in Tuesday’s win over the D-backs.
Koss took an inside breaking ball just over the wall in left to homer in his 56th plate appearance as a major leaguer. He’s batting .241/.293/.296 while filling in at second base with Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmidt on the shelf. With both of those guys currently on rehab assignments, it’s possible Koss will be sent back to Triple-A soon.
Josh Naylor had a two-run homer and a two-run single against the Giants in Tuesday’s loss.
The homer off Spencer Bivens in the ninth was his first since Apr. 17, and Naylor had as many RBI tonight as in his previous 13 games combined. He has five homers and 27 RBI in 42 games on the season.
Jacob Wilson went 4-for-5 and hit his fourth and fifth homers Tuesday as the A’s crushed the Dodgers 11-1.
He was on base all five times up, as he also reached on an error. So much of Wilson’s contact is rather weak that it’s always unexpected when he muscles up and hits a ball 380 feet, but he’s definitely demonstrated that he’s capable. He’s up to .363/.389/.512 for the season after tonight. He has 58 hits, yet just 41 hard-hit balls. His barrel and homer totals are also equal, though the league as a whole has a little more than twice as many barrels as homers.