$FML's NHL Tuesday Best Bet - 12/6

$FML has a bold plus money pick for Tuesday's NHL Best Bet!

“Kaner’s unreal… I’ve probably watched all his goals in the last 10 years... He’s probably my favorite player.” — Jack Hughes prior to being drafted on May 31, 2019

It’s no secret… #86 in New Jersey idolizes #88 on Chicago. Professional Scouts have compared the two superstars for years, and it’s easy to see why. Both players are powered by blistering speed, elite vision and next-level playmaking ability. Layer on the intangibles — competitiveness, drive to be the best, etc. — and they’re practically the same player… separated by 10 years.

Comparisons aside — the simple fact Hughes idolizes Kane makes their head-to-head (H2H) matchups enticing. They’ve also been profitable for Hughes prop bettors, as he’s tallied 4 goals and 2 assists (6 total points) in just 4 career H2H matchups. He didn’t find the scoresheet in their first meeting as a rookie. Since then, Hughes is averaging two points per game vs. Chicago.

Fast forward to now, and #86 is practically in peak form. He’s recorded multiple points in 9 of his last 20 overall and in 5 of his last 8 at home. Tonight, the Devils will take the Prudential Center ice (i.e. at home) for the first time since blowing a 3-2 lead with less than 10 seconds to play vs. Nashville. They’re also coming off a game with a season-low 18 shots on goal vs. a weaker team in Philadelphia. All these things lead me to expect an energetic, motivated group in Red in Black tonight.

Chicago’s also allowing the 7th most goals per game (3.58) and 8th most Power Play goals (0.88/game). Both strong indicators for scoring, and betting markets concur. NJD are heavily favored both in  the Moneyline (-430) and Team Total (o/u 4) markets. They’re also -167 to score a Power Play goal.

I admittedly haven’t had much success with 2+ points props this season, but I’m not deterred. We had success with these last year, and eventually the tides need to turn, right?

I risked 0.75 units to win 1.4 at +186 (FanDuel)

The Pick: Jack Hughes over 1.5 Points (+186)