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Thursday’s NHL slate features 11 games, which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article, you will find DFS advice for DraftKings lineups, plus some DraftKings Sportsbook bets to target.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $65K Kick Save [$20K to 1st]
DraftKings Sportsbook
San Jose Sharks Money Line +105
The Sharks have been a pretty solid team this year and are now sitting at plus money on the DraftKings Sportsbook today. They face a Rangers team on the tail end of a longer West Coast road trip. San Jose hasn’t exactly been blowing teams out of late, but they are on a three-game win streak and will likely face a Rangers team without their best player in goalie Igor Shesterkin (COVID). The plus money here is worth taking for a home team that is being discounted at the moment.
Alex DeBrincat over 3.5 shots on goal +135
The Blackhawks take on the Canadiens tonight, which obviously gives the shooter a great shot at grabbing a point or more. However, the Canadiens also give up the third most shots on goal per game and DeBrincat comes in averaging 3.3 shots on net over his last 10 games. DeBrincat has landed three or more shots in six straight games, and this is a great spot for him to hit a ceiling type of performance both in terms of points and shot volume. The over 3.5 shots at +135 looks like great value.
Place your NHL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Top Stack
Winnipeg Jets at Detroit Red Wings
Pierre-Luc Dubois ($5,700) — Kyle Connor ($7,400) — Neal Pionk ($5,200)
We have a couple of the worst penalty kills in the league facing off against each other today in the Winnipeg-Detroit game, and targeting one (or both) of these teams’ top units has some appeal. The Jets come in missing some of their top players but also have the bigger implied team total of 3.0. With players like Blake Wheeler out for this game, we know the duo of Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois will get plenty of run. The two are linked together at both even strength and on the top power play where the Jets have a unit that strikes over 21% of the time.
Connor has cooled off a touch from a goal scoring perspective but still is averaging just under 4.0 shots on goal per night and over a point per game on the season—making his sub-8k salary very palatable here in a good matchup. Dubois has excelled of late too, and has three or more shots on net in each of his last six games. This is a good breakout spot for both men, who have combined for nine power-play goals between them.
Rather than target a random winger to play with them, using power-play specialist Neal Pionk as a third stacking option makes a lot of sense. The Red Wings have the seventh-worst penalty kill in the league and Pionk has averaged a solid 2.5 shots on net per game over his last 10 games. He’s overdue for a goal himself, but has grabbed three power-play assists over the last 10 games and makes for a perfect way to compliment this high-end Jets duo.
Superstar to Target
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers ($7,000)
Realistically, with how well the Bruins’ offense is gelling right now, you likely need to get a piece of their top six in some form or fashion for DFS. Boston has scored four or more goals in six of their last seven games and roll into this game off a blowout win over the Canadiens. Brad Marchand ($7,100) will be popular given that he has seven goals in his last three games, but the second line for Boston has been productive too, with David Pastrnak having now scored four times in his last three outings.
The ownership should be lower on Pastrnak, who is averaging just under 4.0 shots on net per game. He is easy to stack with Taylor Hall, who figures to get smaller ownership too. The Flyers have allowed the forth-most quality scoring chances against this year and make for a great opponent for a juggernaut offense. Pay up for the underpriced and potentially under-owned Pastrnak.
Value on Offense
Anthony Beauvillier, New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils ($3,600)
The Islanders have a great matchup today and a bit of a gift as COVID is currently running through the Devils’ defensive core. As such, the Islanders have a big implied team total of 3.6 goals and their forwards are in a good spot to post some big fantasy totals—as the Devils already are one of the weaker defensive teams in the league and have allowed the 11th most scoring chances this year.
Beauvillier has picked up his game of late and comes in with two goals scored in his last four games. His shot volume has picked up (he’s landed four or more shots in three of his last four starts) and he’s still averaging over 16 minutes a game in a second-line role. You might even want to think about Beauvillier in a goal prop bet tonight on the DraftKings Sportbook as this is a great spot for a pure goal scorer who is certainly overdue for some solid positive goal scoring regression.
Stud Goalies
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils ($8,100)
As mentioned above, the Islanders are in a great spot tonight and come into the game with the Devils as -210 home favorites. While the Islanders may not have had a great start to the year, they have won three of their last four games and have been getting more consistent netminding from the likes of Sorokin of late, who has a .916 save% over his last 10 games. Sorokin has also stopped 30 or more shots in four of his last five starts and the Devils do average over 31 shots on goal per game, making this a pretty solid upside spot for the trending goalie.
Ultimately, the second-year goaltender has not been the issue for the Islanders this year, and with the offense finally starting to produce for New York, more wins should come his way soon. He’s a good favorite to target in net today and comes at a still affordable price.
Value on Defense
Filip Hronek, Detroit Red Wings vs. Winnipeg Jets ($4,400)
The Red Wings offense is in a solid spot today against Winnipeg in a game that does have the potential for lots of goals. Hronek plays solid minutes for the Red Wings every night (over 22 minutes a game) and recently his power-play production has been trending upward. He has scored three power-play points over his last 10 games and faces off against a Jets team who has the second-worst penalty kill in the league. Using some cheap Red Wings players isn't a poor idea given the opponent. Hronek’s steady minutes and power-play exposure make him a great value. He’s in a great spot to grab a point or more and still comes relatively cheap.
Brady Skjei, Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets ($3,400)
The Hurricanes have a massive 4.1 implied team total tonight, so not mentioning at least one of their players would be a crime. If you want some cheap exposure to their offense, then looking to the backend with a player like Skjei is a good way to start. The defenseman has always flashed decent offensive ability and comes in having scored four goals and six points in his last three games. That type of production may not be sustainable, but he faces one of the poorest defensive teams in the Blue Jackets today, who allow the second-most shots against per game. Skjei is also averaging just under 4.0 blocked shots + shots on goal per game, an elite rate that makes him a great value regardless of his recent point streak. Don’t sleep on him if you need a cheap defensemen to round out lineups.
Power-Play Defensemen
Victor Hedman ($6,900)
The Lightning have a great matchup today as they take on the Vancouver Canucks in a home game. Tampa has a 3.5 implied team total and are -255 favorites on the DraftKings Sportsbook, so the expectation is for lots of Tampa goals. The Canucks penalty kill remains their Achilles heel as that area really hasn't improved at all under their new head coach—they remain the worst penalty-kill unit in the league.
Hedman still patrols the blueline on the PP1 for Tampa and he’s averaged a solid point per game on the season, while still producing in the shots on net department (2.6 per game). At under $7,000, starting your backend exposure with Hedman isn't a poor idea at all. He’s more affordable than he should be in a spot like this, and can be stacked with any of the Lightning’s elite forwards, given the big minutes he plays in all types of situations.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $65K Kick Save [$20K to 1st]
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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