NHL Wednesday player props: Nylander to stay hot vs. Oilers

We don't have a ton of games in front of us Wednesday night, but many of the league's brightest stars will be in action.

Let's take a closer look at three players worth backing.

William Nylander over 3.5 shots (+100)

Nylander is red-hot on the road. He registered four or more shots in seven of his last 10 away games, including six of the last seven. The lone exception came against a slow-paced, stingy Kraken team.

His recent success isn't just smoke and mirrors. Nylander's average shot generation on the road increased to 7.3 attempts per game over his last 10 road dates. That's well above his season road average of six.

Nylander finds himself in a good spot to keep it going Wednesday night. Although the Oilers have tightened up of late, they've been vulnerable when it comes to conceding shots to opposing right-wingers.

Playing on the second line, Nylander should see more of Leon Draisaitl than Connor McDavid. The former centers the lesser line defensively, so that matchup should be advantageous for Nylander's shot generation.

Look for Nylander to get it done away from home in what could be an eventful game.

Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (-115)

No Cale Makar, no problem. Nathan MacKinnon has picked up the offensive slack in the No. 1 blue-liner's absence, generating a mind-numbing output.

MacKinnon registered 14 points over the last seven games without Makar, finding the scoresheet each and every time. His shot generation has been remarkably good in that time, with six - yes, six! - shots or more in five of those games.

The two defeats came in a blowout win against the Jets (there was no need to push the envelope offensively) and against a stout Flames team that would go on to outshoot the historically good Bruins by nearly 40.

While the Devils have been a strong defensive side this season, their metrics have tailed off a bit - at least away from home. They rank 27th in five-on-five shot suppression over their last 10 road games.

Look for MacKinnon to fire from anywhere and everywhere in what should be a fast-paced and exciting affair.

Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (-125)

Ovechkin's shot volume decreased over the last month or so. The superstar winger recorded four shots or more in just four of 10 games, averaging 6.7 attempts per contest.

While that volume is still very good for most players, it doesn't meet Ovechkin's usual standards (eight attempts on average per game this season). Ovechkin is one of the few with a shot total of 4.5.

Despite the dip, I think Ovechkin is worth backing against the Ducks. The matchup is simply too good.

The Capitals laid an egg against the Ducks just last week, but Ovechkin still managed to register five shots on nine attempts. Very strong numbers.

Anaheim is conceding a whopping 43 shots against per game over the last 10. Over that span, it allowed nearly seven more than the closest team. The Ducks can't defend a lick.

This is the ultimate get-right spot for Ovechkin, who should be able to breeze to a rather effortless victory.

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

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