NHL Thursday player props: Point to take charge vs. Golden Knights

We split our player props on Wednesday night. Kyle Connor came through at plus money against the Wild. Unfortunately, Elias Pettersson put up a dud and generated only two shots against the Ducks.

We'll set our sights higher with three plays for Thursday night's jam-packed slate.

Brayden Point over 2.5 shots (-125)

Point has cooled off of late, going over on his shot total in just three of the past 10 games. I like the Lightning center's chances of getting back on track Thursday night against the Golden Knights.

The matchup is more enticing than meets the eye. Vegas has been bleeding shots of late, ranking 29th in five-on-five attempts against per 60 over the past 10 games.

The center position has caused the Golden Knights more problems than any other during this stretch. They've allowed 13.6 shots per game by centers, which is the third-highest mark in the NHL.

Point is also a more efficient shot generator at home. He has gone over at a 59% clip in Tampa Bay, compared to 50% on the road.

Look for him to get back on track in an advantageous spot against Vegas.

Miro Heiskanen over 2.5 shots (-135)

Heiskanen has been shooting the lights out. He has gone over 2.5 shots in seven of the past 10 games, over which span he's accumulated a whopping 72 attempts.

Roman Josi (80) and Brandon Montour (74) are the only defenders in the NHL who've attempted more shots during the same period.

Now Heiskanen finds himself in a mouthwatering matchup against the Sabres. Not only do the Sabres tend to play high-event games that pull the pace out of opposing teams, they give up a lot of shots to defensemen.

Only the Coyotes and Ducks - two teams in the thick of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes - have allowed more shots per game to blue-liners over the past 10.

Expect Heiskanen to be ripping pucks early and often in this game.

Clayton Keller over 2.5 shots (-120)

Keller let us down last time out, but we're going right back to the well with the Coyotes star forward.

He has hit in four of his past five home games and his success rate in Arizona sits above 55%. That's a far cry from the 34% clip he's hit at on the road this year.

Perhaps more important than the location of the game, though, is the opponent. The Nashville Predators have not defended all that well for quite some time, and things are likely to get worse given the state of their roster post-deadline.

Keller generated six shots on eight attempts when these teams met a couple of weeks ago. I don't know that he'll reach those heights again, but with cushy usage and a relatively weak opponent, Keller should be able to get the job done in the desert.

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

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