NHL Thursday player props: 3 forwards to target
We're in for a very busy night on the ice with nine games scheduled. Let's break things down and get right into the best way to attack the slate through shot props.
Tage Thompson over 2.5 shots (-120)You all know the story by now: Tage Thompson is a pedestrian shot generator on the road and flat-out elite at home. His splits are as crazy as any player in the league.
On home soil, Thompson prints us money. The Buffalo Sabres winger has averaged 3.9 shots on goal and registered at least three shots in 16 of 19 contests - that's an 84% hit rate.
Thompson averages 2.1 shots per game on the road, which is barely over half of what he generates in Buffalo. He has gone over the number only five times in 17 road dates for a success rate of just 29%.
The Dallas Stars are a solid defensive team, but they can get outplayed on the road. The Stars allow four more shots per game when they aren't on home ice and getting the matchups they want on a shift-to-shift basis.
Expect Thompson to benefit from that.
Mark Scheifele over 2.5 shots (-115)The Nashville Predators are a very good squad, but their defense hasn't been nearly as stout lately. The Preds have allowed 35.43 shots per game over the last 10, ranking them 27th in the NHL. Not great!
Mark Scheifele is definitely known as more of a passer than a shooter, but he is putting a lot of rubber towards the net right now for the Winnipeg Jets. Scheifele has amassed 53 shot attempts and 35 shots on goal over the last 10 and has recorded at least three shots in seven of the last nine. In the only two exceptions, he fell just one shot short.
With an increased shooting mentality and a divisional matchup against a Nashville side that's bleeding shots, I like Scheifele to go over the number for us.
Jared McCann over 2.5 shots (-130)The Seattle Kraken are where shots go to die - they don't allow many, and they don't take many. Jared McCann is the exception to the rule.
McCann has piled up at least three shots in 17 of the last 26 contests (65%), including seven of the last 10.
The left-winger has averaged 3.4 shots per game in that span and has recorded nine more shot attempts than the closest teammate to him (Jordan Eberle). McCann, who has 15 goals through 33 games, is clearly Seattle's best scoring threat, and they feed him shots accordingly.
The San Jose Sharks are a mediocre shot suppression club, and their numbers are trending downwards. San Jose is not a side we have to shy away from attacking.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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