NHL Wednesday player props: McDavid to feast on Canucks
We started the season with a bang on Tuesday night, cashing all three shot props, including a juicy +170 hit.
We'll look to build on that great start with three plays for a bigger and more appetizing slate of games.
William Nylander over 3.5 shotsNylander strongly benefits from home ice. Last season, he recorded at least four shots in 57% of his games in Toronto, a far cry from the 37% hit rate he managed away from home.
As you'd expect, there was a noticeable gap in volume. Nylander generated 12.16 shots on goal per 60 in Toronto compared to 10.93 on the road. That's a sizable difference when looking at a sample size of 41 games each.
I like Nylander's chances of continuing his success at home against the Canadiens. He absolutely feasted on the Habs last year, recording 27 shots over the span of four games while going over his total in each. That's an average of nearly seven shots on target per game.
I'm not sure I'd expect that level of volume tonight, but the Habs are a subpar defensive team, and Nylander will benefit from cushy matchups at home.
It's also worth noting he's skating on a line with John Tavares - who's less of a shooter than Auston Matthews - and Max Domi, someone who tends to create shots for linemates more than take them himself.
Nylander is in a very good spot to hit the ground running.
Odds: -110 (playable to -135)
Jake DeBrusk over 2.5 shotsThe Blackhawks are very bad without the puck. Their defensive metrics were horrendous last season, and they didn't really add any reliable options to improve in that aspect. It certainly showed in their season opener.
Although the Blackhawks managed to grind out an upset win over the Penguins, they conceded an alarming 71 attempts and 40 shots on goal.
I think we'll continue picking the Blackhawks for shots all season long, and DeBrusk is a good way to go about it in this game.
DeBrusk is one of the best volume generators on the Bruins and figures to be the focal point of the second power-play unit. He's also being centered by Charlie Coyle, with whom he has quite high shot rates.
The Blackhawks are a poor defensive team, they play fast, and they're in the latter half of a back-to-back. This is a very good spot for DeBrusk - who hit the over in both games against Chicago last season - to start his year on the right note.
Odds: +105 (playable to -120)
Connor McDavid over 3.5 shotsMcDavid was a one-man shooting gallery last season. He recorded at least four shots in 61 of his 95 games (playoffs included), which is a 65% success rate. Pretty good!
Although McDavid is the most gifted playmaker on the planet, he's so puck-dominant that he has an abundance of good shooting looks each and every night. It's impossible not to when you play 20-plus minutes and have the puck on your stick more than anybody.
McDavid enjoyed plenty of success against the Canucks last season, going over his total in all three meetings. He recorded a combined 16 shots on target, good for an average of more than five per night.
Win or lose (likely the former), look for McDavid to test Thatcher Demko a handful of times.
Odds: -125 (playable to -140)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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