NHL Friday player props: Road warriors
Thursday was yet another great night for our player props as we won all three plays, pushing our weekly record to 9-2.
Although there are only three games scheduled for Friday night's NHL slate, there is plenty of value on the board. Let's dive into a few of my favorite plays.
Jack Hughes over 4.5 shots (-130)The New Jersey Devils' budding superstar has generated shots at a nearly unmatched rate of late, piling up 91 attempts over his last 10 games.
Although Hughes' prop line has moved from 3.5 to 4.5 as a result, that hasn't stopped him from going over the total in eight of his last 10 showings.
Hughes is dominating the puck and very clearly establishing himself as the undisputed No. 1 scoring option on the team. He has recorded 64 shots on target over the past 10, which is nearly double that of the closest teammate to him (Nico Hischier with 34).
He is in the best spot imaginable to continue his success on Friday night. The Anaheim Ducks have been the worst shot-suppression team in the NHL over the course of the season *and* the last 10 games. Their form is consistently horrendous.
They also take a lot of penalties - offering plenty of opportunities for Hughes to generate multiple shots in quick succession - and allow more shots per game to centers than every other team in the league. Hughes should be able to keep the ball rolling in this game.
Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 shots (-125)It's fair to say Pierre-Luc Dubois is the prime beneficiary of Nik Ehlers' return to the lineup. Ehlers has skated with Dubois and Kyle Connor the past four games, and they've made magic together, helping the Winnipeg Jets control 63% of the expected goal share while piling up the shots in bulk.
Dubois has been the trigger man for that unit, averaging six attempts per game at five-on-five alone. Special teams included, Dubois has piled up 30 attempts over just four games since Ehlers returned. That's nine more than any other player on the Jets.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have not exactly been stout defensively without Jeff Petry and, more recently, Kris Letang. They are giving up plenty of shot volume and suppressing shots against centers has been an issue for them all season long. In fact, the Ducks are the only team below them in shots against per game against the position.
Look for Dubois - aided by the return of Ehlers - to stay hot in a sneaky good matchup.
Darnell Nurse over 2.5 shots (-120)Death, taxes, and Darnell Nurse hitting his shot total. The minute-munching blue-liner has recorded three shots or more in 10 of his last 12 games.
Although he doesn't carry the same reputation as most of the marquee offensive defensemen in the sport - understandably so - volume is volume, and Nurse provides it.
Only seven defensemen in the NHL have attempted more shots than Nurse this season. He generates shots at an efficient clip and plays so many minutes that, at times, he doesn't even need to make the most of his time to get the job done.
The San Jose Sharks are a surprisingly potent shot-suppression team but they're more vulnerable to defensemen than centers or wingers. We'll look to take advantage of that in backing Nurse.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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