NHL Thursday player props: 3 forwards to go over on

We had just one player prop in Wednesday's best bets, successfully backing Trevor Zegras to go over 2.5 shots at home to the Chicago Blackhawks.

We'll look to build on that as we attack a much juicier Thursday night slate.

Connor McDavid over 3.5 shots (-125)

I'm not sure I could like a player more than Connor McDavid in this spot. The San Jose Sharks aren't a great defensive team at the best of times, and they've been particularly putrid lately. Only the Arizona Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers have given up five-on-five shot attempts at a higher rate over the last 10 games. They're bleeding shots.

It just so happens the position San Jose struggles most with is the one McDavid plays. The Sharks have conceded 12.61 shots per contest to centers since the beginning of February, ranking dead last in the NHL during that spell.

McDavid is cooking on home soil and has piled up 19 shots over his last four games while going over the number (3.5) in each. I like him to continue his success against a Sharks team he nailed for seven shots in their only prior meeting this season.

Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (-106)

Anze Kopitar let us down last time out, but I'm going back to the well tonight against the Blackhawks.

He's firing on all cylinders in Los Angeles right now, registering at least three shots in 10 of his last 14 games. The shots continue to be there in bulk, and I don't see that changing with so many key players out of the lineup. He has more weight on his shoulders as a result.

Kopitar's recent success is a big reason I like the play, but the matchup also factors in. Whether you look at the entire body of work or focus on the last couple of months, Chicago is in the bottom 10 in preventing shots to centers.

We targeted the Blackhawks with Zegras on Wednesday night - and won! - and I expect the same to happen with Kopitar on Thursday.

Teuvo Teravainen over 2.5 shots (-125)

Teuvo Teravainen is a beast on home soil. He's gone over the number (2.5) in 20 of 30 games played in Carolina, good for a whopping 67% success rate.

While the Dallas Stars aren't a team I generally look to target, there's real value in doing so with Teravainen. The Stars aren't nearly as stingy defensively with Miro Heiskanen out of the lineup. Plus, they're giving up a lot of shots to right-wingers.

Since the beginning of February (20 contests), only the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres have conceded more shots per game to right-wingers than Dallas. Couple Teravainen's home success with a sneaky good matchup, and this line feels well short.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.