Here are my NHL Anytime Goalscorers for Thursday, Jan. 18 – my expert predictions and picks.
After a little schedule reshuffling due to the snowpocalypse in Buffalo, tonight's hockey slate features 11 games, and I'm targeting three of them for my NHL anytime goalscorer picks.
Betting on NHL anytime goalscorers is simple enough: If your player scores a goal at any point in the game, your bet is a winner. MLB has its dingers; the NHL has its anytime goalscorers. And with both types of player props, the bets usually come with plus-money odds attached to them, so they're a favorite among all types of sports bettors.
My player picks tonight come from these games:
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. ET – ESPN+
- Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. ET – ESPN+
- Nashville Predators vs. Los Angeles Kings, 9:30 p.m. ET – ESPN+
Check out all of the analysis with my favorite anytime goalscorer predictions below.
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NHL Anytime Goalscorers
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. ET | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Avalanche vs. Bruins
Kicking off Thursday's NHL slate is a potential Stanley Cup Final preview as the Boston Bruins host the Colorado Avalanche.
While Colorado is firing on all cylinders offensively, the same cannot be true about keeping opposing pucks out of the net as it ranks in the bottom half of the league in goals allowed per game.
The primary culprit for this ranking is goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who possesses a .895 SV% through 37 appearances in the crease this season. He has now allowed three or more goals in six of his past seven starts, posting a .885 SV% over that stretch.
One of those seven starts came against Boston, and guess who scored twice in that game? This century's Ken "The Rat" Linesman: Brad Marchand.
And we are going to target him to score once again.
While Pasta is the main sniper for this group, Marchand has no issue finding the back of the net as well, posting six goals over his past seven games. He's also a threat on the power play with seven of his 19 goals this season coming on the man-advantage.
That is an important stat to note in this contest as the Avs rank 24th in penalty minutes per game. Even if Marchand doesn't score on the power play, it is entirely possible he finds success once again at even-strength, especially considering Colorado's problems with depth at the blue line.
This lack of depth leads to high-danger scoring chances considering the Avalanche rank in the bottom half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5. We are catching a great price on Marchand to score at +155 at DraftKings and BetRivers.
Pick: Brad Marchand (+155 at DraftKings)
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Canadiens vs. Senators
We hit Cole Caufield's goalscorer prop at +175 in Wednesday's game against the New Jersey Devils, and I am a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." After a sluggish start to the campaign, the Montreal winger has once again found his game, scoring six goals over his past 10 games.
He's shown a relentless tenacity to shoot the puck over that stretch, averaging 3.7 shots on goal per game. That's what he does best, and it's what this team needs from a guy of Caufield's scoring ability, which he should take advantage of against one of the worst defensive teams in the league in the Ottawa Senators.
This season, Ottawa ranks in the bottom 10 of the league in goals allowed per game, shots on goal allowed per game, penalty-kill percentage and penalty minutes.
The Sens' poor penalty kill is exactly what could be exploited by Caufield, someone who skates on the first power-play unit and co-leads the team with six goals on the man-advantage. Even with the weak penalty kill, the Senators' biggest defensive weakness is in net since goaltender Joonas Korpisalo is expected to start between the pipes on Thursday evening.
Through 26 appearances in the crease this season, Korpisalo possesses a fade-worthy .884 SV% and 3.70 GAA. If he is going to be beat often in this matchup, then it is likely at the hands of Caufield.
We are catching a great price on him to score at +155 via FanDuel, a line that is 30-46 cents longer than the rest of the market.
Pick: Cole Caufield (+150 at FanDuel)
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Predators vs. Kings
In my final play for Thursday's NHL slate, I am targeting Los Angeles forward Quinton Byfield to find the back of the net as the Kings host the Nashville Predators.
Goaltender Juuse Saros is slated to guard the cage for Nashville, and for some reason, one of the world's most talented netminders just can't seem to get out of his own way right now.
Saros has now allowed three or more goals in six of his past eight starts, posting a fade-worthy 2-5-1 record, .870 SV% and 3.71 GAA over that span. With his poor play in net, Saros and the Predators now rank in the bottom half of the league in goals allowed per game, shots on goal allowed per game and penalty-kill percentage.
That brings us to Byfield, who could once again find success against Nashville, a team he boasts three goals against through four career games. He's also a threat on the power play, with 33% of his goals coming on the man-advantage this year, which could be a problem for the Preds considering that they rank 22nd or lower in both penalty minutes per game and penalty kill percentage.
Byfield is also one of the team's leaders in individual expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5. Finally, Byfield to score at FanDuel is currently listed at an enticing +300, a price that is 35-50 cents longer than the rest of the market.
Pick: Quinton Byfield (+300 at FanDuel)
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