NHL Tuesday player props: 3 forwards worth backing

We have a busy nine-game slate ahead of us Tuesday night, which means there's an abundance of shot props to comb through.

Let's take a look at three that stood out from the pack.

Mark Scheifele over 2.5 shots (-132)

Scheifele has been a model of consistency in shooting the puck. The veteran pivot has generated at least three shots on target in nine of the last 10 games, and seven straight on home soil.

Scheifele ranks second on the Jets in shots and attempts during that time - just behind Kyle Connor, who's shot line sits at 3.5. Scheifele's also amassed 41 scoring chances. He's getting a lot of looks closer to the goal, which means there's less traffic to shoot through and a higher likelihood of getting those attempts on target.

While the Florida Panthers are a solid team, they rank in the bottom 10 in five-on-five shot suppression over the last 10 games and are playing without two of their top-three centers in Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell. That'll hurt Florida at both ends of the ice.

This is a good spot for Scheifele's shooting prowess to shine through once again.

Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (-110)

Death, taxes, and backing Nikita Kucherov for shots against the Detroit Red Wings. The dynamic winger has done a number on the Red Wings of late, hitting the over in four consecutive meetings while averaging a whopping 5.3 shots per game.

Not only does Kucherov seem to always have his fastball against the Red Wings, but he does his best work at home. Kucherov has averaged 4.3 shots on goal over his last 10 games, compared to just 3.4 on the road.

That's not a coincidence. Kucherov's attempt numbers are much higher in Tampa Bay at that time. He's attempted 8.7 shots per game at home and 6.4 on the road. There's much more wiggle room for Kucherov to miss shots or have them blocked and still hit the total.

It's also worth noting the Red Wings - while competent at five-on-five - have been worse than anyone of late at suppressing shots while undermanned. Kucherov should get plenty of looks on the power play, which puts him well on his way to going over the number.

Carter Verhaeghe over 2.5 shots (-132)

Injuries to Barkov and Lundell create more opportunities for others on the Panthers and Carter Verhaeghe looks to be a prime beneficiary.

Verhaeghe finds himself skating on the top line and the top power play, and he's only played a couple of fewer shifts over the last couple of games than star winger Matthew Tkachuk at five-on-five.

But it's not just about the reps. It's about the extra responsibility that comes with them. Verhaeghe is now being relied upon to create more offense, and it's already showing. Since Barkov and Lundell went down a couple of games ago, Verhaeghe leads the Panthers in shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances.

This isn't a high bar to clear in a game that should feature plenty of pace.

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

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