NHL Best Bet 02/05/2026

Published: Thu Feb 05, 2026, 4:57 pm ET

Read Time: 6 minutes

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Well last article stung. For the first time this season the NHL best bet piece did a reverse sweep. Which only can mean one thing. Time to yo-yo back up tonight. It's the last day of games before the Olympic break, so lets find those motivated players who are making a push for their team instead of dreaming about Cancun. 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 37-41 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. Ondrej Palat Point +155 on Lucky Rebel:

Ondrej Palat will face his former team tonight

Ondrej Palát will face his former team tonight

The Ondrej Palát experiment is dead in New Jersey. And now Palát will return to face off against the Devils for the first time since they traded him to the New York Islanders several week ago. And while he only has 3 points (1 goal, 2 asssits) in his 5 games with the Islanders, he is getting PRIME usage. Palát has been skating in the Islanders' top-six mix (listed with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal) and he's also on the 2nd power-play unit, which is exactly how a lot of "quiet" point props cash—an assist on a Horvat finish, a rebound sequence, or a PP2 touch that turns into a goal.

The matchup history vs New Jersey is legitimately strong. Over his career, Palát has 16 points (5G, 11A) in 22 games vs the Devils. That's not a guarantee, but it's a meaningful sample that says his style translates against this opponent. So you can compound a previous strong history against the Devils with a new found revenge angle to make this plus money prop an NHL best bet.

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2. Sam Reinhart o2.5 SOG +125 on Lucky Rebel:

Sam Reinhart knows to step up when he faces the Tampa Bay Lightning

While Reinhart may be thinking about playing for Team Canada, he also is a team leader and knows he has one more vital game until he heads to Milan. The Florida Panthers will face their bitter rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning for their last game before the break. And Reinhart has the perfect combination of recent form and historical context to make his SOGs a plus money NHL best bet.

Over his last two games, Reinhart has a combine 9 SOG off of a whopping 17 shot attempts. So he currently has just the volume we need for him to hit this prop. Tampa Bay, while dominant at home recently, is a puck-possession team that often surrenders traffic and second opportunities. Their style of defending the blue paint gives skilled shooters like Reinhart extra chances. Plus, the Lightning's recent high-event games mean more total shots/game — good for shooters. Luckily, Reinhart's history also helps us against this tough team.

Through his last 23 games against the Lightning, Reinhart has hit 14 times. He averages 6 shot attempts against the Lightning through that stretch of games and averages 3.5 SOG. He will be playing on the top line with Anton Lundell, who can play a strong two-way game much like Reinhart's favorite center Barkov, who is still out with injury. With his recent form, and playing against a hated rival, it's easy to see why this plus money SOG prop is an NHL best bet.

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3. Nikolaj Ehlers Point -125 on Lucky Rebel:

Ehlers has brought great secondary scoring to the Hurricanes

Ehlers has been a reliable contributor in 2025-26, tallying around 14 goals and 27-39 assists, pushing him into the 40+ point range for the campaign. He's been active with the playmaking duties and regularly involved in scoring chances with his high-event skill set. Now he gets to face a team he has dominated who just so happen to be free falling.

Over the last 9 matches against the Rangers, Ehlers has amassed 11 points with at least one point in 8 of those games. So while Ehlers may be on the third line with Jordan Staal, he has great history vs his opponent. Luckily Ehlers also plays on the top power play, giving him more opportunity to hit the scoresheet. Now the Rangers are a great target for this NHL best bet, as they just moved their superstar player, Panarin, to embrace the tank. They will once again turn to 40 year-old goaltender Johnathan Quick, who has had a rough outing this season.

So while Ehlers only has a point in 5 of the last 10 games. This is one of those games where it feels all the stars have aligned.

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