We have reached the end of the week's NHL best bets and are about to hit the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

The first “half” of the season has been strong and we're quickly approaching the trade deadline, bringing us the best time of the year. 

 

 

 

NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/7

We've seen some lower-scoring games over the past week's NHL best bets, and it might be a product of teams simply going through the motions before the upcoming two-week break. 

Things may start slow on the other side of the break and then pick back up. 

 

 

 

Penguins vs. Rangers Prediction: Friday, February 7th

With Sidney Crosby out for the Pittsburgh Penguins, someone else is going to have to step up and fill that missing offense. It hasn't been the easiest season for the Penguins and with Evgeni Malkin already out, losing Crosby puts a bit of a dent in their offense. 

Let's look to Rickard Rakell, who is expected to be the new top-line center in place of Crosby, and he will continue his role on the first power-play unit. Rakell actually leads the team with 30 shots on goal over his last 10 games, which is very encouraging for his production tonight. 

When we look at the matchup versus the Rangers, they've been struggling on defense recently. Over the last two weeks, the Rangers have allowed 61.39 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 10th worst in the league. During that same time, the Penguins come in with 68.03 Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is actually the second-highest in the league. 

The Penguins have done a solid job at pushing the pace on offense recently and Rakell should be able to continue that with his new role due to Sidney Crosby missing tonight's game. 

 

 

 

Predators vs. Blackhawks Prediction: Friday, February 7th

Filip Forsberg owns the Chicago Blackhawks. He routinely puts up high-volume shooting performances against them and that won't be changing tonight. 

In the two games this season versus Chicago, Forsberg has seven shots on goal in each game. In the four games against Chicago last year, he had at least five shots on goal in three of the four games. This trend goes on and on for years and years, but this is what we should expect from a player who consistently sits in the top 10 of the league for shots on goal. 

While the Predators are struggling overall as a team, Forsberg still comes in with 49 shots on goal over his last 10 games, pushing their offense forward each and every night. Chicago has allowed 62.64 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, which is the third-worst in the league, putting Forsberg in a great spot to continue his dominance. 

 

 

 

Best NHL Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 2/7