A nice 2-1 day on the latest NHL best bets article, bringing us closer to a winning record. Luckily are plus money plays have kept the articles profittable. We are now 14-16 on the season. Let’s keep strining together wins! We have some nice looking matches this Thursday night. So we’ll look for some of the NHL best bet value plays and weave our way through this tasty slate to find some of the best NHL player props of the day.
We will be breaking down NHL best bets here at Betting News all playoffs long! Each article will look for VALUE, as in straights you can take to build up your bankroll or pieces you can use to beef up your parlays. All bets will be -135 or better odds. And while we will focus on NHL player props, there are times we will take sides and totals. So keep your eyes peeled here as we will drop these throughout the week.
And if you haven’t already be sure to check out some of my favorite futures and awards. So time to lace them up and get ready to ride with Betzky for my favorite NHL best bets of the day.
1. Matty Beniers Point -105 on BetOnline:
Beniers has a great history against the Red Wings
Beniers is firmly entrenched as Seattle’s top center. Projected line combinations for tonight have him between Mason Marchment and Jordan Eberle on the Kraken’s first line, with heavy even-strength minutes and power-play usage. Through 18 games in 2025-26, Beniers has 12 points (2G, 10A) and sits first on the Kraken in assists and among their top producers overall. And while that isn’t eye popping there is a sneaky reason why I love this play.
We are looking for discounts after all, and getting a top line center at nearly plus money is one of those. Especially when you remember Beniers played NCAA hockey at the University of Michigan. Perhaps that’s why he has a point in 5 of the last 6 games against the Red Wings. Beniers has 8 points (2G, 6A) in 6 career games against Detroit—over a point per game with a +4 rating, showing that the extra motivation against the team from his alumni gets him going. A key reason why this is an NHL best bet.
Detroit is good, but they’re not exactly a defensive fortress: They’re allowing 3.16 goals against per game this season (60 GA in 19 games). Their penalty kill sits at 81.5%, which is solidly above average but not elite, and they’ve still given up their share of big nights against.You also get a bit of “fragile defense” narrative right now. In their last outing, Detroit blew a 4–1 lead and ended up losing 5–4 in overtime to Buffalo, conceding four unanswered goals down the stretch. That kind of game reinforces the idea that if Seattle generates pressure—especially through its top line—there are cracks to exploit.
2. Matthew Schaefer o2.5 SOG +110 on BetOnline:
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal.
The 1st overall pick of this years draft has been unbelievable. Scahefer has helped propel the Islanders into what looks to be a playoff contention team. He is playing big minutes on the top pair and top power play unit and has already proven he is a true #1 defenseman. Tonight he gets a great matchup against the Dallas Stars to continue his reign supreme.
Schaefer has been very consistent at his 1.5 SOG line, hitting in 9 of the last 10 games. Over those games he is averaging 5.8 shot attempts, which is the shot volume you typically look for a 2.5 SOG prop. In fact over the course of the entire season he is averaging 6.3 shot attempts and has hit his 2.5 SOG prop in 11 games. He also has not gone more than two games without hitting his 2.5 prop, and he just missed twice.
The Dallas Stars have been considered a stingy team for shots on net. However, they give up the 8th most shots against to defensemen. In their last 10 home games, they rank 5th in most shots against by defensemen. Clearly one of the best ways to get pucks on net are shots from the point. The Islanders will have two more games on their 7 game road trip, so you could see players like Schaefer really empty the tank and goal all in to make this a success string of games. That usage and extra motivation makes this an NHL best bet.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick
3. Connor Bedard o3.5 SOG +145 on BetOnline:
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard reacts after scoring a goal.
It’s officially a Connor Bedard world and we are just living in it. Bedard is a usage monster. This season he’s sitting at 10 goals, 16 assists and 26 points in 18 games, already among the league’s top scorers. He’s averaging 3.28 shots on goal per game, with 59 shots total and about 21 minutes of ice time per night. Chicago as a team averages 25.28 shots per game, so Bedard is responsible for roughly 13% of every shot the Hawks take at 5-on-5 and special teams combined. That’s the profile of a classic high-usage “volume shooter” whose ceiling is regularly in the 5–7 SOG range.
Over his last 10 games, Bedard has 37 shots on goal – that’s 3.7 SOG per game, already above a 3.5 line. Over that same 10-game stretch, he’s piled up 8 goals and 11 assists, so he’s not just shooting for the sake of it; he’s the offense.
If all that wasn’t enough to agree this is an NHL best bet, than the matchup context against the Calgary Flames should help put it over the edge. Bedard has 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 5 career games vs the Flames. In those 5 games, he’s fired 22 shots on goal – an average of 4.4 SOG per game, well above the 3.5 threshold. The Flames allow the 12th most shots against in the league on the road and the 9th most shots against to the center position. Time to accept Bedard is ELITE.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick