NHL Player Props & Best Bets for Today, January 12: Bouchard Not Shy in Chicago

Today's slate of NHL player props target Evan Bouchard, Lane Hutson, and Alexis Lafreniere.

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst
Jan 12, 2026 • 11:30 ET • 4 min read

This article contains projections for old games! See our best NHL player props today.

Latest NHL Props
Evan Bouchard Edmonton Oilers NHL
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Evan Bouchard during warmups before a game gainst the Flames.

There are nine games on the ice tonight, and I’ve got a trio of NHL player props to keep you busy from start to finish.

My NHL picks start with rolling Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, and the betting card is rounded out with Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in a bout with the Blackhawks.

Best NHL player prop bets today

Player Bet99
Rangers Alexis Lafreniere Over 1.5 shots -135
Canadiens Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots -120
Oilers Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 shots +115

Get a first bet encore up to $800 — no BET99 promo code neededGet a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
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Our best NHL player props for Monday, January 12

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Alexis Lafreniere Over 1.5 shots

-135 at BET99

There’s been a clear uptick in shot volume from New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere across his past nine games, and the 2020 first overall pick has recorded 2+ in eight of those contests while racking up an impressive 22 total on 46 attempts. Both of those totals rank second on the Rangers, too. 

This is also a layup matchup. The Seattle Kraken rank 31st in Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 and allow the sixth-most shots per game.

  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: KHN, MSG

Prop #2: Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots

-120 at BET99

The Vancouver Canucks have surrendered the third-most shots per road game (31.2), and Montreal Canadiens star Lane Huston has recorded 2+ shots in six of his past 10 games while logging a monster (25:27 of ice time, including 3:41 with the man advantage. 

Hutson has also paced Montreal defensemen with a 57.0 Corsi For percentage and 56.8% shot share at 5-on-5 during the stretch. Finally, I also value Vancouver averaging the sixth-most shorthanded time on the highway this season.

  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Prime Video

Prop #3: Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 shots

+115 at BET99

With the Chicago Blackhawks allowing the most shots to opposing defenseman and averaging the third-most shorthanded time per game, this is a soft matchup for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in this market. 

There’s been game-to-game inconsistency, but his 115 shots still rank in the 99th percentile among defensemen. 

Of course, Bouchard is also a go-to shooter with the man advantage, and sports a high-end 55.6 Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 while the Blackhawks rank 26th in the metric for the campaign.

  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: CHSN, Sportsnet West

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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