NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 4

Thursday's DraftKings NHL DFS picks include Red Wings' Alex DeBrincat who has seven goals and five assists during a nine-game point streak against Columbus, whom Detroit is playing Thursday night.
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 4

Thursday has 10 games scheduled, including seven in the 7 to 7:30 p.m. ET slot, two at 9 p.m. ET and one at 10 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Los Angeles (vs. Chicago), Edmonton (vs. Seattle), Tampa Bay (vs. Pittsburgh), Florida (vs. Nashville) and Carolina (vs. Toronto) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. The Over/Under for Maple Leafs-Hurricanes, Avalanche-Islanders and Red Wings-Blue Jackets is 6.5 goals, while the Predators-Panthers and Penguins-Lightning contests anticipate 6.0 goals being scored. The remaining five matchups are expected to register 5.5 goals. 

GOALIES 

Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. SEA ($8,100): Skinner has been hot and cold during the 2025-26 campaign, but he has been solid in his career against Seattle. He has posted a 9-3-0 record with a 2.68 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 12 previous appearances versus the Kraken, including a 26-save shutout victory last Saturday. Seattle ranks 31st in the league this season with 2.46 goals per game.

Filip Gustavsson, MIN at CGY ($7,800): Gustavsson's three-game winning streak ended in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to Buffalo, but he was excellent in the contest. In his last four appearances, he has stopped 107 of the 114 shots he has faced en route to a 3-0-1 record. Calgary sits 32nd in the league with 2.29 goals per game this season. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Alex DeBrincat, DET at CBJ ($8,000): DeBrincat has amassed nine goals and 13 points in his last 11 appearances. He has four power-play tallies and 40 shots on net during that span. DeBrincat also has seven goals and five assists during a nine-game point streak against the Blue Jackets. 

Morgan Geekie, BOS vs. STL ($6,800): Geekie has generated eight goals on 22 shots while adding two assists in his past seven outings. He has two straight multipoint performances heading into Thursday night's action, earning two goals and two helpers. 

Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR vs. TOR ($5,800): Ehlers has produced five goals, 12 points and 33 shots on net across his last 14 appearances. He assisted on two goals and fired five shots on target in a 5-4 win over the Maple Leafs on Nov. 9. 

Robert Thomas, STL at BOS ($5,700): Thomas has notched one goal and three helpers over a four-game point spree. His lone goal on four shots came with the man advantage. Thomas has two goals, four points and seven shots in his last five regular-season outings versus the Bruins. 

Gabriel Landeskog, COL at NYI ($4,900): Landeskog has accounted for three goals on 13 shots and four assists across his four-game point streak. He has considerable bang for the buck upside for Thursday's slate. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Lightning vs. Penguins 

Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,400), Brandon Hagel (W - $6,900), Anthony Cirelli (C - $4,800) 

Kucherov's nine-game point streak came to an end in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Islanders. Still, he has compiled four goals, 14 assists and 30 shots in his last 10 matches. Hagel has four multipoint performances in his past six outings, collecting eight goals, four assists and 22 shots during that span. Cirelli hasn't earned a point in three straight outings, but he had six shots on goal in Tuesday's defeat. He also had two goals, four helpers and nine shots in five games before his recent skid. 

Tampa Bay's top line has plenty of bounce-back appeal for Thursday's slate. The trio combined for nine goals and six assists in three meetings with Pittsburgh last season.  

Panthers vs. Predators

Brad Marchand (W - $6,500), Sam Reinhart (W - $7,000), Anton Lundell (C - $5,600) 

Marchand's four-game point streak ended in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Toronto, but he has reached the scoresheet in 12 of his past 14 appearances. He has 10 goals, 16 points and 33 shots over that stretch. Reinhart has racked up seven markers, nine assists and 21 shots in his last 10 contests. He has six power-play points (three goals, three assists) and a shorthanded tally over that time. Lundell has two goals on 21 shots and nine points in nine games going into Thursday's slate. 

Florida's top line has affordable cap hits and a decent matchup against a Nashville team that has surrendered the second-most goals per game (3.58) this campaign.  

DEFENSEMEN 

Zach Werenski, CBJ vs. DET ($8,500): Werenski has failed to earn at least one point in only one of his last 10 appearances. He has registered five goals, 10 assists, 41 shots and 13 blocks during that stretch. Werenski has two markers and three helpers over a three-game point streak, and he has lit the lamp four times while supplying 11 assists in his last nine outings against the Red Wings. 

Jake Sanderson, OTT vs. NYR ($6,300): Sanderson has found the scoresheet in eight of 10 games heading into Thursday night's action. He has three markers and seven helpers in that span. Sanderson has notched three goals, three assists, nine shots and nine blocks during his four-game point streak. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
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