NHL Thursday player props: 3 forwards to target
Shot props have been very good to us this campaign. With Alex Pietrangelo and Aleksander Barkov hitting on Wednesday night, our record sits at 4-1 this week.
We'll aim to keep the good times going with three plays for tonight's slate.
Dylan Larkin over 2.5 shots (-134)
Dylan Larkin is the Detroit Red Wings' most consistent shot generator, leading the team in both attempts and shots on goal this season - and by wide margins. If we zoom in and focus on the last 10 games, he still finds himself on top. Simply put, Larkin's taking a lot of shots.
Tonight Larkin finds himself in a sneaky good spot against the New York Rangers. While the Rangers are a good squad, they give up a lot of shot volume, especially to centers. Believe it or not, only the Montreal Canadiens concede more shots to the position on a per game basis.
Larkin should have plenty of looks at the net in this contest.
Nick Suzuki over 2.5 shots (+110)
It's no secret Martin St. Louis would rather have Habs players make their own reads with the puck than take away their creativity and box them into a system, which figures to benefit skilled players like Nick Suzuki. The early returns suggest as much, with Suzuki piling up 11 shots on goal and seven scoring chances through three games.
The St. Louis Blues allow more shots to the center position than all but Montreal and New York, so Suzuki finds himself in a strong spot to keep the shot volume trending upwards.
Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots (+105)
Patrick Kane lives for home games. The winger has averaged a whopping 4.1 shots on goal per game in Chicago for the Blackhawks this campaign, including 4.6 over his last five. Kane is a legitimate threat to hit four shots every single night regardless of matchup, and he just so happens to have a very good one tonight.
The Columbus Blue Jackets bleed shots more than most other clubs, and their numbers are progressively getting worse. The Blue Jackets have allowed 35.58 shots per 60 minutes over the last 10 games at five-on-five - only the Canadiens have conceded more. Columbus is also bottom-eight in suppressing shots on the penalty kill over that span. Be it at five-on-five or on the power play, Kane should routinely find himself in good positions to shoot.
Priced at less than a coin flip, I love backing Kane at home in this spot.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.