Oilers' Kane to capitalize on top-line minutes Thursday night

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.

We had a nice rebound night with our player props on Wednesday, cashing two of three plays. Wyatt Johnston failing to record a point on any of the Stars' five goals was our only miss.

We'll set our sights on a perfect card with three more props for Thursday's massive NHL slate.

Shane Pinto: Over 2.5 shots

Pinto has been a consistent shot-generator since returning from suspension, especially on home ice.

The Senators center recorded three shots or more in eight of 11 games played in Ottawa. Pinto fell only one shot shy in two of the three failures, giving himself a fighting chance almost every time.

The shots should be there Thursday night against the Blues, who have given up a lot of volume all season and don't seem to be improving. Only five teams conceded more shots per game over the last 10 games, and each of those clubs may miss the playoffs.

The Senators should comfortably surpass 30 shots versus the Blues. Given Pinto's usage as the top-line center, he figures to get his fair share.

Odds: -122 (playable to -135)

Timo Meier: Over 3.5 shots

I don't generally like to target shooters playing against the Jets, but this is a good time to make an exception. Winnipeg has given up a surprising amount of shots to wingers lately. Only the Blues have conceded more on a per-game basis over the last 10.

Meier is firing on all cylinders right now, playing on the Devils' top line with Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt and skating on the No. 1 power-play unit.

At five-on-five, Meier averages well over 23 shot attempts per 60 minutes playing with Hischier and/or Bratt, which is top-tier production. He leads the Devils in shot attempts on the man advantage since being promoted to the top group following Tyler Toffoli's departure.

Meier has gone over this total in seven of the past 10 games. I don't see him slowing down in this sneaky good matchup.

Odds: -102 (playable to -125)

Evander Kane: Over 2.5 shots

Kane might be my favorite play on the board. He was humming along with a hit rate well over 60% before the trade deadline. Then the Oilers acquired Adam Henrique and opted to use him at center, pushing Kane down to the third line to try to balance things out.

It didn't work; Kane's shot volume and production rates dipped in a depth role without Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid by his side. Realizing as much, the Oilers have promoted Kane back into the top six next to the best player in the world.

Kane averages well over 22 shot attempts per 60 minutes with McDavid also on the ice at five-on-five. That's the kind of rate you'd look for from someone with a total of 3.5 or 4.5 shots, not 2.5.

Kane is a trigger-happy shooter, is most efficient at home, and is now centered by a pass-first player who's got 82 assists through 64 games. This is a great opportunity for Kane to get back on track.

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

Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.