Capitals vs. Bruins: The best player prop bets for Jan. 20

Two teams looking to stay ahead in the Eastern Conference playoff chase will meet at TD Garden on Thursday night as the Washington Capitals battle the Boston Bruins.

The Capitals have won two of their last three after losing four in a row. The Bruins had won three in a row to start their seven-game home stand prior to Tuesday’s 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Let’s dive into the wide variety of player prop wagers available for this tilt and select our three best bets.

Washington Capitals (22-9-9) at Boston Bruins (22-12-2), 7:00 p.m. ET

Evgeny Kuznetsov goal scorer

Evgeny Kuznetsov has been a good bet to score a point of late, finding the scoresheet in five straight games, and nine of his last 11 overall. But he has just one goal in his last five games, and that seems due to change here.

Kuznetsov turned 19% of his shots into goals in December, but so far he has just one tally over 15 shots – a modest 6.7% conversion rate – in seven January contests. With Alex Ovechkin having scored in three straight games, extra attention will likely be paid to him, opening the door for some better chances for Kuznetsov.

NHL pick: Kuznetsov anytime goal (+295)

Taylor Hall to score at least one point

Like many of his Boston teammates, Taylor Hall was held without a point by the Hurricanes when last seen. But two games ago he played the hero, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Nashville Predators. That was his second point of the night, raising his total to 11 through 10 games in January.

Hall delivered two assists in his team’s most recent tilt with Washington, a 7-3 triumph on Jan. 10 at Capital One Arena. And that was with Capitals defenseman John Carlson – currently unavailable due to COVID protocols – in the lineup. There seems to be good value available on Hall to tally a point in this one.

NHL pick: Yes (-122)

Charlie McAvoy to score at least one point

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has scored at least one point in three straight games, but that streak seems due to end on Thursday night.

McAvoy tends to chalk up his points in bunches, as he’s been held off the scoresheet in 19 of his 33 games this season despite notching 24 points on the campaign. That includes an awful December in which he scored just one point over seven outings.

With his ice time waning, look for the Caps to blank McAvoy once more.

NHL pick: No (-122)