Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88). Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

NHL props for Tuesday, Jan. 2: Keep it simple with these two team total plays

By Griffin Carroll | Last updated 1/2/24

We went light on hockey over this past holiday week, but we're back in the market in the new year. Rather than focus on players, my focus will instead be on a few teams delivering on some goals. We turn to team totals to help us find some winners to get 2024 started.

1u: Boston over 2.5 goals, Dallas over 3.5 goals (+109 Fanatics)

Columbus is allowing 4.1 goals per game at home over the past month, and I'm seeing a massive power-play edge that favors the Bruins here. Boston is scoring a power-play goal at a 43.5% clip, the highest mark in the NHL in the past 20 days.

Boston has 3+ goals in six of the last eight meetings against Columbus, and they've scored 4+ goals in three straight overall, which includes two road games.

As for Dallas, they're averaging an absurd 5.1 goals per game at home across the last 30 days, with 4+ goals in eight of their last nine played at home.

They've hit this number in four of the past five meetings with Montreal. The Habs have allowed 4+ goals in four of their past five games, and tonight marks their sixth-straight road game, which could start to weigh on them here.

1u: Winnipeg over 2.5 goals, Nashville over 2.5 goals (-119 Fanatics)

This is a very simple play for me tonight. Winnipeg is facing a Tampa Bay team allowing 4.1 goals per game on the road over the past month, and Andrei Vasilevskiy has certainly been struggling in net.

The Jets have 3+ goals in five straight games against the Lightning and four of their past five games overall.

Then we have Nashville, who has the pleasure of facing a Chicago Blackhawks team surrendering 5.4 goals per game on the road of late. That will always help the cause here, and the Predators have 3+ goals in seven of their past eight against Chicago, including two games this season with four goals.

Nobody digs in the corners for picks on pucks like YB's Griffin Carroll. Follow him at griffybets.substack.com for NHL data, trends and targets.

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