Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: The best player prop bets for Jan. 27

New York Rangers left winger Chris Kreider (20) takes a shot on goal. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

January 27th, 2022

The New York Rangers (28-11-4) will look to sweep their season series against the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-21-1) on Thursday night in Ohio, as the two teams face-off for the third and final time this year.

The Rangers have been holding steady as a top four team in the standings lately, having won four of their last five games while outscoring opponents 25-13. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, have just one win in their last five outings, and have been outscored 24-6 during that same stretch.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and we have three of the best prop bets below.

CHRIS KREIDER TO SCORE A GOAL

Chris Kreider is the NHL's leading goal-scorer after scoring nine goals in his last six games. His tally of 30 is a career-high, and it appears to be a byproduct of New York’s successful building process, as the 10-year vet finally finds himself surrounded by top tier talents like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox.

Chris Kreider is the first to hit 3️⃣0️⃣ goals this season. 👀 pic.twitter.com/6Vi1K4NVw6
— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2022

There’s not much else to analyze here as the soon to be two-time All-Star has double the goals of the next best Ranger this season and is a legitimate threat to score every night.

PICK: KREIDER TO SCORE ANYTIME (+115)

ARTEMI PANARIN OVER/UNDER 2.5 TOTAL SHOTS ON GOAL

With the Rangers offense firing on all cylinders, Artemi Panarin has also been one to look out for with four multi-point nights in his last five games.

Artemi Panarin scores a power-play goal against the Arizona Coyotes to make it 4-3 #NYRvsARI #NoQuitInNY #Yotes pic.twitter.com/llHvnnF6B8
— nopClips (@nopClips) January 23, 2022

The "Breadman" has topped 30 goals three times in his seven-year career, but has resorted to more of a playmaking role this season with only 11 goals to go along with 34 assists. Don’t dismiss him too fast though for having a pass-first mindset, as Panarin is still more than willing to pull the trigger, averaging over four shots on net in his last three games.

PICK: OVER 2.5 (-125)

NY RANGERS OVER/UNDER 29.5 TOTAL SHOTS ON GOAL

All signs point towards a game that should be controlled by New York, especially since Columbus hasn't been getting a lot of offensive production lately from any particular player. Given those factors, a team prop with an enticing line is a smart play tonight.

Shaking things up from our standard three-player prop picks, the opportunity to bet the Rangers to fire at least 30 shots on goal seems too good to pass up. The Blue Jackets sit dead last in the league with 35.3 shots against per game, and their recent form suggests that trend should continue tonight.