3 NHL Player Prop Bets to Target on Thursday 1/18/24

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy hockey on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NHL player props bets that look appealing via the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's projections may change throughout the day after this article is published.

Tage Thompson

To Score a Goal (+155)

The Buffalo Sabres come in with a solid 3.27 implied goal total and should be able to hit that versus the lowly Chicago Blackhawks tonight.

While this game got postponed due to weather yesterday, I'm going right back tonight.

This season, the Blackhawks are in the bottom three in Goals Allowed (3.06) and Total Shot Attempts Allowed (66.11), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

This often puts opposing offenses in an elite spot to pile up the goals, and that leads me to Tage Thompson, who is the center on the first forward line and the first power-play for the Sabres.

He comes in with 5 goals, 3 assists, and 33 shots on goal over his last 10 games but no goals in four of his last five games.

Given Thompson's role and shot volume, he should be primed to do his usual thing and push the Sabres' offense forward in a very favorable matchup for goals.

William Nylander

To Score a Goal (+135)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have to get the offense going versus the Calgary Flames if they are going to snap this losing streak.

A four-game losing streak is not what the Leafs want to see when they have Stanley Cup aspirations and will look to turn things around tonight. They come in with a solid 3.36 implied goal total against the Flames, who are overperforming on defense right now.

Since the start of January, the Flames have allowed 2.36 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is 14th in the NHL. However, if we look at their Expected Goals Allowed (xGA), they are up at 2.90, which is the fifth-worst in the league.

Their defense is due for a bit of negative regression and with the offensive power of the Leafs, they can certainly get that ball rolling tonight.

I'll turn to William Nylander, who comes in with a very solid 21 shots on goal over his last five games, but no goals. This is rather noticeable for a player who has the fourth-most (184) shots on goal in the entire league.

He's a high-volume shooter and simply isn't getting the puck luck for a goal. His role remains unchanged, so I'll buy in on a player with his offensive potential.

Artemi Panarin

Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+100)

With a favorable matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers should pile up the shots tonight.

While the Golden Knights started the year on the right foot, things have slowly shifted in the wrong direction, mainly due to injuries. Having several regular starters out of the lineup can test any team, and we're seeing that right now for Vegas.

Since the start of January, their defense has allowed 65.91 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-worst in the league. This is not what we expected to see from the defending Stanely Cup Champions, but that's the situation they're currently in.

Panarin leads the Rangers with 178 shots on goal or 4.1 per game this season. He's hit the over on this prop in seven of his last 10 games and is coming off a game where he recorded just a single shot on goal. This is a clear spot for him to get back to his shooting ways and pile up the shots.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.