Kempe, Doughty to exploit Blackhawks' weak defense

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We had a perfect night on the ice Thursday, going 3-0 with player props and 5-0 overall.

We'll look to keep the ball rolling and end the week on a high note, with three props for a light Friday card.

Adrian Kempe: Over 3.5 shots

Kempe has taken his shot volume up a couple notches of late. He has gone over his total in five of the past six games, averaging 5.33 shots on goal in that span. Kempe isn't just squeaking by; he's blowing by.

I don't expect him to slow down against the Blackhawks. They continue to struggle defensively, ranking 27th in shot suppression and goal prevention over the past 10 games.

The Blackhawks are also playing at a high pace. They rank eighth in total pace (attempts generated plus allowed per 60) over the last 10 games, often finding themselves in high-event affairs where shots fly from everywhere. That kind of environment should greatly benefit a speedy shooter like Kempe.

It's also worth noting Kempe has a track record against the Blackhawks, who've been quite bad over the last couple of years. He has generated 19 shots over his past four meetings, going over his total in each.

That trend should continue Friday.

Odds: -125 (playable to -140)

Seth Jones: Over 2.5 shots

Jones is one of the NHL's hottest shooters. He was a consistent target for the under earlier in the year, routinely landing on one or two shots while attempting only a few.

He's shifted to more of a shooting mentality in recent weeks. Jones has gone over his total in 12 of the past 15 games and is often getting the job done with room to spare.

A massive increase in attempts suggests his soaring hit rate is no coincidence. He has averaged 7.2 shot attempts over this 15-game heater, far above his season average of 5.8, which is also propped up by this stretch.

The Kings are generally not a team I target for shots but I like Jones in this spot. They have played faster of late, ranking 10th in five-on-five pace. They have also struggled to stay out of the penalty box, opening the door for plenty of extra offensive zone time for Jones to generate shots.

Odds: -106 (playable to -125)

Drew Doughty: Over 0.5 points

Doughty has hit another gear offensively of late, recording at least a point in eight of his past 10 games.

This isn't a matchup where I'd expect Doughty to slow down. Both teams rank top 10 in total five-on-five pace over the last 10 contests, creating a good environment for offense.

The Blackhawks also struggle mightily to keep the puck out - especially with Arvid Soderblom between the pipes.

Soderblom owns a putrid .879 save percentage on the year and has conceded nearly four goals per game. He's showing no sign of improvement, having allowed 28 goals over his last seven starts.

Doughty plays massive minutes in all situations for the Kings. If Soderblom is conceding goals by the handful, Doughty has a strong chance of getting involved with at least one.

Odds: -132 (playable to -150)

Bonus round: Mark Scheifele over 0.5 assists (playable to -110). He's expected to return to the lineup tonight, but no lines are available because he missed the last game. The Ducks give up a ton of shots and can't stay out of the box. There is no reason to expect any different in the latter half of a back-to-back. Scheifele should have plenty of the puck in the offensive zone and is surrounded by a handful of excellent shooters - be it at even strength or on the power play - in Kyle Connor, Nik Ehlers, and Tyler Toffoli. Look for him to set one up.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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