Guentzel, Jarvis to lead charge for Hurricanes

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We have a pair of playoff games on the schedule Tuesday night. Here are a few of the best ways to attack them.

Jake Guentzel: Over 2.5 shots

Death, taxes, and Guentzel shot props against the Rangers. He's killed New York for years, piling up three shots or more in 13 of the past 14 head-to-head meetings. That's an absurd 93% clip.

Guentzel posted strong volume in Game 1 of the series. He recorded five shots on goal while leading all players with six scoring chances and nine shot attempts. The volume was strong, and a lot of it came from dangerous areas of the ice, making it easier for Guentzel to hit the target.

The Hurricanes acquired Guentzel for the playoffs, and they've routinely given him 20-plus minutes in close games when they need to score. I expect this to be a tightly contested affair - the Rangers always seem to give the Hurricanes trouble - and Guentzel to get a heavy dose of ice time as a result.

Look for Guentzel, who has a 60% hit rate this season, to put forth another active shooting performance.

Odds: -140 (playable to -160)

Seth Jarvis: Over 0.5 points

Jarvis is scorching hot, recording 13 points over his past 10 games dating back to the regular season, including eight in six playoff contests.

He's skating on the second line opposite Teuvo Teravainen, who he performed well with in the regular season. Jarvis averaged 2.42 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play when skating on Teravainen's line. That's efficient production.

Jarvis is a real threat to make noise offensively at even strength. He's also skating on the top power-play unit, giving him exposure to Guentzel, Sebastian Aho, and the other most dangerous Hurricanes.

Carolina really needs this game and will no doubt lean heavily on Jarvis to secure a win. Look for him to find the scoresheet.

Odds: -125 (playable to -140)

Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shots

MacKinnon's been a force against the Stars. He's registered at least five shots in eight of the last nine meetings, routinely clearing his total with room to spare. He averaged 6.77 shots on more than 10 attempts per game in that span - top-tier production.

Although this version of the Stars is the best we've seen, MacKinnon is someone who can make noise in any matchup.

And he's been sitting on the sidelines for a week following a five-game series win over the Jets, giving him plenty of time to rest his bumps and bruises and recharge.

I expect MacKinnon to come out with purpose, looking to set the tone in a marquee matchup between two of the league's best teams. MacKinnon will have no problem handling the 22-plus minutes head coach Jared Bednar will likely throw his way and should pile up shots as a result.

Odds: -118 (playable to -135)

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

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