Johnston to star in Game 4 vs. Golden Knights

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We finished last week on a high, going 3-0 with our player props Friday.

We'll look to pick up where we left off with three more props for Monday's pint-sized card.

Matthew Tkachuk: Over 0.5 assists

Tkachuk has four assists in this series and picked up at least one in three of four games. This sort of playmaking success is nothing new for Tkachuk, who's feasted on the Lightning the past couple of years.

He recorded 13 assists over his past 12 games versus the Lightning and managed a 75% success rate in that span. He also picked up an apple in seven of the last eight against the Lightning overall.

Tkachuk has great chemistry with Carter Verhaeghe, one of the league's most underrated scorers, at even strength. He's also a focal point of the Panthers' top power-play unit, getting a lot of touches from below the dots and distributing the puck effectively into high-danger scoring areas.

The Panthers have scored at least three goals every game in this series. I expect them to extend that streak further while playing at home with a chance to put away their rivals. If they do, Tkachuk has a great chance of getting involved with an assist.

Odds: -110 (playable to -130)

Wyatt Johnston: Over 0.5 points

One of Stars head coach Pete DeBoer's adjustments after Game 2 versus the Golden Knights was moving Johnston up to Dallas' top line alongside Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. He responded with a two-goal, eight-shot performance, which is par for the course based on his regular season.

That line was unstoppable in their time together: They played 110 minutes at five-on-five and outscored opponents 9-1 while posting a plus-56 scoring chance differential.

Of the nine goals the Stars efficiently scored in those minutes, Johnston picked up a point on eight. He wasn't just a bystander; he was a driving force on the line.

Johnston leads all players in the series in shots, shot attempts, and scoring chances despite ranking ninth on his own team in five-on-five ice time.

With an uptick in minutes playing alongside the team's top two point producers, Johnston has a great chance to make some noise offensively.

Odds: -132 (playable to -145)

Noah Hanifin: Over 0.5 points

Hanifin's been a regular point target in recent weeks and with great success. He picked up a point in six of his past eight games, finding the scoresheet nine times along the way.

He's logging heavy minutes at even strength and, perhaps more importantly, skating on the top power-play unit.

Since he joined Jack Eichel on the No. 1 power play, the Golden Knights have scored at a rate of 15 goals per 60 minutes. We're still dealing with small sample sizes, but it sure looks like they're going to be productive over the long haul.

The Vegas defenseman is seeing optimal usage for point production: He's getting a ton of ice, he's on the top PP, and he's playing with great players in every situation.

Look for him to convert that into results in Game 4.

Odds: +110 (playable to -115)

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

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