NHL Best Bet 01/20/2026

Last Update: Tue Jan 20, 2026, 4:00 pm ET

Read Time: 7 minutes

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We went 2-1 last article with a big +170 play! What better way to start the week than to keep rolling with a 3-0 NHL best bets article. Time to crack the broom closet because the house is dusty and needs a sweep. There are so many interesting matchups tonight and great ways to find value on NHL player props. Time to zig and zag to find some NHL best bets on this big Thursday slate. Let's start building up units by boosting our 31-35 record on the articles, that has tons of plus money value.

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. Dylan Cozens Point -105 on Lucky Rebel:

Dylan Cozens has fit like a glove and is producing BIG points for the Ottawa Senators

Dylan Cozens has been on a hot streak, making his point a solid look.

Cozens has become a reliable offensive contributor this season. Through 49 games in 2025-26, he has accumulated 36 points, translating to roughly 0.74 points per game and putting him in frequent scoring involvement on a daily basis. A key reason this line looks playable is his central role for the Senators, both at even strength and on the power play. Cozens regularly skates with Brady Tkachuk on the 2nd line and is on the first power-play unit, giving him plenty of opportunities to generate assists and goals — crucial for hitting a point prop.

From a historical matchup standpoint, Cozens has consistently found success against the Blue Jackets. In his career versus Columbus, he's posted 3 goals and 12 assists in 16 games, demonstrating a tendency to contribute offensively against this specific defense. Recent game logs also support his scoring potential. In his last five games versus Columbus, Cozens recorded 4 assists, indicating he can consistently set up teammates when this matchup materializes.

Cozens has a point in three games straight. The Ottawa Senators are needing to outscore opponents in races, as they have goalie issues with their starter Ullmark out. This is a positive game script for multiple goals needing to be scored for the team to have any hope in winning. The Senators will face the Columbus backup Elvis Merzlikins and his dreadful 3.77 goals against average. Add it all up and it's easy to see why this is an NHL best bet.

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2. Jimmy Snuggerud o2.5 SOG +135 on Lucky Rebel:

Jimmy Snuggerud has had a huge spike in his shot volume recently

Jimmy Snuggerud has quietly emerged into a reliable shot-producing option for the St. Louis Blues in the 2025-26 NHL season, making over 2.5 shots on goal an appealing prop for Tuesday's matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. And while it took the rookie winger a couple months to find his footing as a ripper of rubber, his recent performance has been eye-popping and he has the type of shot volume you want to ride.

Snuggerud is averaging just over 2.0 shots per game this season, which already puts him close to the 2.5 mark even before considering game-to-game variance. Across the past five games, he's taken 22 total shots, which works out to 4.4 shots per game in that span — a HUGE bump well above his season average. This pattern demonstrates that Snuggerud can push beyond his baseline number when he's seeing more ice time and getting into scoring areas. He's been positioned in more offensive situations lately, including occasional power-play looks, further boosting his opportunity profile. And on top of all this, Snuggerud is averaging an insane 7.6 shot attempts per game over his last 5 games.

From a matchup perspective, the Jets' defensive structure this season hasn't been elite at suppressing shots, and the team continues to allow near-league-average shot totals to opponents (around 27–31 shots against per game). At some points this season, the Jets were top 10 for shots allowed as well.While right wings as a group average slightly fewer shots against per game compared to centers and left wings when facing Winnipeg, individual tilt matters. Jets defensive breakdowns and transitions often lead to higher quality chances from slot and cycle play — the areas where a shooter like Snuggerud can get his licks on net. Especially because the Jets are coming off a game last night. This is a great plus money spot, making it an NHL best bet.

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3. Artemi Panarin o2.5 SOG -120 on Lucky Rebel:

Artemi Panarin is really ripping rubber lately making his SOG prop a best bet

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin takes a shot on net vs the Senators.

Panarin has been one of the Rangers' primary shot generators all season. Through 48 games in 2025-26, he's credited with 147 shots on goal, putting him at roughly 3.0 SOG per game and in the 97th percentile for shot volume among NHL skaters. And tonight we get his 2.5 SOG prop at a discount because of two factors; 1. Panarin is coming off a game last night and 2. The Los Angeles Kings are in the bottom third for shots allowed. But that price discount is exactly why this looks like an NHL best bet.

He's coming into this Kings game riding a strong offensive stretch overall, with 56 points (19 G, 37 A) in 48 games on the season, confirming he's driving a big share of New York's offense right now. And while we aren't looking for points here, these stats show that Panarin is a main driver for the Rangers offense, and guess what, you gotta shoot to score. The Rangers just dropped their game last night to the Ducks and should be hungry as well.

Now one reason why I absolutely love this NHL best bet, is the back to back factor. Panarin is FANTASTIC on back-to-back games, averaging 7.7 shot attempts a game, after playing the night before. This is about 2 attempts higher than his average of 5.6 over the last 10 games and higher than his season average of 6.9 shot attempts. Add the motivation of just losing to the Ducks and we may have a motivated Panarin.

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