NHL Monday player props: Larkin to fire vs. Blue Jackets

We won two of three shot props on Friday night to send us into the weekend on a winning note.

We'll look to pick up where we left off with three more plays for the first card of the week.

Alex Ovechkin over 3.5 shots

The band was back together for the Capitals in their season opener. After an injury-plagued year in which Ovechkin's surroundings were never consistent, he had all of his usual running mates against the Penguins.

Ovechkin was centered by Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie skated on his opposite wing, and John Carlson was back feeding him one-timers on the man advantage. It paid off.

Although Ovechkin didn't score, he recorded a whopping nine shot attempts and four shots on goal to go over his shot total.

It's the kind of volume we've come to expect from Ovechkin and what we need for him to be a frequent shot prop target once again.

Ovechkin finds himself in a solid spot as he begins the week at home to the Flames. Their shot-suppression numbers have not been great at five-on-five, and they've given up shots at a higher rate than anybody on the penalty kill thus far.

Expect Ovechkin to fire pucks on net early and often once again.

Odds: -125 (playable to -140)

Dylan Larkin over 3.5 shots

Larkin has been a shooting machine through two games. He has registered 17 shot attempts, 13 shots on target, and nine scoring chances, all of which lead the Red Wings. He has not passed up opportunities at five-on-five and also leads the charge on the power play.

Larkin finds himself in a mouthwatering spot to keep firing Monday night against the Blue Jackets. Despite the coaching change and improved personnel, Columbus has still not looked remotely competent defensively. The team has conceded more than 80 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five, ranking last in that category.

They've also allowed shots on goal, scoring chances, and expected goals at a higher rate than anybody else.

Patrik Laine - who has long struggled defensively as a winger - is currently being used as the team's top-line center while No. 1 defenseman Zach Werenski is sidelined with an injury. Those two things alone paint a good picture of where the Jackets are at right now.

At a generous plus-money price, I see value in backing Larkin's shooting success to continue.

Odds: +120 (playable to -110)

Jesper Bratt under 2.5 shots

We targeted Bratt's under last time out and did not get the wanted result. The process was strong, though. Bratt continued to defer to Jack Hughes and Tyler Toffoli, opting to create shots for them rather than take them. He attempted only two shots at five-on-five, one of which came on a broken play where he had a clear-cut breakaway from center ice and had no choice but to take the shot himself.

That proved to be the nail in the coffin as, by that point, Bratt already had two shots on goal thanks to a never-ending supply of Devils power plays.

I still like what I'm seeing from Bratt as an under target. He has attempted only three five-on-five shots through two games, which is the same total as defensive defenseman Kevin Bahl and the team's fourth-line center, Michael McLeod.

Even in defeat, the Panthers have done a really good job at limiting shots in all situations thus far. I don't expect to see a ton of volume from Bratt against a quality Panthers side that will be fighting tooth and nail to grind out its first win - and point - of the season.

Odds: -135 (playable to -145)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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