My NHL goalscorer predictions were on point Tuesday night, as I successfully picked William Nylander (+145) and Macklin Celebrini (+160) to light the lamp.
And while Connor Bedard didn’t come through for my NHL first goalscorer prop, the Chicago Blackhawks star scored a hat trick to match Celebrini’s three-goal effort later in the evening.
It’ll be difficult for me to match that effort on Thursday, but I’ll give it a shot with my best NHL goalscorer bets today.
NHL Goalscorer Predictions Today
All hockey odds used for these NHL goalscorer predictions today are current as of Thursday, Nov. 20, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Mikko Rantanen: Anytime Goalscorer (+165) @ Canucks
The Dallas Stars will look to rebound from Tuesday’s 3-2 home loss to the New York Islanders when they visit the Vancouver Canucks, who allow the third-most goals (3.67 per game) in the NHL.
While Jason Robertson (eight goals in four games) has been on a tear lately, I’m backing his teammate Mikko Rantanen, who will look to shake off a five-minute major and 10-minute misconduct for boarding Isles defenseman Alexander Romanov late in the third period.
After avoiding a suspension, the 29-year-old winger will have a point to prove and will be eager to showcase the best parts of his game.
Rantanen, who ranks third on the Stars with nine goals in 20 games, hasn’t gone more than three games without scoring this season and found the back of the net in a 5-3 loss to Vancouver on Oct. 16.
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Nikita Kucherov: First Goalscorer (+1000) vs Oilers
NHL first goalscorer stats aren’t easily accessible, but a look through the box scores shows that Kucherov has opened the scoring in two games this season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning star ranks second on the team in goals (nine) and shots (52) behind Jake Guentzel, who is coming off a hat trick against the New Jersey Devils.
Kucherov also scored a first-period goal in that contest, marking the second consecutive game he has found the back of the net inside the first 20 minutes.
The 32-year-old winger has a good chance to extend that streak tonight against an Edmonton squad allowing the fourth-most goals per game (3.64) in the league. The Oilers are also playing on the second night of a back-to-back after shipping seven goals on Wednesday in Washington.
Take Kucherov to score first, and back it up with an anytime goal (+140), as your NHL bet of the day.
Adrian Kempe: Anytime Goalscorer (+165) @ Sharks
For my other NHL anytime goalscorer prop, I’m targeting Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe.
Kempe leads the Kings in shots (66) but ranks third in goals (six). His shooting percentage of 9.1% is more than five points below his mark from last season, when he scored 35 goals in 81 games.
The 29-year-old, who has tallied at least 35 goals in three of his last four campaigns, has continued firing throughout his current six-game goal drought, recording four shots on goal in each of his previous five outings.
Kempe should experience some positive regression soon, and I think that starts tonight against a San Jose Sharks team that allows 3.20 goals per game.
